Korean Empire: Map & History
The Korean Empire, officially the Empire of Korea or Imperial Korea in English and commonly called Taehan Cheguk in Korean, was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by King Gojong of the Joseon dynasty.
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The Korean Empire, officially the Empire of Korea or Imperial Korea in English and commonly called Taehan Cheguk in Korean, was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by King Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. The empire lasted until the Japanese annexation of Korea in August 1910.
Modern Countries Once Part of Korean Empire
At its mapped extent, Korean Empire covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Korean Empire's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Korean Empire in Depth
History
Resistance against Korea having a tributary relationship with China increased in the 17th century. As the Ming dynasty was replaced by Qing dynasty, Western ideas entering Korea had caused anti-tributary sentiments to rise in Korea. Moreover, after the opening of Korea, members of the Gaehwa Party often declared independence from China, but China increased its interference in Korean affairs after the Imo Incident and Kapsin Coup.
However, following the Japanese victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, Joseon won independence from the Qing dynasty. Proclaiming an empire was seen by many politicians as a good way to maintain independence.
Military
The Imperial Armed Forces (대한제국군; 大韓帝國軍) was the military of the Korean Empire.
The Imperial Armed Forces comprised the Imperial Korean Army and the Imperial Korean Navy. With the central and provincial armies, the Korean Imperial grew immensely to 28,000 before 1907.
Succeeding the former Joseon Army and Navy, the Gwangmu Reform reorganized the military into a modern, Western-style one. Unlike in the Joseon dynasty, service was voluntary. It had a size of about 30,000, including soldiers and cadets.
The military disbanded on August 1, 1907, due to the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1907. Major Park Seung-hwan protested by committing suicide, sparking a revolt led by former imperial soldiers leading to the battle at Namdaemun Gate.
Economy
Some modern enterprises emerged in the Korean Empire, including some hand-operated machinery. These enterprises faced a crisis when Japanese products were imported into the country and the enterprises lacked capital intensity. Although limited banking infrastructure existed, it was not able to adequately support economic development. Large Korean (South Korean) companies existing to this day such as Doosan and Korea Electric Power Corporation originated during the Imperial period.
Nonetheless, the Korean Empire was able to have good economic growth. The GDP per capita of the Korean Empire was $850 in 1900, which was 26th highest in the world and 2nd highest in Asia.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Korean Empire (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Korean Empire: Key Facts
| Capital | Hanseongbu |
|---|---|
| Official language | Korean |
| Form of government | absolute monarchy, constitutional monarchy |
| Currencies | Korean yang, Korean won |
| Founded | 12 October 1897 |
| Dissolved | 29 August 1910 |
Succeeded by
- Korea under Japanese rule
- Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
Facts from Wikidata Q28233 (CC0).
Korean Empire Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Korean Empire appears, with the other states of the time.
Korean Empire Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 231,753 km² in 1909 CE.
Korean Empire: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Korean Empire exist?
The Korean Empire is dated to 1898 CE – 1910 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of the Korean Empire?
The capital of the Korean Empire was Hanseong (present-day Seoul).
How large was the Korean Empire at its peak?
At its peak in 1909 the Korean Empire covered about 231,753 km².
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