Empress Myeongseong the Great – Korea’s beloved Empress

Empress Myeongseong the Great has been known as one of Korea’s greatest Queens. She has been regarded as a national heroine.^[1] She has been known for her reforms and her attempts to maintain Korean independence.^[2] Empress Myeongseong the Great has often been praised for her “wisdom and insight”.^[3] She has also been praised for being a talented and accomplished politician.^[4]

On 17 November 1851, Empress Myeongseong the Great was born in Gyeonggi Province.^[5] Her personal name was Min Ja-yeong.^[6] Her father was Min Chi-rok (later known as Internal Prince Yeoseong).^[7] Her mother was Lady Yi (later known as Internal Princess Consort Hanchang). Her aunt was Grand Internal Princess Consort Sunmok.^[8] Her uncle was Grand Internal Prince Heungseon Daewongun (the Regent of Korea).^[9] This meant that her future husband, King Gojong of Korea, was her first cousin.^[10] Min Chi-rok died when Min Ja-yeong was eight years old.^[11] She was raised by Lady Yi. She was said to be very intelligent.^[12]

Grand Internal Princess Consort Sunmok wanted King Gojong’s bride to be someone from her own clan.^[13] She chose Min Ja-yeong as the wife for her son.^[14] Grand Internal Prince Heungseon Daewongun also agreed with his wife’s choice because Min Ja-yeong’s father had already passed away.^[15] This meant that she had no living father who could influence King Gojong in court.^[16] On 21 March 1866, Min Ja-yeong married King Gojong of Korea. She became Queen of Korea at the age of fourteen.^[17]

Initially, King Gojong of Korea neglected Queen Min for his concubines.^[18] She spent her lonely nights reading history, philosophy, religion, and politics.^[19] King Gojong eventually recognized Queen Min’s intelligence.^[20] He began to form a close relationship with her. He also relied heavily on her advice on political matters.^[21] Five years after their marriage, Queen Min finally gave birth to an infant son.^[22] However, he died four days later.^[23]

Queen Min blamed her father-in-law, Grand Internal Prince Heungseon Daewongun, for her son’s death.^[24] She believed he had poisoned her son through a ginseng emetic treatment.^[25] She persuaded King Gojong to oust his father and his supporters.^[26] On 5 November 1873, King Gojong removed his father as Regent and his supporters from court.^[27] He ruled Korea in his own name.^[28] He relied solely on Queen Min.^[29] A week after King Gojong ruled in his own name, a mysterious explosion occurred in Queen Min’s chambers.^[30] However, Queen Min and her attendants were not harmed.^[31]

On 13 February 1873, Queen Min gave birth to an unnamed daughter who only lived for a few months. On 25 March 1874, she gave birth to a son named Yi Cheok (the future Emperor Sunjong).^[32] However, he remained sickly throughout his life.^[33] Queen Min began to promote her family members in high court positions.^[34] She began to make reforms to modernize Korea.^[35]

In 1876, Queen Min and King Gojong signed the Treaty of Ganghwa, which opened international trade between Korea and Japan.^[36] She made many reforms in “economy, transportation, agriculture, education, and medicine.”^[37] She also founded hospitals.^[38] Even though she was a Buddhist, she allowed Christian missionaries in Korea.^[39]

Queen Min distrusted the Japanese and wanted to ally Korea with the United States of America.^[40] She established English language schools in Korea.^[41] She sent an emissary to meet with President Arthur to discuss the growing threat of Japan.^[42] Queen Min even patronised an American missionary named Mary F. Scranton.^[43] Mary F. Scranton founded a women’s university known as Ewha Academy (now known as Ewha University).^[44]

In 1881, Queen Min began to make military reforms.^[45] She tried a military system based on the Japanese military system.^[46] However, she angered many military officials who opposed the new military system.^[47] It led to a military rebellion that was supported by Grand Internal Prince Heungseon Daewongun in 1882.^[48] This forced Queen Min and King Gojong to flee Seoul in disguise.^[49] They fled to Cheongju. Queen Min asked China for help to restore her husband to the throne.^[50]

Once China restored King Gojong and Queen Min to power, the British Navy occupied Geomun Island in 1885.^[51] Queen Min sent a German to Japan to negotiate for the British Navy to withdraw.^[52] Japan began to entrench itself deeper into Korean politics.^[53] Queen Min tried to oppose Japan by becoming allies with Russia.^[54] Queen Min met with Russian emissaries. She invited Russian students to study abroad in Seoul.^[55] The Japanese officials grew concerned about Queen Min’s alliance with Russia.^[56] They planned to eliminate her to increase their ambitions in Korea.^[57]

In the autumn of 1895, a Japanese ambassador named Miura Goro began to plan Queen Min’s assassination.^[58] The assassination plot was called “Operation Fox Hunt.”^[59] On 8 October 1895, a group of fifty assassins stormed Gyeongbokgung Palace.^[60] They broke into Queen Min’s chambers.^[61] They dragged Queen Min and four of her palace maids.^[62] They stabbed her multiple times.^[63] Then, they forced her four maids to confirm if it was Queen Min that they had killed.^[64] They even whipped and raped the maids.^[65] Once the maids confirmed Queen Min’s death, the assassins publicly displayed her body.^[66] Then, the assassins took Queen Min’s body to the forest and burned it.^[67] They scattered her ashes.^[68]She was forty-three years old.

After Queen Min was murdered, the Japanese denied that they were responsible for the Queen’s assassination.^[69] They pressured King Gojong to posthumously strip her royal titles.^[70] King Gojong refused.^[71] The Japanese government put Miura Goro on trial for the murder of Queen Min, but he was acquitted.^[72] In 1897, King Gojong ordered a search to find Queen Min’s body.^[73] However, all they could find was a finger bone.^[74] He gave an elaborate funeral for her.^[75] King Gojong declared Korea to be named the Korean Empire.^[76] He elevated her to the status of Empress.^[77] He gave her the posthumous name of Empress Myeongseong the Great.^[78]

Empress Myeongseong the Great has been deeply mourned by Koreans for over a century.^[79] Koreans still commemorate the anniversary of her death.^[80] It is no wonder why Empress Myeongseong the Great has been considered a national heroine.^[81] She put the interests of her country first before herself. She has also become a very popular icon in Korea. She has been featured in magazines, musicals, fashion, songs, poems, and Korean dramas.^[82] An example is the famous 2009 movie, The Sword with No Name, in which she is portrayed by Soo Ae. There is also a popular 2001 Korean drama based on her life called Empress Myeongseong, in which she is portrayed by three actresses: Moon Geung-young, Lee Mi-Yeong, and Choi Myung-gil. Thus, Empress Myeongseong the Great’s legacy will never be forgotten.

Sources:

Harper, D. (2022). Lonely Planet Korea. Ireland: Lonely Planet.

KBS World. (2012, 3 November). “Empress Myeongseong, the greatest female politician of the Joseon Dynasty”. Retrieved on October 28, 2023 from https://world.kbs.co.kr/service/contents_view.htm?menu_cate=history&board_seq=60420&page=24&board_code=.

Kore Limited. (2023, 24 March). “KORE Celebrates Women’s History Month (Feat. Queen Myeongseong). KORE: Keeping Our Roots Eternal. Retrieved on October 28, 2023 from https://korelimited.com/blogs/korelimited/kore-celebrates-women-s-history-month-feat-queen-myeongseong.

Rowe, P. G., Fu, Y., Song, J. (2021). Korean Modern: The Matter of Identity: An Exploration Into Modern Architecture in an East Asian Country. Germany: Walter de Gruyter GmbH.

Shinichi, K. (2018). The Political History of Modern Japan: Foreign Relations and Domestic Politics. NY: Taylor & Francis.

Szczepanski, K. (2019, 16 May). “Biography of Queen Min, Korean Empress”. ThoughtCo. Retrieved on October 28, 2023 from https://www.thoughtco.com/queen-min-of-joseon-korea-195721.

World History. (2018). (n.p.): EDTECH.