1887년 주미공사 파견에 드러난 청의 대조선 정책 변화와 알렌의 대응 -‘알렌 문서’를 중심으로-

Abstract

The Qing Dynasty tried to limit the freedom of Joseon’s internal affairs and diplomacy and strengthen its sovereignty by abolishing the existing Hua-Yi order and introducing the concept of subjugation of the International Law. To this end, with the aim of gaining international recognition of the subordinate relationship between Joseon and Qing in the modern international legal system, the Qing Dynasty attempted to stipulate in the text of subordinate provisions whenever Joseon signed a treaty. King Gojong, who wanted to gain the power to check the interference of the Qing Dynasty in the United States, planned to establish the Korean Embassy in the United States to further strengthen the U.S. influence on Joseon. However, Lee Hong-jang and Won Se-gae of the Qing Dynasty opposed the dispatch of the Joseon minister to the U.S. in a high-handed manner, fearing that Joseon would be recognized as an equal country to Qing Dynasty and eventually would deny their sovereignty. On the other hand, King Gojong tried to stop the Qing’s interference in domestic affairs to restore the independence of Joseon’s internal affairs and diplomacy, but did not even consider overcoming the Hua-Yi order. Due to these limitations, King Gojong succeeded in dispatching the plenipotentiary ambassador, but he made a diplomatic mistake by accepting “the three regulations to a separate treaty(另約三端)”. Allen, who was selected as a secretary of the legation by King Gojong, made various efforts to ensure that the dispatch of ambassadors could be carried out as planned. He blocked the Qing’s diplomatic strategy to gain recognition of their sovereignty by publicly revealing that Joseon was a subordinate state of the Qing Dynasty on the international stage. Allen also defended Joseon’s national prestige so that Joseon could be recognized as a state on par with the Qing Dynasty in the international community. He successfully persuaded the ambassadorial party, which still remained in the Chinese-centered order, to prove that Joseon was an independent country to the international community. However, the Qing government’s meddling in domestic affairs and diplomatic pressure to gradually strengthen its sovereignty toward Joseon became an obstacle for Joseon to break free from Qing influence and move toward an independent state.