국=가와 국/가-왕권을 둘러싼 정치투쟁과 대한제국-

Abstract

This article considers the premise that the problem of royal authority was the hidden focal point of the political struggles of King Kojong’s era, reviewing political history up to the foundation of the Great Han Empire. King Kojong’s consistent political aim throughout his reign was to strengthen his power and to reassert the prestige of the royal family, but his attempts were abhorred by much of the aristocracy, especially the faction committed to reform. Following the Imo Mutiny of 1882 (壬午軍亂), there was a movement to restrict royal authority and to restore the functions of the state; this movement sought aid from Qing China, and was centered around the Ki-mu-cheo Office (機務處). In response, King Kojong turned to the Gae-Hwa (Enlightenment) Party (開化黨) who looked towards Japan to resist Qing influence, and who also tried to conclude a confidential agreement with the Russian Emperor. The institutional restraint of royal authority was the primary motivation driving the Kabo Reformation (甲午改革) and the Independence Club Movement. The latter, realizing the limits of top-down reformation after the failures of the former, sought to enlighten and mobilize the Korean people. This led to the People’s Assembly of 1898 (萬民共同會), which was such a great success that a new concept “People’s Rights” (民權) came into being, but popular support vanished rapidly in reaction to the slogan: “Be loyal to the King, Love your country” (忠君愛國). This tradition of loyalty to the king and the concomitant support for royal prestige was deeply embedded in Korean society and culture: it was this factor which ultimately limited the success of the reform movement, rather than the attacks by royalists or the interference of foreign powers.