US Invasion of Korea... in 1871

The US invasion of Korea was one of the first actions taken by the state in the Asiatic theater of the world. This action changed the course of Korean politics and international standing to a heavy degree, and came after a string of western intervention in the state.

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The breaking of Japanese isolation is widely known to some degree. Japan went from a very isolationist society, to one that managed to fight against Western Powers in little less then a century. However, Japan wasn't the only nation at the time that had its isolation broken. A neighbor to it's east, bore the brunt of multiple invasions, in an attempt to break it's isolation. In this episode, we will be talking about the American expedition to Korea.

The incident that is sometimes cited as causing this expedition, was the General Sherman incident in 1866, where the US ship General Sherman, was attacked by Korean forces as they tried to land and make a trade agreement. However, the forces in the region were to support an American diplomatic mission sent to establish trade and political relations with the peninsular nation, and to establish a treaty assuring aid for shipwrecked sailors if such a thing were to occur. The Americans informed the Koreans, that they intended to explore the area and meant no harm. Korean policy though, was that no foreign ship was to go up the Han river, which lead directly to the capital. As the American ships started to sail up the river, two forts opened fire on them.

Rear Admiral Rodgers demanded an apology from the Joseon government and set a time limit of 10 days to receive it, however, no apology came. So Rodgers carried out his threat. This led to the Battle of Ganghwa on the Tenth of June 1871. The attack began, when the American squadron arrived off Point Du Conde and began bombarding the fort. A shore party was landed which immediately launched an attack on Fort itself without meeting heavy resistance. The next day saw the Americans capture another fort, again to minimal resistance. On the 12th, was when the main battle commenced. Around 300 Koreans, armed with matchlock rifles, swords, and clubs held Fort McKee which was the heart of Korean defensive network. The Americans under Lieutenant Hugh McKee gradually climbed over the fort walls, engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the Koreans. Thirty minutes later, the battle had ended, with 240 Koreans killed or Wounded, with American casualties only being 23. The Americans tried to use some of the men they captured to negotiate with the government, but they refused to negotiate, and after a month of waiting on anchor in Korean territory, the Asiatic squadron left for China. Instead of having this altercation break Korean neutrality, Regent Heungseon Daewongun instead further tightened the nations isolationism, issuing a proclamation that forbade appeasement of foreigners.

It wouldn't be until 1876, when Japanese warships threatened to fire upon the capital, that the Korean government opened up the nation to some degree, issuing treaties of friendship and trade to the Japanese, European and American treaties soon followed. In 1882, a Korean-American treaty of friendship was signed, granting the US favored nation in trade, among some other things. The treaty would stay in place, until the Japanese annexation of the nation, in 1910.