Gojong of Korea

Gojong 고종 高宗
Gojong in 1907
Emperor Emeritus of Korea
Reign	20 July 1907 – 29 August 1910
Predecessor	Position established
Successor	Monarchy abolished (Korea annexed by Japan)
Emperor of Korea
Reign	13 October 1897 – 19 July 1907
Successor	Sunjong
King of Joseon
Reign	16 January 1864 – 13 October 1897
Predecessor	Cheoljong
Successor	Position abolished (Establishment of the Korean Empire)
Regent	Grand Royal Queen Dowager Hyoyu (1864–1866) Grand Internal Prince Heungseon (de facto) (1864–1873) Queen Min (de facto) (1873–1894)
Born	8 September 1852 Unhyeongung, Hansŏng, Joseon
Died	21 January 1919(1919-01-21) (aged 66) Deoksugung, Keijō, Korea, Empire of Japan
Burial	Hongyureung, Namyangju, South Korea
Spouse(s)	Empress Myeongseong ​ ​ (m. 1866; died 1895)​
Issue among others...	Sunjong of Korea Prince Imperial Ui Crown Prince Euimin Princess Deokhye
Names Yi Myeongbok (이명복; 李命福) → Yi Hui (이희; 李㷩) Era name and dates Gaeguk (개국; 開國): 1894–1895 Geonyang (건양; 建陽): 1896–1897 Gwangmu (광무; 光武): 1897–1907 Posthumous name Emperor Munheon Mujang Inik Jeonghyo Tae (문헌무장인익정효태황제; 文憲武章仁翼貞孝太皇帝) Temple name Gojong (고종; 高宗)
Clan	Jeonju Yi
Dynasty	Yi
Father	Grand Internal Prince Heungseon (biological) Munjo of Joseon (adoptive)
Mother	Grand Internal Princess Consort Sunmok (biological) Queen Sinjeong (adoptive)
Religion	Korean Confucianism (Neo-Confucianism)
Signature

Gojong (Korean: 고종; Hanja: 高宗; 8 September 1852 – 21 January 1919), personal name Yi Myeongbok (이명복; 李命福), later Yi Hui (이희; 李㷩), also known as the Gwangmu Emperor (광무제; 光武帝), was the penultimate Korean monarch. He ruled Korea for 43 years, from 1864 to 1907, first as the last king of Joseon, and then as the first emperor of the Korean Empire from 1897 until his forced abdication in 1907. His wife, Queen Min (posthumously honored as Empress Myeongseong), played an active role in politics until her assassination carried out by the Japanese.

Gojong oversaw the bulk of the Korean monarchy's final years. He was born into the ruling House of Yi, and was first crowned on 13 December 1863 at the age of twelve. His biological father, Grand Internal Prince Heungseon (widely known as Heungseon Daewongun), acted as regent until he reached the age of majority, although he continued holding power until 1874. At this time, Korea was under policies of strict isolationism. By contrast, Japan had been rapidly modernizing under the Meiji Restoration. In 1876, Japan forcefully opened Korea and began a decades-long process of moving the peninsula into its own sphere of influence. For the following few decades, Korea was highly unstable, and subjected to a number of foreign encroachments. Incidents such as the 1882 Imo Incident, the 1884 Gapsin Coup, the 1894–1895 Donghak Peasant Rebellion, and the 1895 assassination of his wife occurred during his reign. All of these incidents were related to or involved foreign powers.

All the while, Gojong attempted to consolidate control, seek foreign support, and modernize the country in order to keep Korea independent. He initiated the Gwangmu Reform, which sought to improve the military, industry, and education, to some amount of success. These reforms were seen as insufficient by some parts of the Korean literati, especially the Independence Club, which Gojong at first tolerated but eventually abolished in 1898. After Japan defeated China in the 1894–1895 First Sino-Japanese War, China lost its suzerainty over Korea, which it had held for centuries. In 1897, shortly after returning from his internal exile in the Russian legation in Seoul, Gojong proclaimed the establishment of the independent Korean Empire, and became its first emperor. Gojong's actions drew the ire of Japan. After Japan defeated Russia in the 1904–1905 Russo-Japanese War, it finally became the sole power in the region, and accelerated its pace of absorbing Korea. Two months after the victory, Korea under Gojong lost diplomatic sovereignty in the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905, signed by five ministers of Korea. Gojong refused to sign it and made attempts to bring the treaty to the attention of the international community and convince leading powers of the treaty's illegitimacy, but to no avail.

Gojong was forced to abdicate by Japan on 20 July 1907, and was replaced by his son, Yi Cheok. He was then confined to the palace Deoksugung. He made multiple attempts to escape and establish a government in exile abroad, but was unsuccessful each time. Korea formally became a Japanese colony in 1910, and the Korean imperial family was formally absorbed into the Japanese.^{[clarification needed]} Gojong died on 21 January 1919, in his palace, in conditions that were then and are still seen in Korea as suspicious. The official cause of death was cerebral hemorrhage but rumors persisted that Gojong had been poisoned by Japan [ko]. His death was a direct catalyst for the March First Movement, which in turn bolstered the Korean independence movement.