Conflicts of Sovereignty Theories over Korea during the Open-Door Period

Abstract

Japan had held aloof from China since the end of Tang dynasty while maintaining equal neighborly relationship with Korea in the hierarchical East Asian world order. Japan insisted on inserting a significant sentence in Art. 1 of the Treaty of Friendship Commerce and Navigation with Korea in 1876, stipulating that Korea being an autonomously independent country has equal rights as Japan. The significant wording raised suspicion from China wherein Japan would not recognize her tributary suzerainty over Korea. China had regarded Korea as the most important tributary state since the inauguration of the hierarchical system following confucian wisdoms for a paternal world order. The purpose of the Chinese good offices in helping Korea to conclude FCN treaties with the western powers like the U.S. was to protect Korea against any evil influence from Russia through the northern strip of frontiers by winning possible concerted supports from them. The Chinese tenacious efforts to have Korea and the U.S. stipulate the traditional tributary ties with China in the FCN treaty turned out to be unsuccessful. She was only able to make the U.S. accept a letter from the Korean King stating the tributary ties with her. Not far from the conclusion of the Korean American treaty, China started to intervene in the domestic affairs of Korea in order to curb the then engulfing influence from Japan. China successfully crushed down a pro-Japanese coup in 1884. She even urged the first permanent Korean mission to the U.S. in 1888 to follow certain courteous rules designated by China, such as by presenting credentials to the President guided by the Chinese minister. The Korean minister did not follow such a preposterous request, neither would the U.S. allow to do...이 論文을 위하여 서울大學校 法學發展財團 出捐 法學硏究所 基金의 2006學年度 學術 硏究費 支援이 있었다