Empress Myeongseong assassinated at Gyeongbokgung Palace (1895)

Empress Myeongseong, known as Queen Min, was assassinated at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul on 8 October 1895. The attack was carried out by Japanese agents under Miura Gorō, who had aligned with local collaborators to counter the queen's pro-Russian policies. The incident remains a contentious symbol of Japanese imperial aggression in Korean historical memory.

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Background and detail

Background. In 1894, internal instability and the First Sino-Japanese War affected Korea. The Daewongun initially plotted to purge Queen Min but failed. In summer 1895, Miura Gorō replaced Inoue Kaoru as Japanese envoy. Miura reportedly conspired with Adachi Kenzō and possibly the Daewongun to kill the queen after she aligned Korea with Russia to offset Japanese influence.

Conspiracy. Miura met Adachi around 19 September 1895. The plotters originally planned the murder for mid-October, but Hullyŏndae officers warned them that the queen was taking action against pro-Japanese factions. Miura's visit reportedly led to rumors in Seoul that the queen would be assassinated. Separately, British explorer Isabella Bird, who was in Korea around this time, wrote that reliance on a Japanese assurance led the court to omit certain possible precautions and caused the queen to neglect to make her escape at the first hint of danger.

Attack. On 8 October 1895, Japanese agents entered Gyeongbokgung Palace through pro-Japanese guards. They surrounded the inner chamber, blocked exits, and searched for the queen. Some looted the palace, while others covered her corpse in oil and burned it. The Japanese government later arrested the assassins on charges of murder and conspiracy.

People involved

Sources

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