The Gaehwa Party () was a Korean liberal and progressive party founded after the Imo Incident. They were also called the Independence Party of Joseon, the Innovation Party of Joseon, and the Reformist Faction. They tried to cut off the submissive relationship Korea had to the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

and were opposed to what they called the ''Sadae'' Party (), a group supporting

Empress Myeongseong Empress Myeongseong or Empress Myungsung (명성황후 민씨; 17 November 1851 – 8 October 1895In lunar calendar, the Empress was born on 25 September 1851 and died on 20 August 1895), informally known as Empress Min, was the official wife ...

and the Qing dynasty. They reformed domestic affairs, emulating

the Empire of Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of Japan, 1947 constitutio ...

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

. They were also the organization that tried to found an independent Joseon nation. The central figures of this party were Kim Ok-gyun, Hong Yeong-sik,

Seo Jae-pil Soh Jaipil or Seo Jae-pil (January 7, 1864 – January 5, 1951), also known as Philip Jaisohn, was a Korean- American political activist and physician who was a noted champion of the Korean independence movement, the first Korean naturalized cit ...

and

Seo Gwang-bum Seo or SEO may refer to: * Search engine optimization, the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines Organisations * SEO Economic Research, a scientific institute * Spanish Ornithological Society (''Soci ...

. The Conservative Party also participated in enlightening/educational movements, and the Enlightenment Party was also called the ''Radical Reformist Faction'' to distinguish between them. The Enlightenment Party orchestrated the Gapsin Coup after the

Sino–French War The Sino-French War (, french: Guerre franco-chinoise, vi, Chiến tranh Pháp-Thanh), also known as the Tonkin War and Tonquin War, was a limited conflict fought from August 1884 to April 1885. There was no declaration of war. The Chinese arm ...

with the promise of advice and support of , the Japanese minister to Korea. Ultimately, the coup d'état was crushed by the Qing army, so Enlightenment Party members, such as Kim Ok-gyun,

Bak Yeonghyo Park Yung-hyo or Bak Young-hyo (; 1861 – 21 September 1939) was a Korean politician from the Joseon Dynasty, an enlightenment activist, diplomat and pro-Japanese collaborator. He was one of the organizers of the Gapsin Coup of 1884, in ...

, among others, sought asylum in Japan or the United States. In 1894, the Japanese occupied Seoul restored King Gojong's father, Heungseon Daewongun, and established a pro-Japanese government under

Kim Hong-jip Kim Hong-jip (1842–1896) was a Korean politician best known for his role as prime minister during the Gabo Reform period from 1895–1896. His name was originally Kim Goeng-jip () which he later changed to Kim Hong-jip. His father, Kim ...

and the Enlightenment Party's administration. They organized three cabinets; their politics were partially supported by the Japanese, indirectly resulting in them aiding and abetting Japan's influence. However, with the rise in popularity of the

pro-Russian faction Russophilia (literally love of Russia or Russians) is admiration and fondness of Russia (including the era of the Soviet Union and/or the Russian Empire), Russian history and Russian culture. The antonym is Russophobia. In the 19th Century, ...

, the Enlightenment Party collapsed. After the establishment of the

Korean Empire The Korean Empire () was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by Emperor Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. The empire stood until Japan's annexation of Korea in August 1910. During the Korean Empire, Emperor Gojong oversaw the Gwan ...

, the Gaehwa Party made policy which tried to stop the interruption of Japan.

See also

References

Further reading