The Kaehwa Party (), sometimes written as the Kaehwapa or Kaehwadang, was a liberal and progressive party in the Korean state

Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

. It was also called the Independence Party of Joseon, the Innovation Party of Joseon, and the Reformist Faction.

Description

The faction formed after the Imo Incident. Members wished to change Korea's submissive relationship to

Qing China The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the Ming dynasty ...

and were opposed to what they called the ''Sadae'' Party (), a group that supported Empress Myeongseong and the Qing dynasty. Leading scholars who visited Japan took inspiration from the

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 Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

in the

Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...

and reformed domestic affairs. The central figures of this party were Kim Ok-gyun, Hong Yeong-sik, Seo Jae-pil and Seo Gwang-bum. As the Conservative Party also participated in similar activities, the Enlightenment Party is also called the ''Radical Reformist Faction'' to distinguish between them. The Enlightenment Party orchestrated the Gapsin Coup after the Sino–French War 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, Seo Jae-pil, 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 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, the Enlightenment Party collapsed. After the establishment of the

Korean Empire The Korean Empire, officially the Empire of Korea or Imperial Korea, was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by King Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. The empire lasted until the Japanese annexation of Korea in August 1910. Dur ...

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

Description

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