1883 Korean special mission to the United States

First Korean to US diplomatic mission August 2024 1883 Korean mission to the United States Ambassador of Joseon to America (black and white).jpg Members of the mission before departure.South Korea, Prince Min Yong Ik, diplomats, and naval officer https://collections.lib.uwm.edu/digital/collection/agsphoto/id/202/rec/21 2024-01-27 collections.lib.uwm.edu en 28 January 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240128090131/https://collections.lib.uwm.edu/digital/collection/agsphoto/id/202/rec/21 live (1883) 보빙사 ko 1883 07 16 1883 10 13 Special diplomatic mission Assert Joseon's independence from Qing Request American advisors for Korea Successful visit, but most plans either not carried out due to internal instability or American reneging In 1883, Joseon sent the first ever special diplomatic mission from Korea to the United States. In Korean, the mission is known as Pobingsa (보빙사 報聘使).ko:보빙사 (報聘使) Bobingsa https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0023371 live https://web.archive.org/web/20240127233118/https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0023371 27 January 2024 2024-01-27 Encyclopedia of Korean Culture Academy of Korean Studies ko In 1876, Korea emerged from centuries of isolationism after it was forced open by Japan. In 1880, the Korean monarch Gojong became interested in establishing relations with the United States, in order to counterbalance the encroaching Russian Empire, which was occupying more and more territory north of the Korean border. Gojong also wanted to symbolically treat directly with the United States, in order to signal to the world that Korea was independent from Qing China, of which it was a tributary. In addition, he also wanted to receive American advisors to modernize the country. The mission departed from Incheon on July 16, 1883, and arrived in San Francisco, United States on September 2. Its members traveled along the first transcontinental railroad to the East Coast, making various stops along the way. Everywhere they visited, they were enthusiastically hosted by American dignitaries. They met with U.S. president Chester A. Arthur twice, and received promises that America would make an effort to send advisors. After the mission's official conclusion on October 13, member Yu Kil-chun became the first known Korean to study abroad in the United States. Min Yongik ko 민영익, Soh Kwang-pom, and Pyŏn Su ko 변수 (1861년) traveled back to Korea by way of Europe, North Africa, around the Arabian Peninsula, and the Indian Ocean, and became the first known Koreans to circumnavigate the Earth.ko:조선보빙사의 미국파견 및 일정 Joseon Bobingsa's Dispatch to the United States and Schedule http://contents.history.go.kr/front/nh/view.do?levelId=nh_038_0030_0020_0030_0020&whereStr=@where+%7B+IDX_TITLE(HASALL%7C%27%EC%A1%B0%EC%84%A0%EB%B3%B4%EB%B9%99%EC%82%AC%27%7C100000%7C0)+or+IDX_CONTENT(HASALL%7C%27%EC%A1%B0%EC%84%A0%EB%B3%B4%EB%B9%99%EC%82%AC%27%7C100%7C0)+or+IDX_ALL(HASALL%7C%27%EC%A1%B0%EC%84%A0%EB%B3%B4%EB%B9%99%EC%82%AC%27%7C1%7C0)+%7D 2024-01-28 우리역사넷 National Institute of Korean History 19 June 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230619225710/http://contents.history.go.kr/front/nh/view.do?levelId=nh_038_0030_0020_0030_0020&whereStr=%40where+%7B+IDX_TITLE%28HASALL%7C%27%EC%A1%B0%EC%84%A0%EB%B3%B4%EB%B9%99%EC%82%AC%27%7C100000%7C0%29+or+IDX_CONTENT%28HASALL%7C%27%EC%A1%B0%EC%84%A0%EB%B3%B4%EB%B9%99%EC%82%AC%27%7C100%7C0%29+or+IDX_ALL%28HASALL%7C%27%EC%A1%B0%EC%84%A0%EB%B3%B4%EB%B9%99%EC%82%AC%27%7C1%7C0%29+%7D live The mission resulted in the creation of Korea's first modern postal system, but is otherwise generally agreed to have had little immediate impact on Korea's reform. Shortly after the return of the mission, the Gapsin Coup resulted in the deaths, injuries, or exiles of many of the mission's former members. In addition, the U.S. delayed on sending advisors for years afterwards, and reneged on several of its tentative promises. Korean name The diplomatic mission is referred to in Korean as Pobingsa, which was the general term for foreign missions, although it has since become largely associated with this specific mission. Background Since the 17th century, Korea (Joseon) had been under a policy of isolationism due to a series of invasions (namely the 1592–1598 Japanese invasions, 1627 Later Jin invasion of Joseon, and 1636 Qing invasion).Peterson Margulies 2010 105–106 But by the early 19th century, this policy became strained by increasing foreign encroachments. European trading vessels were turned away on a number of occasions, which occasionally resulted in violent clashes.Seth 2010 9–10 Joseon's neighbors were subjected to similar pressures. Joseon's suzerain, Qing (China),Peterson Margulies 2010 105–106 was forcefully opened by the British in the 1839–1842 First Opium War.Peterson Margulies 2010 118–119Seth 2010 9–10 The United States forced the also-isolationist Japan to open in 1854, with the Perry Expedition.Peterson Margulies 2010 120–121Seth 2010 10 Japan then sent its first diplomatic mission to the U.S. in 1860, 23 years before Korea's.Joo 2016 94 thumb|Korean casualties of the American punitive expedition (1871) In August 1866, an armed American merchant ship named General Sherman illegally sailed up to Pyongyang, ignored orders to leave, and attacked local vessels and people. In response, the ship was burned and its crew killed.Seth 2010 11 This resulted in an 1871 American punitive expedition, which also aimed to force a favorable trade relationship.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 90–91 1969 Despite numerous Korean casualties and captives, the Korean government refused to negotiate, and the Americans left without concessions.Seth 2010 11–12 Opening of Korea In 1876, Korea was finally opened by Japan in the Ganghwa Island incident, and forced to sign an unequal treaty.Seth 2010 12–13 In 1880, Kim Hong-jip was sent as head of Korea's second diplomatic mission to Japan since the opening. He returned with a text written by Chinese diplomat Huang Zunxian called "A Strategy for Korea ko 조선책략" (朝鮮策略 Cháoxiǎn cèlüè; 조선책략).Seth 2010 14Lee 2006 5 The text warned of the threat posed by the encroaching Russian Empire and suggested Korea create alliances with Japan and the West. Joseon King Gojong adopted this text as his foreign policy strategy, and began establishing diplomatic ties with the United States. The product of this was the Joseon–United States Treaty of 1882, which established ties between the two countries.Seth 2010 14–15 Preparation American Lucius Foote was appointed envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Korea, and stationed in Seoul.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 94–95 1969Lee 2006 6 Foote opened an American legation in Korea ko 주한미국공사관. Understanding that the Korean government would have then found opening a reciprocal Korean legation in the United States to be too expensive, he proposed in June 1883 that a special diplomatic mission be sent instead.Lee 2006 6–7Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 94–95 1969 After a discussion with his ministers the following day, Gojong agreed to the proposal.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 94–95 1969 According to scholar Andrew C. Nahm, politician Kim Okkyun played a significant role in convincing Gojong to approve the mission. Kim was also friends with the people who would go on to lead the mission.Walter Shufeldt 100 Chen Chi 1969 Purpose Although Gojong did not officially state this,Walter Shufeldt 95 Chen Chi 1969 it is believed that a goal of the mission was to emphasize Korea's political independence from Qing.Walter Shufeldt 95 Chen Chi 1969 Since the 1882 Korea–U.S. treaty, Qing had been pushing to maintain its suzerainty over Joseon. This was exemplified in Qing's unusual direct intervention in the 1882 Imo Incident. Another goal was to have America send advisors directly to Korea, which was seen as circumventing Qing, as well as providing knowledge for reforming the country. Traveling to America Foote arranged for American Rear Admiral Peirce Crosby to transport the mission from Chemulpo (now Incheon) to Nagasaki on board the USS Monocacy.Walter Shufeldt 100 Chen Chi 1969Joo 2016 55The ship had actually been one of the ones involved in the 1871 American expedition to Korea.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 100 1969 After ceremonially seeking Gojong's leaveCalled sapye (사폐 辭陛 no); done by envoys to the monarch before a long international journey. on June 11, they boarded the ship and departed on July 16, 1883. They arrived in Nagasaki on July 21.Walter Shufeldt 100 Chen Chi 1969 Although arrangements existed for the next trip to Yokohama, the Koreans made their own way there.Walter Shufeldt 100 Chen Chi 1969 Members of the mission center|thumb|Members of the mission.From left, top row: Hyŏn, Miyaoka, Yu, Ch'oe, Ko, Pyŏn.Bottom row: Lowell, Hong, Min, Soh, Wu.Joo 2016 55 (1883)|345x345px +MemberPosition on missionNotesMin Yongik ko 민영익PlenipotentiaryNephew of Gojong's primary consort Queen Min.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 96–97 1969 As a young member of the prominent Yeoheung Min clan, it was hoped by the reformists in the Korean government that he would become a progressive reformer after the mission.Walter Shufeldt 96 Chen Chi 1969Hong Yŏngsik ko 홍영식Deputy ministerVice president of the Foreign Office and previously secretary to Kim's 1880 mission to Japan.Walter Shufeldt 97 Chen Chi 1969Soh Kwang-pomSecretaryVisited Japan in 1875.Walter Shufeldt 97 Chen Chi 1969Yu Kil-chunAttachéWalter Shufeldt 98 Chen Chi 1969First Korean to study abroad, which he did in Japan in 1880.Walter Shufeldt 98 Chen Chi 1969Ch'oe Kyŏngsik(최경석 崔景錫 no)Military officerko:보빙사절단 (報聘使節團) Bobingsa Mission https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0073718 live https://web.archive.org/web/20240110135916/https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0073718 10 January 2024 2024-01-28 Encyclopedia of Korean Culture Academy of Korean Studies koMinor member of the mission.Walter Shufeldt 99 Chen Chi 1969Pyŏn Su ko 변수 (1861년)Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 98–99 1969AttachéMinor member of the mission.Walter Shufeldt 99 Chen Chi 1969Ko Yŏngch'ŏl(고영철 高泳詰 no)AttachéMinor member of the mission.Walter Shufeldt 99 Chen Chi 1969Hyŏn Hŭngt'aek ko 현흥택Military officerMinor member of the mission.Walter Shufeldt 99 Chen Chi 1969Wu Litang (吳禮堂 no)Chinese interpreterWalter Shufeldt 139 Chen Chi 1969Percival LowellForeign secretaryWhile in Japan, the American legation in Tokyo arranged for Lowell to join the mission, which the Koreans accepted.Walter Shufeldt 100 Chen Chi 1969 Miyaoka Tsunejiro(ja 宮岡恒次郎 none)Japanese interpreterLowell's assistant.Walter Shufeldt 139 Chen Chi 1969 Two translators were present on the mission, one for Chinese and one for Japanese. Much of the translation on the mission was done from English to Japanese or Chinese to Korean, and vice versa,Walter Shufeldt 141 Chen Chi 1969 although some members of the mission reportedly learned rudimentary English during the journey.Walter Shufeldt 108 Chen Chi 1969 They then boarded the SS Arabic on August 18.Walter Shufeldt 100 Chen Chi 1969Joo 2016 55 Throughout their travels, they were objects of much curiosity, as their dress and mannerisms immediately stuck out.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 139–140 1969Joo 2016 66 Travels in America San Francisco thumb|240x240px|An 1887 engraving of the Palace Hotel They arrived in San Francisco, California, on September 2, 1883,Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 101–102 1969Joo 2016 55 and were hosted by Major General John Schofield. They stayed at the Palace Hotel.Joo 2016 58–59They reportedly were terrified of riding the elevator in the hotel.Joo 2016 58–59 At 10 a.m. on the 4th, a reception was held by Mayor Washington Bartlett for the mission. There, they spoke with various trade officials and made verbal agreements to forward Korea–U.S. trade in the future.Joo 2016 59–60 In the afternoon, they were given a tour of the Cliff House and Golden Gate Park.Joo 2016 61 The following day, Schofield took them to the Presidio.Joo 2016 62Min was allowed to fire a cannon at the Presidio.Joo 2016 62 Journey to Washington D.C. After exchanging thanks and goodbyes, they left on the 7th via the transcontinental railroad.Joo 2016 64 While on the train, they marveled at the passing landscape and spoke with other passengers. In one notable instance, they met with John Goucher, namesake of Goucher College, who developed an interest in Korea. Upon hearing that Christianity had not been adopted there, he suggested to Japan-based missionary Robert Samuel Maclay that Maclay go to Korea. Maclay would later do this in June 1884, making him the first Protestant missionary to visit.Joo 2016 66 They made their way to Sacramento that day, then through Ogden, Utah and Omaha, Nebraska.Joo 2016 56 In Omaha, they were greeted by a Colonel Gregory, on behalf of Lieutenant General Philip Sheridan. Gregory joined the mission on their trip across the country.Walter Shufeldt 102 Chen Chi 1969 The mission arrived at Chicago on September 12,Joo 2016 66Walter Shufeldt 102 Chen Chi 1969 and stayed at The Palmer House.Joo 2016 69 They departed Chicago on the 13th, and continued on their trip to Washington D.C.,Walter Shufeldt 102 Chen Chi 1969 via Cleveland, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Joo 2016 56 They arrived in Washington D.C. on the 15th.Joo 2016 56Joo 2016 70 They were greeted by Bancroft Davis, George Clayton Foulk, and Theodorus B. M. Mason,Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 102–103 1969 and put up in the Arlington Hotel.Joo 2016 70 Foulk and Mason served as escorts for the mission there.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 102–103 1969Initially, Admiral Robert Shufeldt was considered for the position, but he declined it. Foulk was an ensign who volunteered for the assignment.Walter Shufeldt 102 Chen Chi 1969 They met with various U.S. and foreign dignitaries and did some quick sightseeing.Joo 2016 70–71 As President Chester A. Arthur and Secretary of State Frederick T. Frelinghuysen were in New York City, New York,Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 102–103 1969Joo 2016 56 they began making their way there. They boarded a train bound for Jersey City on the 17th. They took a boat there and crossed the Hudson River, then took a horse-drawn carriage to their destination.Joo 2016 71–72 New York City and Boston thumb|A sketch of the Korean mission kowtowing to President Arthur in the Fifth Avenue Hotel during their September 18 meeting, depicted in the September 29, 1883 issue of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. In New York City, the main members of the mission stayed the night at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, where the president and secretary of state were also staying.Walter Shufeldt 103 Chen Chi 1969Joo 2016 74The other members stayed at the Hotel Vendome, some 20 blocks away.Joo 2016 74 They were presented to the president on the first floor of the hotel at 11 a.m. the following morning.Walter Shufeldt 103 Chen Chi 1969Joo 2016 75They wore the traditional diplomatic formal attire samogwandae (사모관대 紗帽冠帶 no), with red and blue sleeves for the meeting. The mission performed a kowtow to the president, which the president reciprocated by standing and bowing. The meeting concluded within fifteen minutes.Joo 2016 75 Shortly afterwards, they were given a tour around Central Park.Walter Shufeldt 103 Chen Chi 1969Joo 2016 75 Around 5:30 p.m.,Joo 2016 75 they departed for Boston, Massachusetts aboard the steamboat Bristol.Walter Shufeldt 103 Chen Chi 1969 Around 6 a.m. on September 19, they arrived in Boston.Joo 2016 76Walter Shufeldt 103 Chen Chi 1969 They were hosted by Charles B. Norton and J. W. Wolcott, and stayed at Wolcott's Hotel Vendome.Joo 2016 76 They visited the Foreign Exhibition, Manufacturers' Institute,Walter Shufeldt 103 Chen Chi 1969 and Corey Hill. They reportedly displayed some Korean handicrafts at the Foreign Exhibition (porcelain and clothing).Joo 2016 76–77 On the 20th, Wolcott took the mission to his model farm, which particularly impressed them, leading them to later create the first model farm in Korea after their return.Joo 2016 78Walter Shufeldt 103 Chen Chi 1969 In the evening, they saw a production of Jalma at The Boston Theatre.Joo 2016 78 On the 21st,Joo 2016 78 they visited various factories in Lowell, Massachusetts.Walter Shufeldt 103 Chen Chi 1969Joo 2016 79 On the morning of the 22nd, they met the Governor of Massachusetts Benjamin Butler and a representative of the mayor.Joo 2016 80 They rested at Percival Lowell's house for two days afterwards.Joo 2016 80Walter Shufeldt 103 Chen Chi 1969 On September 24, they returned to New York City and again stayed at the Fifth Avenue Hotel.Joo 2016 56, 81Walter Shufeldt 103 Chen Chi 1969 They were escorted by Mayor Franklin Edson on a grand tour of New York City.Joo 2016 81 They first went to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where they were given a fifteen gun salute from the USS Colorado (the ship that had led the 1871 American punitive expedition to Korea).Walter Shufeldt 104 Chen Chi 1969 In the afternoon, they were given a tour of industries in Brooklyn.Joo 2016 81Walter Shufeldt 104 Chen Chi 1969 On the 25th, they met with various business leaders. Notably, they met Everett Frazar, who would go on to have a role in setting up the first electric grid in Korea.Joo 2016 83 They also visited New York Hospital,Joo 2016 83 where they were impressed by the pediatric medicine.Walter Shufeldt 104 Chen Chi 1969 They visited the Western Union Telegraph Building,Joo 2016 83Walter Shufeldt 104 Chen Chi 1969They were reportedly amazed and amused by the pneumatic tube mail system employed in the building.Joo 2016 83Walter Shufeldt 104 Chen Chi 1969 They were later shown the telegraph office but were reportedly less impressed.Walter Shufeldt 104 Chen Chi 1969 post office,Walter Shufeldt 104 Chen Chi 1969 office of the New York Herald, and Tiffany & Co. jewelry store.Walter Shufeldt 104 Chen Chi 1969Joo 2016 83 On either this dayWalter Shufeldt 104 Chen Chi 1969 or the previous, they watched a performance of Excelsior at Niblo's Theater.Joo 2016 81thumb|A sketch of a photo of part of the mission, from the September 29, 1883 Frank Leslie's Illustrated NewspaperOn September 26, they visited a photography studio and took a group picture. They then went to a reception at Governors Island. After visiting Fort Jay on the island,Here, Min was again allowed to fire a cannon.Joo 2016 85Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 104–105 1969 they viewed grain elevators, and attended a performance of Prinz Methusalem along with the mayor.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 104–105 1969 On the 27th, they visited various stores, the New York City Fire Department headquarters and several newspaper headquarters.Walter Shufeldt 105 Chen Chi 1969Joo 2016 81 In the evening, they boarded carriages bound for the United States Military Academy in West Point.Joo 2016 81 They arrived the following day and were given a tour.Walter Shufeldt 105 Chen Chi 1969Joo 2016 81 Around noon, they boarded the USS Despatch and returned to Washington D.C. on the 29th.Joo 2016 87–88 Washington D.C. In Washington D.C., they stayed again at the Arlington Hotel. From around this point, they made a point to take stock of their trip. For the first half of each day, they would be given tours, and in the evenings they gathered to discuss what reforms they wanted for Korea.Joo 2016 88 Meanwhile, they asked for an American advisor to be stationed in Korea. They asked for Shufeldt, who tentatively accepted the position pending his retirement in February 1884.Walter Shufeldt 106 Chen Chi 1969 They also asked for military advisors, school teachers, and agricultural advisors. The Department of State agreed to make an effort to arrange for these (although Walter et al. note write that much of their requests did not bear fruitWalter Shufeldt 107 Chen Chi 1969). They also visited the Office of Education to learn how America's education system worked, as well as the Department of the Treasury for information on paper money.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 106–107 1969 They then visited the Department of Agriculture, and received a collection of seeds that were thought suitable for growing in Korea.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 106–107 1969 The mission also successfully requested that Foulk join them on their return to Korea.Walter Shufeldt 107 Chen Chi 1969This request was perhaps made at Foulk's behest, as Foulk had grown up in East Asia and wanted to eventually go back to Japan.Walter Shufeldt 107 Chen Chi 1969 On October 13, the Korean mission formally visited the president in the White House.Walter Shufeldt 107 Chen Chi 1969Joo 2016 89 End and return to Korea The White House helped plan their return trip to Korea. An offer was made for three members to travel with the USS Trenton via the Suez Canal back to Korea, while the rest would go back to San Francisco and board a ship there. Min asked to go to Europe with Soh, Pyŏn, and Foulk.Walter Shufeldt 107 Chen Chi 1969 On October 16,Joo 2016 90 the remaining members of the mission left with Lowell to San Francisco.Walter Shufeldt 108 Chen Chi 1969 There, they purchased horses and cattle as breeding stock for Korea.Walter Shufeldt 111 Chen Chi 1969 On October 24, they boarded the SS City of Rio de Janeiro and arrived in Seoul in December.Walter Shufeldt 108 Chen Chi 1969 Hong gave a report of his travels on December 21.Joo 2016 90Report called 『홍영식복명문답기』 『洪英植復命問答記』 no Min and the others arrived in New York City on November 6,Joo 2016 57Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 108–109 1969In New York, they announced a U.S.-backed plan to hold an exhibition of Korean goods in Seoul in Spring 1884, but this never came to pass.Walter Shufeldt 108 Chen Chi 1969 and stayed at the Hotel Victoria.Joo 2016 92 They passed the time in New York by visiting factories for electric lights and silk. They also reportedly spent much time for personal shopping.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 1969 108 Instead of joining the rest of the mission bound for Europe, Yu elected to stay in the United States to study,Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 108–109 1969 for an intended period of five years.Walter Shufeldt 114 Chen Chi 1969 The first Korean student to study abroad and in Japan, he also became the first to study in the United States.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 108–109 1969 The Trenton departed from New York on November 16Walter Shufeldt 110 Chen Chi 1969 or December 1,Joo 2016 93 and they arrived on January 12, 1884, in Marseille, France. They made their way to Paris, then to London, United Kingdom. They were given a tour of London's palaces and museums. They then returned to Paris for a week, then boarded a ship on January 25 at Marseille, bound for Rome, where they spent two days.Walter Shufeldt 109 Chen Chi 1969 They were reportedly less-impressed by Europe than they were by the United States.ko:조선보빙사 파견의 성과 The Korean Mission's Dispatch and Aftermath http://contents.history.go.kr/front/nh/view.do?levelId=nh_038_0030_0020_0030_0030&whereStr=%40where+%7B+IDX_TITLE%28HASALL%7C%27%EC%A1%B0%EC%84%A0%EB%B3%B4%EB%B9%99%EC%82%AC%27%7C100000%7C0%29+or+IDX_CONTENT%28HASALL%7C%27%EC%A1%B0%EC%84%A0%EB%B3%B4%EB%B9%99%EC%82%AC%27%7C100%7C0%29+or+IDX_ALL%28HASALL%7C%27%EC%A1%B0%EC%84%A0%EB%B3%B4%EB%B9%99%EC%82%AC%27%7C1%7C0%29+%7D 2024-01-28 우리역사넷 National Institute of Korean History 19 June 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230619225706/http://contents.history.go.kr/front/nh/view.do?levelId=nh_038_0030_0020_0030_0030&whereStr=%40where+%7B+IDX_TITLE%28HASALL%7C%27%EC%A1%B0%EC%84%A0%EB%B3%B4%EB%B9%99%EC%82%AC%27%7C100000%7C0%29+or+IDX_CONTENT%28HASALL%7C%27%EC%A1%B0%EC%84%A0%EB%B3%B4%EB%B9%99%EC%82%AC%27%7C100%7C0%29+or+IDX_ALL%28HASALL%7C%27%EC%A1%B0%EC%84%A0%EB%B3%B4%EB%B9%99%EC%82%AC%27%7C1%7C0%29+%7D live Walter Shufeldt 110 Chen Chi 1969 They then spent four days in Cairo, Egypt, three in Aden, thirteen in India, five in Ceylon, five in Singapore, and nine in Hong Kong. They finally made their way to Nagasaki before returning to Incheon.Walter Shufeldt 109 Chen Chi 1969 Aftermath After the group that returned via San Francisco arrived, they were given government resources to implement the ideas they had brought back. Hong was made an official of Pyongan Province and was eventually assigned to found a postal system in April 1884.Walter Shufeldt 110 Chen Chi 1969 Ch'oe was granted a plot of land to plant the seeds the mission had received. He did so, and distributed the next generation of seeds around the country, before his death from natural causes in 1886.Walter Shufeldt 110 Chen Chi 1969 Afterwards, little came of his agricultural reform efforts. Min's group arrived in June 1884.Walter Shufeldt 111 Chen Chi 1969 Min reportedly told Foote of his trip, "I was born into darkness, entered the light, and have now returned to the darkness".Walter Shufeldt 139 Chen Chi 1969ko 『나는 암흑세계에서 태어나서 광명세계로 들어갔다가 이제 또다시 암흑세계로 되돌아왔다』 They were given a variety of posts reflecting their experience.Walter Shufeldt 111 Chen Chi 1969 They waited for Shufeldt's arrival as Korea's advisor, but learned in November that Shufeldt had reneged on going.Walter Shufeldt 111 Chen Chi 1969 Most of former mission members quickly became embroiled in the country's internal conflicts,Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 112–113 1969 with Hong and the others joining the reformist Gaehwa Party. Min ended up being relatively conservative, and pushed back against their efforts. In December, that party launched the Gapsin Coup. Min was badly injured in the fighting, while Hong, Soh, and Pyŏn were granted positions in the revolutionary government that took over. After the odds turned against the plotters, Hong was killed and the others fled to Japan.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 112–113 1969Soh and Pyŏn then went to the United States, where Pyŏn was killed in 1891 in a railroad accident while working for the United States Department of Agriculture. Soh briefly returned to Korea and was made Minister of Justice, but then absconded with legation funds to Washington D.C., where he eventually died in 1897.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 113 1969 Min's injury prevented him from doing significant work. He spent most of the rest of his remaining life in China until his death in 1914.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 113–114 1969 Yu cut his study-abroad trip short upon hearing of the coup, and returned to Korea in 1885, via Europe. He was suspected of being a pro-Japanese influence, and put under house arrest. He was eventually released in 1892 due to his faithful service while under arrest. He was appointed to various positions, until he became the Minister of the Interior in October 1895. After Gojong went into his internal exile in the Russian legation, Yu fled to Japan and stayed until 1907. He died in 1914.Walter Shufeldt 114 Chen Chi 1969 Analysis A number of scholars argue that the mission did not immediately impact Korea's reform. Korea possibly improved its image,Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 114–115 1969 but the Americans either reneged or acted slowly on their promises.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 114–115 1969 Advisors were only sent years later.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 114–115 1969 Importantly, the events immediately after the mission, in particular the Gapsin Coup, likely hampered many of the benefits the mission might have yielded. As a result, the mission had little impact on the future of Korea.Walter Shufeldt Chen Chi 114–115 1969 thumb|Min, photographed in New York City (1883)|252x252px Why Min's and Hong's groups went separately back to Korea has been analyzed. Hong advocated for independence from Qing, and Min opposed it. According to Yu's testimony, their disagreement on this issue was reportedly visible during their stay in Washington, which potentially led to their separate return home. Min's conservative leaning after the trip has also been analyzed. While he initially verbally advocated for some reform, he reportedly carried and read mostly traditional Confucian texts throughout the journey. By contrast, Pyŏn and Soh reportedly enthusiastically took notes on everything they observed. While traveling up to Seoul upon their return, Soh reportedly told Foulk that he believed Min would turn back to conservatism. See also Joseon diplomacy Joseon missions to China Joseon missions to Japan South Korea–United States relations Notes References Sources Joo Dong Wan ko:보빙사의 옛길 사례 https://memory.library.kr/files/original/26809c60a1fbe1b1c64aa9de1716b9a3.pdf 역사문화탐방로의 현재와 미래적가치 [The Current and Future Value of Historical and Cultural Trails] 50–95 2016 Old Roads Treaded by the Bobingsa, the First Korean Mission to America 21 June 2023 ko Lee HanSeop Language Barriers in Early Korean-American Contacts: The Case of 1883 Korean Mission to the U.S. https://www.princeton.edu/~collcutt/doc/HanSop_English.pdf Trans-Pacific Relations Conference 7 September 2006 Princeton University Peterson Mark https://books.google.com/books?id=h-85LwEACAAJ A Brief History of Korea Margulies Phillip 2010 Facts On File 978-0-8160-5085-7 en Seth Michael J. https://books.google.com/books?id=uJHyoC2Pt60C A Concise History of Modern Korea: From the Late Nineteenth Century to the Present 2010 Rowman & Littlefield 978-0-7425-6713-9 en Walter Gary D. The Korean Special Mission to the United States of America in 1883 1969 https://www.jstor.org/stable/23849479 The Journal of Korean Studies 1 1 89–142 0022-2127 Shufeldt R.W. Chen Shin Chi Chin Hong 23849479 Category:1883 in Korea Category:1883 in the United States Category:Diplomatic missions in the United States Category:Foreign relations of Joseon Category:Korea–United States relations