Person

Gojong of Korea

1852–1919 · 19th century · Also known as Gwangmu Emperor, Emperor Gojong

Gojong was the 26th king of the Joseon dynasty from 1863 and the first emperor of the Korean Empire, which he proclaimed in 1897. His reign saw the forced opening of Korea by the Treaty of Ganghwa, the murder of Queen Min and growing Japanese domination. Japan forced him to abdicate in 1907, and his death in 1919 helped spark the March First Movement.

Gojong of Korea
Image: This photo was taken in 1907. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

JoseonKorean Empire

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Gojong of Korea. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gojong-of-korea
MLA
“Gojong of Korea.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gojong-of-korea. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Gojong of Korea.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gojong-of-korea.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Gojong of Korea’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gojong-of-korea (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻