Geomundo Incident

In March 1885, a British fleet illegally occupied Geomundo Island, located almost halfway between the southern tip of the Korean peninsula in South Jeolla Province and Jeju Island. At the time, Britain and Russia were at odds over interests in Asia, and tensions were particularly high over the border issue with Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Japan and Qing Dynasty were increasingly interfering in Korea's internal affairs, and some in the Korean government were trying to use Russia's power to their advantage. This led to Russia's request for Yeongheung Bay, and Britain felt threatened by Russia's increasingly aggressive southward expansion policy in the Far East. As a result, Britain suddenly dispatched its Eastern Fleet to Geomundo, occupied it, and built a fortress there, with the aim of blocking the Russian fleet's passage through the Korean Strait. The Qing Dynasty initially approved of the occupation in order to control Russia, but the Korean government immediately protested, demanding the withdrawal of the British fleet and requesting mediation from the United States, Germany, and Japan, and the incident became an international issue. Russia strongly insisted that if China allowed the British occupation, it would also occupy part of Korea; at the same time, the international problem of Afghanistan had also been resolved, and the British fleet withdrew in February 1887.

[Park Kyung-sik]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1885年3月イギリス艦隊が朝鮮全羅南道の半島南端と済州島のほぼ中間にある巨文島を不法に占領した事件。当時イギリスとロシアはアジア地域で利権問題で対立し、とくにアフガニスタン国境問題では極度に緊張していた。一方、日本と清(しん)国の朝鮮への内政干渉が強くなり、朝鮮政府内の一部にはロシアの力を利用しようとする動きがあった。そこからロシアの永興(えいこう)湾提供要求が起こり、このような極東におけるロシアの南下政策の積極化にイギリスは脅威を感じた。そこで、イギリスはロシア艦隊の朝鮮海峡の通路を遮断する目的で突如巨文島に東洋艦隊を派遣して占領、要塞(ようさい)を築いた。清国はロシアを制するため初めこの占領を是認したが、朝鮮政府はただちに抗議し、イギリス艦隊の撤退を要求するとともに、アメリカ、ドイツ、日本に対して調停を要請し、事件は国際問題化した。ロシアは、清国がイギリスの占領を認めれば自国も朝鮮の一部を占領すると強く主張し、おりしもアフガニスタン国際問題も解決して、1887年2月イギリス艦隊は撤退した。

［朴　慶　植］

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