Queen Min

She was the wife of Gojong, the 26th king of the Joseon dynasty. She was invested as queen in 1866. She was in conflict with Gojong's father Daewongun, who was the regent at the time, and gathered together the opposition, mainly the Min clan, and appointed them to important positions in the government. In 1873, she deposed Daewongun in the name of direct rule by the king, and seized power for herself. She ended her isolationist policy, and in 1876, she concluded the Treaty of Ganghwa (Japan-Korea Treaty of Amity and Commerce) with Japan. She was ousted in the Imo Rebellion in 1882, but regained control of the government. In the Gapsin Coup of 1884, she lost influential members of her family, but managed to thwart the coup with the intervention of the Qing army. After the First Sino-Japanese War, when the Gabo Reforms began under the leadership of pro-Japanese Kim Hong-jip and others, she approached Russia to prevent Japanese invasion. He was murdered by hated Japanese authorities and ronin on October 8, 1895, and his body was incinerated.

[Setsuko Miyata]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

李氏(りし)朝鮮第26代高宗の妃。1866年に王妃に冊封(さくほう)された。時の執権者であった高宗の実父大院君と対立し、閔氏一族を中心に反対派を糾合、政府の要職に登用し、73年には国王親政の名のもとに大院君を退け、自ら権力を握った。鎖国主義を改め、76年には日本と江華条約（日朝修好条規）を結んだ。82年の壬午(じんご)軍乱で失脚したが、ふたたび政権を掌握。84年の甲申政変では一族の有力者を失いながらも、清(しん)国軍の介入で政変を挫折(ざせつ)させた。日清戦争後、親日的な金弘集らの手で甲午改革が始まると、ロシアに接近して日本の侵略を阻止しようと図った。これを憎んだ日本官憲、浪人の手によって、95年10月8日殺害され、死体は焼却された。

［宮田節子］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例