Korea–United Kingdom Treaty of 1883 explained

The United Kingdom–Korea Treaty of 1883 was negotiated between representatives of the United Kingdom and Korea.

Background

In 1876, Korea established a trade treaty with Japan after Japanese ships approached Ganghwado and threatened to fire on the Korean capital city. Treaty negotiations with several Western countries were made possible by the completion of this initial Japanese overture.^[1]

In 1882, the Americans concluded a treaty and established diplomatic relations,^[2] which served as a template for subsequent negotiations with other Western powers.

Treaty provisions

The British and Koreans negotiated and approved a multi-article treaty with provisions similar to other Western nations.^[3]

Ministers from the United Kingdom to Korea were appointed in accordance with this treaty; and these diplomats were: Sir Harry Parkes, appointed in 1884; Sir John Walsham, appointed in 1885; Sir Nicholas O'Conor, in 1892; Sir Claude Maxwell, in 1896; John Jordan in 1898.^[3]

The treaty remained in effect even after the Japanese protectorate was established in 1905,^[4] and only came to an end in 1910 when Japan annexed Korea.

Under the treaty, the United Kingdom obtained extraterritorial rights in Korea and from 1883 to 1910, British subjects in Korea were not subject to the jurisdiction of Korean courts, but instead were tried or had civil cases brought against them in British consular courts or the British Supreme Court for China and Japan which was called the Supreme Court for China and Korea between 1900 and 1910.

See also

• List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to North Korea
• List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to South Korea

References and further reading

• Han, Seunghoon. "The Endeavour to Revise Unequal Treaties in East Asia in the Early 1880s." International Journal of Korean History 23.1 (2018): 87–115. online
• Kim, Chun-gil. (2005). The History of Korea. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ; ; OCLC 217866287
• Korean Mission to the Conference on the Limitation of Armament, Washington, D.C., 1921–1922. (1922). Korea's Appeal to the Conference on Limitation of Armament. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. OCLC 12923609
• Yŏng-ho Ch'oe; William Theodore De Bary; Martina Deuchler and Peter Hacksoo Lee. (2000). Sources of Korean Tradition: From the Sixteenth to the Twentieth Centuries. New York: Columbia University Press. ; ; OCLC 248562016

Notes and References

1. Kim, Chun-gil. (2005).
2. Yŏng-ho Ch'oe et al. (2000). ; excerpt, "Korea signed a similar accord with the United States (the Treaty of Chelump'o, 1882) that was followed by similar agreements with other Western nations;" Korean Mission to the Conference on the Limitation of Armament, Washington, D.C., 1921-1922. (1922). ; excerpt, "Treaty and Diplomatic Relations Between the United States and Korea. Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation dated May 22, 1882."
3. Korean Mission ; excerpt, "Treaty and Diplomatic Relations Between Great Britain and Korea ... dated November 26, 1883"; Kim,
4. Korean Mission ; excerpt, "Official rescript issued by Japan, November 22, 1905, declares: 'In bringing this agreement to the notice of the powers having treaties with Korea, the Imperial Government declares that * * * they will see that these treaties are maintained and respected, and they also engage not to prejudice In any way the legitimate commercial and industrial interests of those powers in Korea'."