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.

The mission departed from Incheon on July 16, 1883, and arrived in San Francisco, United States on September 2.

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.

[9] 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.

[12] In 1876, Korea was finally opened by Japan in the Ganghwa Island incident, and forced to sign an unequal treaty.

[14][15] 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.

[16] American Lucius Foote was appointed envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Korea, and stationed in Seoul.

[17] According to scholar Andrew C. Nahm, politician Kim Ok-gyun played a significant role in convincing Gojong to approve the mission.

[20] Although Gojong did not officially state this,[21] it is believed that a goal of the mission was to emphasize Korea's political independence from Qing.

[3] Another goal was to have America send advisors directly to Korea, which was seen as circumventing Qing,[2] as well as providing knowledge for reforming the country.

[3] Foote arranged for American Rear Admiral Peirce Crosby to transport the mission from Chemulpo (now Incheon) to Nagasaki on board the USS Monocacy.

[41][44] They were greeted by Bancroft Davis, George Clayton Foulk, and Theodorus B. M. Mason,[45] and put up in the Arlington Hotel.

[57] 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).

After visiting Fort Jay on the island,[i] they viewed grain elevators, and attended a performance of Prinz Methusalem along with the mayor.

[62][57] In the evening, they boarded carriages bound for the United States Military Academy in West Point.

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 fruit[66]).

[67] They then visited the Department of Agriculture, and received a collection of seeds that were thought suitable for growing in Korea.

[32] Instead of joining the rest of the mission bound for Europe, Yu elected to stay in the United States to study,[72] for an intended period of five years.

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.

[78][75] 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.

[77] 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.

[70] Most of former mission members quickly became embroiled in the country's internal conflicts,[79] with Hong and the others joining the reformist Gaehwa Party.

Min was badly injured in the fighting, while Hong, Soh, and Pyŏn were granted positions in the revolutionary government that took over.

[81] Yu cut his study-abroad trip short upon hearing of the coup,[3] and returned to Korea in 1885, via Europe.

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.

While he initially verbally advocated for some reform, he reportedly carried and read mostly traditional Confucian texts throughout the journey.

[3] While traveling up to Seoul upon their return, Soh reportedly told Foulk that he believed Min would turn back to conservatism.