[3] However, following the Japanese victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, Joseon won independence from the Qing dynasty.

[3] Moreover, Gojong realized that Korea needed a new constitution to gain public support, and an opportunity to start drastic reforms.

He established Gyo Junso (Korean: 교전소; Hanja: 校典所) to manage the reformed constitution.

The Gyo Junso included all factions of Korean, which impeded it from making notable achievements.

They regarded the formation of the Korean Empire as a more embarrassing event than the loss of the First Sino-Japanese War.

[9] Even though all authority resided with the emperor, popular influence in politics increased from the Joseon era.

[11] In October 1898, the Independence Club made six requests to the emperor:[12] However, the Sugu Party, which was in opposition to the Independence Party, spread false rumors that the club was attempting to depose the Emperor, establish a republic, and make Bak Jeongyang President with Yun Chi-ho as Vice President.

[14] Right after dissolving the Independence Club and People's Joint Association by force, Gojong sought to design his new cabinet with conservative politicians.

[16] The new cabinet also emphasized the independence of the country, leading to the enlargement of the Imperial Korean Army.

[20] The government tried to industrialize the country by sending many students abroad to learn modern skills.

[11] These reforms were able to bring changes to the Korean Empire that made the country richer and stronger.

However, when Gojong reviewed this cabinet conference, he ordered to proceed the land system reform just as the proposal.

[citation needed] Historians are still unsure what Russia's real intentions were for Korea at the time.

In 1901, Nicholas told Prince Henry of Prussia, "I do not want to seize Korea but under no circumstances can I allow Japan to become firmly established there.

On 27 January 1904, Russia, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom formally commended Korea's declaration of neutrality.

It was not actually a secret pact or agreement between the United States and Japan, but rather a set of notes regarding discussions on U.S.-Japanese relations between members of the governments of both countries, hence its more appropriate name memorandum.

[26] The Japanese Prime Minister Taro Katsura used the opportunity presented by Secretary of War William Howard Taft's stopover in Tokyo to extract a statement from Taft on the Korean question, in his capacity as a representative of the Roosevelt Administration.

[27] Taft expressed in the memorandum that a suzerain relationship with Japan guiding Korea would "contribute to permanent peace in the Far East.

Secret diplomatic contacts were sent by the Gwangmu Emperor in the fall of 1905 to entities outside of Korea presenting Korea's desperate case to preserve their sovereignty, as normal diplomatic channels were no longer an option, due to the constant surveillance by the Japanese.

Except for Han Kyu-seol, Min Yeoung-gi, and Yi Ha-yeong, all the ministers agreed with the treaty, which established a Japanese protectorate over Korea.

[31] In order to manifest the invalidity of the Eulsa Treaty, Gojong sent several secret embassies to plea for support.

[33] Many joined the righteous armies and some even attempted to assassinate the five Korean ministers who consented to the treaty also known as the Five Eulsa Traitors.

[35] He sent Homer Hulbert, an American missionary and journalist, to the United States as an emissary in order to repudiate the treaty.

[37] The houses of Ye Wanyong were burned by the people and the Japanese Korean Army intervened to suppress public discontent.

According to the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1907, Japanese who served as advisors for Korea were incorporated to the Korean central government.

[46] Succeeding the former Joseon Army and Navy, the Gwangmu Reform reorganized the military into a modern, Western-style one.

Major Park Seung-hwan protested by committing suicide, sparking a revolt led by former imperial soldiers leading to the battle at Namdaemun Gate.

Emperor Sunjong incorporated the remaining soldiers into the Imperial Guards until 1910, while others formed the foundations of the Righteous armies.

At the dawn of the Korean Empire, officials from Gaehwa Party such as Ahn Gyeong-su, Yun Chi-ho, and Yi Chae-yeon led the establishments of companies.