[1] The Japanese gave military training to eighty to one hundred young men of the aristocracy, establishing the Special Skills Force (Pyŏlgigun, Korean: 별기군).

The army did not pay them in rice for thirteen months leading up to the Imo Incident, which claimed the lives of some Japanese military advisors and their legislation and some Joseon officials.

The Chinese lines under Yuan Shikai reorganized and trained into a new Joseon military formation, the Capital Guards Command (Chingunyeong, Korean: 친군영).

In October 1883, American minister Lucius Foote arrived to take command of the modernization of Joseon's older army units that had not started Westernizing.

They established a new military school called Yeonmu Gongwon and an officers' training program to begin making the armies become more and more on par with the Chinese and the Japanese.

[7] In January 1894, the modernized army was deployed against the Donghak Peasant Revolution but lost many battles in the beginning due to their sheer numbers and innovative tactics.

Despite resistance from Capital Guards Command, Japan occupied the palace and established a pro-Japanese government beginning the Gabo Reform and the Sino-Japanese War.

They are an elite regiment of royal guards trained and equipped by the Japanese and led by old Korean Army members who hold pro-Japanese sentiments.

[9] On 8 October 1895, the Japanese convinced the officers of the Hullyeondae that the royal family was seeking help from the Russians and plotted to assassinate Queen Min.

[10][11][12] After her death, Gojong disbanded the Military Training Division for their part in the assassination and the Capital Guards in August 1895 for failing to stop the Japanese.

[9] He reorganized them into the Chinwidae, a modernized 1,000-strong royal guard armed with Berdan rifles trained by Russian military advisors beginning in 1896, serving as the core of an improved army.

In May 1881, as part of its plan to modernise the country, the Korean government invited the Japanese military attaché, Lieutenant Horimoto Reizō, to serve as an adviser in creating a modern army.

[15] The military structure historically adhered to a traditional organization, led by a commander-in-chief (Daejang, 大將) who oversaw a central army known as Junggun (中軍).

Within this central army were left and right divisions (Jwabyeolgun, 左別軍 & Ubyeolgun, 右別軍), with subordinate officers (Chogwan, 哨官) under their command.

Notable changes included the renaming of several military titles, such as “Nangcheong (郎廳)” to “Gunsaek (軍色),” “Jongsagwan (從事官)” to “Hyangsaek (餉色),” “Jwabyeoljjang (左別將)” to “Geumgun Byeoljjang (禁軍別將),” and “Ubyeoljjang (右別將)” to “Seongi Byeoljjang (善騎別將).” Additionally, Mu Wi Yeong represented a continuation of Mu Wi So (武衛所), which was established in April 1874, serving as an elite royal guard and a protection force for the palace.

Shin Jeong-hui (申正熙) was appointed as the first commander (Jang Eo Daejang, 壯禦大將), and the camp’s administration included one Dojejo (都提調) and two Jejo (提調), with other personnel remaining consistent with those from Chongyungcheong.

[16] The organizational structure adhered to traditional military practices, featuring a commander-in-chief (Daejang, 大將) leading a central army (Junggun, 中軍), supported by left and right divisions (Jwabyeolgun, 左別軍 & Ubyeolgun, 右別軍), each commanded by subordinate officers (Chogwan, 哨官).

[16] The Martial Arts Department (무예청 (武藝廳)) was a division of the Military Training Command, who served as guards for King Seonjo during the Imjin War.

[18] The establishment process of the Martial Arts Department is detailed in King Sunjo of Joseon's work called Pure Study Records (순제고).

The Joseon government, while seeking measures to strengthen and fortify the capital defense forces after the Imo Rebellion, sought the assistance of the Qing Dynasty for training their troops and supplying modern weapons.

On 17 January in the same year, Japanese legation minister Inoue Kaoru suggested the king found a new regiment of Royal Guards.

Convinced that Queen Min was conspiring with the Russians to bring their troops into the country, the Regiment attacked the Imperial Palace on 8 October 1895, allowing the ronin to kill the Empress.

When the Eulmi Incident (乙未事變), which killed Empress Myeongseong, occurred in August, three months after its establishment, it was disbanded and transferred to the training unit for not preventing the assassination.

[citation needed] During the late Sino-Japanese War and the Gabo Reform, the Joseon army wore black western overcoats and pants while maintaining the jeonrip.

[25] After signing the Treaty of Ganghwa, Japan, Qing, the United States, and the European nations started importing modern weapons such as rifles, artillery, machine guns, western sabers, and bayonets in 1883 until its annexation in 1910.