Empress Myeonseong

=Empress Myeongseong= http://static.newworldencyclopedia.org/thumb/f/f0/Purported_Photograph_of_Empress_Myeong_Seong_%28Not_Verified%29.jpg/200px-Purported_Photograph_of_Empress_Myeong_Seong_%28Not_Verified%29.jpg

Photo Courtesy of: www.newworldencyclopedia.org

Empress Myeongseong was assassinated in 1895, at the age of 43, by Japanese agents because she was seen as a threat to Japanese colonial interests. She favored a stronger isolationist policy, and she tried to strengthen Korea’s ties with Russia to resist Japanese influences.

On October 8, 1895 the Japanese Minister to Korea, Miura Gorō, allegedly ordered sword-bearing assassins to kill the empress. The assassins killed three court women before they murdered the Empress, and the corpses were burned in the forest following the execution. Afterward, a trial was staged by the Japanese in response to criticism from abroad. Everyone involved, including Miura Gorō, was acquitted of the crime.

"Assassination of Empress Myeongseong." KBS World. N.p., 05 OCT 2009. Web. 5 Nov 2010. .

Shin, Janet. "The Life of Empress Myeongseong." Korea Times 05 AUG 2010: n. pag. Web. 9 Nov 2010. .