Korea royal refuge at the Russian legation

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Korea royal refuge at the Russian legation

Hangul	아관파천
Hanja	俄館播遷
Revised Romanization	A Gwan Pa Cheon
McCune-Reischauer	A Kwan Pa Ch'ŏn

Korea royal refuge at the Russian legation also known as A Gwan Pa Cheon is an event in Korean history that the Joseon Dynasty king Gojong and his crown prince refuge from the Gyeongbok Palace to the Russian legation in Seoul, in which they lived and controlled the Korean government for about one year from February 11, 1896 to February 20, 1897. This fleeing took place in secrecy, and was arranged by the Pro-Russian official Yi Beom-jin and others.

This event, which was triggered in part by the king's fear of a coup and his reaction to the murder of Empress Myeongseong, marked a shift in Joseon politics away from the pro-Japanese reform faction and toward to the conservative faction which had been aligned with the Queen. This led to the general repeal of the Gabo Reforms.

Members of the old cabinet were killed or forced to flee, including Kim Hong-jip, Eo Yun-jung, and Yu Gil-jun. Pro-Russian and pro-American figures came to power, with Yi Beom-jin and Lee Wan-yong named to the new cabinet. Trade and resource concessions were granted to Russia, and to a lesser degree to other Western powers including the United States.

The move and associated concessions were greeted with widespread outrage within Korea, led by the Independence Club. This reaction eventually spurred the king to return to Deoksugung after slightly more than a year at the Russian legation, and may have contributed to the declaration of the Korean Empire later in 1897.