Early Mentions of Korea in British Parliamentary Debates

• Published in: Korea observer Vol. 48; no. 4; pp. 701 - 731
• Main Author: Sweeney, Loughlin J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Seoul Institute of Korean Studies 01.12.2017; 한국학술연구원
• Subjects: 19th century; 19th century AD; Analysis; British Empire; British imperialism; Debates; Diplomacy; Discourse; Empires; Foreign policy; Free trade; Geopolitics; History; Imperialism; Indirect discourse; Missionaries; Parliamentary procedure; Political aspects; Power; Prime ministers; Religious missions; 정치외교학; East Asia; United Kingdom; South Korea; United Kingdom > UK; Siam; China; Japan
• ISSN: 0023-3919; 2586-3053
• DOI: 10.29152/KOIKS.2017.48.4.701

In the late nineteenth century, Korea was at the nexus of Great Power contestation in East Asia. Having existed within the sphere of China for centuries, it found itself the subject of expansionary ambitions by the Russian and Japanese empires, and also drawn, in a limited way, into the sphere of Britain's informal empire. This paper discusses the extent to which a Korean dimension was incorporated into British parliamentary discourse in this period. It analyzes the Korean issues that captured the attention of British MPs, and examines the extent of their knowledge of Korean affairs in the late nineteenth century. It also considers the relevance of concepts of 'informal empire' and the 'official mind' to the discussion of East Asian imperial and geopolitical history in the late nineteenth century.