The Last Days of Emperor Gojong
On October 12, 1897, Gojong, the 26th king of the Joseon Dynasty, proclaimed the Korean Empire. In 1907, he was forced to abdicate by the Japanese and became Emperor Emeritus and was further demoted to the title of Itaewang (Grand King of Yi) after the Annexation of Korea by the Japanese in 1910. He was confined to the Gyeongungung Palace until his sudden death on January 21, 1919. Let us commemorate the last days of Emperor Gojong by looking at the pictures from the national mourning of Emperor Gojong’s death, which triggered the March 1st Independence Movement.