아관파천기 영국과 미국의 한반도 팽창의 양상과 특징

Abstract

This study tries to re-interpret ‘AgwanPacheon’ with the concept of an ‘informal empire’ based on the imperial periphery theory. The author points out the cooperation of local Anglo-American diplomats and the cracks in the foreign policy of the home country, which was overlooked in the previous study. 19th century western diplomats were the pioneers, trying to seek interests and markets, taking advantage of rapidly changing political situation in Seoul. And the Foreign Ministry of the home country reprimanded if the results were unfavorable, but if the results were advantageous, it recognized “unintentional expansion.” The Russian and Anglo-American diplomats internationalized AgwanPacheon and assigned 8 western advisers to 9 departments. The imperial powers needed collaborators to encroach economical sectors, thus formed pro-western network by establishing and helping ‘Independent Newspaper’, ‘Foreign Language School’ and pro-American party.BR The author then compared the powers and activities of western advisers to those of Egypt. On the whole, the political and economical situation between the two countries took similar turn. That the western powers acted like supervisors and exerted direct and indirect influence to King Gojong and the Cabinet, thus Korea at that time could be called as the “informal empire” of the West.