Trope of a Sovereign State: Treaty-Making by Korea From 1876-1899

Abstract

In order to understand the history of East Asian diplomatic relations, one needs to keep in perspective the epochal significance of the nineteenth century. In the latter half of that fatal century, the Sino-centric international order that had been in existence for a couple of millennia was replaced by a novel normative discourse that had originated in Europe. In this story of world-historical significance, Korea, starting out as a vassal state of the Celestial Empire, achieved (at least a semblance of) sovereign independence through the conclusion of the Treaty of Commerce with China, the first ever equal treaty between the former suzerain and vassal, in 1899. In this article, I will trace this story from the vantage point of treaty-making. My focus will be on the question of how Korea, becoming increasingly aware of the formative and constitutive power of treaty as a strong indication of independence, tried to employ this medium to become a sovereign self with a distinct political identity, in particular, in relation to China. I will discuss the evolution of the Korean perception of treaty by analyzing landmark treaties such as Treaty of Amity with Japan (1876), Treaty of Amity and Commerce with the United States of America (1882), and Treaty of Commerce with China (1899).