Murder at the palace: Queen assassinated

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Opinion

Wed, November 29, 2023 | 01:12

Murder at the palace: Queen assassinated

Posted : 2019-10-06 09:41

Updated : 2019-10-06 16:44

Geoncheonggung, the site of the queen's murder, circa 1900. Robert Neff Collection

By Robert Neff

In the early hours of October 8, 1895, the Western community in Seoul was woken by the sound of gunfire at the palace. "This was in time of peace, and such sounds we knew must be portents of evil," wrote Lillias Underwood, an American missionary.

When Clarence Greathouse, an American adviser to the Korean government, heard the sounds, he urged his mother, Elizabeth, to get dressed and prepare her things in case they needed to seek shelter at the American legation.

While his mother was distracted with packing, he took the opportunity to sneak out of the house and proceeded to the palace. He considered it his duty to be with the king and knew his mother would have begged him not to go.

Hwangwonjeong Pavilion, circa 1920s. Robert Neff Collection

When she discovered he was gone, she grew frantic with worry ― especially as the hours ticked by and there was no word from him. She was assured by Korean and Western visitors that her son was in no danger; the gunfire at the palace had ceased and the streets seemed fairly calm. But it did little to comfort her.

Underwood was struggling with her own uncertainties. "The air was full of ominous suspicions and whispers" ― mainly that Japanese soldiers along with the Daewongun (the king's father) had driven out the palace guard and now controlled all access to the king.

At noon, Elizabeth was relieved when her son returned. In her diary she quickly scribbled:

Hwangwonjeong Pavilion and Geoncheonggung in the background. Winter 2012. Robert Neff Collection

"My son went at once to the Palace, shook hands with the King and he was in conference with the Ministers or some of them who had come up. My son enquired at once about the Queen, when he was told by General Dye [an American in the employ of the Korean government] who is in charge there of the home soldiers, he says she is all right and when enquiry was made, she was not to be found and it is now thought she was killed.

"Oh how horrid, how cruel, I do hope in the morning she will be heard from, that someone has saved her though it is a bare hope. The King is a prisoner at his own Palace. His father is there now and is I fear running things. What is to be the end of it no one can know. I pray it may end."

Lillias Underwood also heard the news from a Korean nobleman who told her, "with face all aghast, that it was currently reported that the queen had been murdered."

Throughout the day, rumors and facts would circulate through the streets. Despite the evidence indicating the queen had been murdered, many refused to accept it ― they, including the king, wanted to believe she had somehow escaped and was hiding. This feeble hope would last for several months but eventually died out and was replaced with an intense anger that lingers to the present day.

Hwangwonjeong Pavilion and Geoncheonggung in the background, 2016. Robert Neff Collection

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