Chosǒn Korea and Thailand’s Entangled History: Britain, Russia, and the Question of the Buffer State in Nineteenth-Century Asia

The late nineteenth-century world order was marked by intense rivalries between imperial powers that embarked on transcontinental expansion to expand their spheres of interest. As the world’s hegemon, Britain strived to maintain its position in Asia through colonies and informal presence in various hotspots. This paper delineates how in both Chakri Thailand and Chosǒn Korea, the imperial intrigues of European powers like Britain have culminated in the series of interventions that sought to reshape Southeast and East Asia’s geopolitical dynamics. For centuries, Korea had been closely tied to the Sino-centric tributary system, faithfully observing rituals and maintaining Qing-centered foreign policy. With the “opening” of Korea to Japan and the Western powers for “free trade,” however, the Korean court had to learn to navigate a new course in the increasingly treacherous international system. As the Korean peninsula transformed into a new geopolitical pivot in East Asia, Korea also attracted unprecedented interest from policymakers and statesmen from foreign powers. British foreign secretary Earl of Rosebery’s neutralization proposal was an outgrowth of such development, which, if successful, would have secured Korea’s territorial integrity and independence. Unlike in Korea, in Thailand, neutrality only briefly captured the attention of the policy circles. Instead, Britain struck an agreement with Thailand to formally guarantee the latter’s independence. Despite these apparent differences, the examples of Korea and Siam still leave much room for contemplation for contemporary scholars and policymakers who want to reflect upon their experiences to comprehend the sometimes-outsized influence of weak states during shifting regional order.