The Most Influential Woman at the Chosŏn Court: Queen Min and her Evaluations in Russian-language Academia

The second half of the nineteenth century became a time of many dramatic events on the Korean peninsula. With opening the country to trade and diplomacy with Westernized (Japan) or Western (USA, France, Great Britain) countries led to a division within Korean society, since the 1880s Chosŏn (Korea) has entered the age of political and social turmoil. Several fractions, supporting different diplomatic approaches, guided by influential political figures, were formed at the Korean court. It is their constant clashes that can be partly blamed for the inconsistency of Chosŏn’s diplomatic and political course at that time. In light of the above, it is noticeable that, rather than stressing Kojong’s authority or hinting at the political influence of Hŭngsŏn Taewŏn’gun, the Russian-language part of Korean studies academy is generally paying attention to the Queen, labeling her as the main figure who guided the state policy from the shadow of her husband’s back. In the Russian analytical literature, Queen Min, also being the head of the influential Min-clan, is responsible for seizing power by removing Taewŏn’gun from office; requesting China’s military support to solve the Imo incident of 1882; being involved in appealing to China in 1894 for suppressing the peasant uprising that had brought up the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895); and generally guiding Chosŏn’s diplomacy throughout 1880s and 1890s, ensuring the country’s rapport with China, the United States, and, later, with Russia. Finally, by Russian-speaking scholars, it was Queen Min’s firm resistance to Japan’s involvement in Korean state affairs in the mid-1890s that ultimately brought her assassination in October 1895. This paints a vivid picture of Queen Min as one of the most influential politicians of her time, which stays unchallenged and largely unexplained in the Russian-language part of Korean studies academia. This paper is an attempt to shed some light on the roots of this analytical concept. The authors will attempt to outline Queen Min’s assessments present in Russian academia and trace their original source. A critical analysis of these evaluations will also be performed with the aim of revealing the true historical role that Queen Min played in Chosŏn politics and diplomacy in the late nineteenth century. To achieve these goals, the authors will carry out an analysis of narratives regarding Queen Min and her political role, present in publications of Russian-language scholars (such Tatiana Simbirtseva, Oleg Kurbanov, Vladimir Tikhonov), comparing them to available primary sources (for instance, Kojong Sillok, Queen Min’s diary of 1882, Yun Chi Ho’s diary, memoirs of Lilias Horton Underwood and other) and narratives, present in relevant publications of scholars from English-speaking part of an academia.