USA and Korea Relations
"There shall be perpetual peace and friendship between the President of the United States and the King of Chosen [Korea] and the citizens and subjects of their respective Governments."
- Article I of the 1882 Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and Navigation
Signers of the 1882 Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and Navigation
"To allow your country to murder our men without cause or provocation cannot be passed over uninvestigated." - Commodore Robert Shufeldt
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Pre-War KoreaKorea (noted as Chosun or Corea) had a history of domination by its neighbors, most notably Japan, who conquered its peninsula multiple times. Due to the country's frailty, America never showed much interest. However, in 1866, the Koreans burned an American merchant ship after it refused to leave. This led to Commodore Robert Shufeldt's occupation of Korea and the signing of a forced treaty in 1882, creating "perpetual peace and friendship" (Article I of the 1882 Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and Navigation) between the countries. Although now allies on paper, the United States rarely honored the treaty, leaving Korea to fend for itself.
"America forgot about Corea until the 1866 burning of the General Sherman, an armed American merchantman, at which occasion, the US Congress hotly debated waging war on the Kingdom of Corea." - William Speer, author of Corea: What Shall We Do With Her?
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