Mr. Sill to Mr. Gresham.
Seoul, Korea, December 18, 1894. (Received January 19, 1895.)
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that the Official Gazette of this court on yesterday had the announcement of the appointment of the new Korean cabinet, a translation of which I inclose herewith.
The cabinet is quite a representative one. The two political exiles who were largely concerned in the emeute of 18841 have been made chiefs of departments. Pak Yong-ho, who has sojourned in Japan for the past ten years, being made minister of the department of (interior) home affairs; and So Kuan-pon, lately returned from America, being given the department of law (justice). One other political suspect who has been in hiding in Korea during these ten years, Yun Hong-yul, is the newly appointed inspector of police. This man’s son, who will soon return from a ten years’ absence, was the first interpreter to this legation.
The so-called “American party” is represented by Pak Chung-yang, late Korean minister at Washington, who retains his position as minister of education. Ye Wan-yong, vice-minister of foreign affairs, and Ye Cha-yun, vice-minister of agriculture and commerce, each served for some time in Washington as Korean chargé d’affaires, while Chung Kyung-won, vice-minister of the department of justice (law), was Korean commissioner to the World’s Fair at Chicago.
Kim Ka-kiun, Kwan Chai-hiun, and An Kyung-so, vice-ministers of construction, the army, and finance, have each served as Korean representatives in Japan, and they have been the close friends and supporters of the Japanese in the recent movement for reform in Korea. They were given subordinate positions, it is supposed, with a view to arouse as little as possible, at this stage, the class prejudice of this people, for these men are illegitimate or concubines’ sons, and heretofore have been unable to associate on terms of equality with the true nobility. They are bright men, however, as is often the case with men of their class, and they will probably continue to exert an increasing influence over Korean affairs.
Even the “Chinese party” is represented notably by Ye Chong-ha, vice-minister of the department of home affairs, who accompanied the 2,000 Chinese soldiers who went to A-san in June, and thus opened the present war.
The Tai-Wen-kun’s (ex-regent’s) party is represented by the old man’s son, brother of the King, who, as minister of the household, will exert a considerable influence in the palace.
On the 22d of December, the winter solstice, according to the Korean calendar. His Majesty will go to his ancestral halls and swear before the tablets of his ancestors and before the gods of nature to faithfully support the new constitution.
[Page 85]The council which has for months been drawing up reform measures, is now abolished.
With the sincere support of the Japanese this new cabinet should be able to do something to relieve the distress of their country.
I have, etc.,