(Graphic illustration by Hyemin Lee)
Shinmiyangyo in 1871, known as “U.S. Expedition to Korea,” was the first and only U.S. invasion of Korea. In 1866, the American ship General Sherman attacked Korea (Joseon) to demand trade and Joseon forces responded by setting the ship on fire. Five years later, U.S. warships attacked Korea to forcibly open trade in retaliation. Despite strong resistance, Korea suffered a devastating defeat due to the U.S. military’s superior firepower, resulting in over 240 Joseon forces killed and around 100 drowning by suicide while only three U.S. casualties occurred. Though the U.S. won the war, they failed to open Korea to trade. Korea believed it as a victory of resistance, maintaining the policy of isolation which delayed its modernization and, in the end, left Korea vulnerable to Japan’s imperial ambitions.
(Photo by Stripes Korea)
