Ganghwa Island

Template:Infobox Korean settlement Ganghwa Island is an island in the estuary of the Han River, on the west coast of South Korea. About 65,500 people live on the island. With an area of 302.4 km², it constitutes most of Ganghwa-gun, a division of Incheon Municipality. About half of the island's population reside in Ganghwa-eup, or Ganghwa Town, in the northeastern part of the island. The island's highest point is Mani-san, 469 meters above sea level. It is the 5th largest island in South Korea.

Location

Ganghwa Island is separated from Gimpo, on the mainland, by a narrow channel, which is spanned by two bridges. The main channel of the Han River separates the island from Gaeseong in North Korea.

Mythology

The legendary god-king Dangun is said to have made an altar on top of Mani-san and offered sacrifices to his ancestors.^[1]

Early History

Because of its strategic position in the mouth of the Han River, Ganghwa Island has often played a key role in historical events. In the ninth century, Unified Silla established a garrison on the island to combat piracy.^[1] The commander Wang Geon established his military reputation at the garrison, later going on to found the kingdom of Goryeo.^[2] In the thirteenth century, the court of Goryeo took refuge on the island as Mongol forces invaded in 1232.^[3] After Goryeo capitulated to the Mongols, the elite forces on the island rose up, beginning the Sambyeolcho Rebellion.^[4] During the Manchu invasion of 1636, the Joseon court sought to follow the Goryeo example, but the royal refugees were captured by the invaders.^[5]

Encounters with Foreign Powers

French Invasion

In the nineteenth century, as outside powers sought to enter Korea by sea, Ganghwa became a point of contact rather than a refuge. In the early 19th century, Christianity (Catholicism) was introduced into Korea despite its official proscription by the Korean court. In 1866, reacting to greater numbers of Korean converts as well as the humiliations suffered by China at the hands of Westerners during the Opium Wars, the Korean court clamped down on the illicit French missionaries, massacring French Catholic missionaries and Koreans converts alike. That same year France launched a punitive expedition against Korea, invading and occupying portions of Ganghwa Island in the fall of 1866.

At the first battle, the Korean infantry division lost heavily, and General Yang Haun-Soo concluded that only a large cavalry division could stand up to French firepower. An ambush by Korean forces on a French party attempting to occupy the strategically located Cheondeung Temple (전등사, 傳燈寺) on the island‘s south coast resulted in French casualties. French realization that they were far outnumbered and outgunned forced them to abandon the island and their expedition. The entire incident later became known as the byeong-in yang-yo, or foreign disturbance of the byeong-in year (1866).

U.S. Invasion

In 1871, following the General Sherman Incident, the United States Navy launched a punitive expedition on the soldiers at Ganghwa Island, Resulting in the Battle of Ganghwa.

Japanese Imperial Navy

The Imperial Japanese Navy, in Pusan, on its way to Ganghwa Island (江華島), Korea, January 16, 1876.

In 1875 a Japanese ship, Unyo, explored into the restricted areas in name of measuring the coastline, and fired a few shots at the fortress on the island. When a crew boat was sent to the island, Koreans fired a few shots back (Ganghwa Island incident). The Japanese argued that this was an aggression and demanded a treaty. Early in the following year, Japan sent a large force of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and the Treaty of Ganghwa was concluded. That agreement, concluded on Ganghwa Island, officially opened Korea to Japanese trade for the first time during the 19th century (although trade did go on before Japan westernized and Korea became a hermit kingdom).

Notes

^ Lee (1976, p. 96).
^ Lee (1976, p. 100).
^ Lee (1976, p. 148).
^ Lee (1976, p. 151).
^ Lee (1976, p. 216).
^ Lee (1976, p. 264); Nahm (1996, p. 148).
^ Lee (1976, p. 268); Nahm (1996, p. 151).

References

^ Korean Foundation Myth

Nahm, Andrew C. (1996). Korea: A History of the Korean People (2nd ed. ed.). Seoul: Hollym. ISBN 1-56591-070-2. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
Lee, Ki-baek (1976). A New History of Korea (rev. ed. ed.). Seoul: Ilchogak. ISBN 89-337-0204-0. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)