ABDICATION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 18, 20 July 1907, Page 5

ABDICATION.

9 THRONE OF KOREA VACANT. LETTER TO MARQUIS ITO. STATESMEN READY TO DIE AS MARTYRS. By Telegra'jh.— Pre£3 Association.- Copyright. (Received July 20, 8.34 a.m.) SEOUL, 19th July. The Emperor of Korea decided to abdicato to-day. . Tho elder statesmen of the Empire have written to Marquis Ito, Japanese President-General in Koroa, stating that Japan i will receive their support if it deals fairly towards the Emperor, otherwise the elder statesmen and the whole of th© nation are prepared to die as martyrs. Viscount Hayashi, 'Japanese Foreign Minister, has arrived at Seoul. There is much unrest in the vicinity of ' the palace. The mob attacked a newspaper office, doing much damage. Vi Hiu»g, whose reign has come io> an untimely end, was born in 1852, sue ceeded to the throne in 1864, and assumed the title' of Emperor in 1897. His second wife was the daughter of an American missionary. Up to 1894 the monarchy was practically absolute, though the suzerainty of China had been acknowledged. Japan, however, refused to acknowledge this suzerainty, and following on her victorious war against China, the influence of the Island Empire spread in the peninsula, and many administrative reforms were introduced. Under subsequent treaties, Japan guaranteed the integrity of the Empire, and Korea undertook to adopt Japanese advice with regard to- administration. The war against Russia confirmed the influence of the Tokio Government. The Emperor's -downfall would seem to be due to his vacillation. Plots against his life, and the lives of some of his Ministers who signed the protectorate convention «vith Japan, would indicate that there was a strong party opposed to Japaneso domination, Svhile, og. tho other hand, his sending a deputation to Tho Hague to protest against Japanose encroachments had alienated the support of tho Tokio party. Vi Syek, who was born in 1874, is tho successor to the throne. Viscount H-ayashi, Japanese Foreign Minister, who has gone on a special mission to Seoul, was formerly the Japanese Envoy at the Korean capital.