KOREA AND JAPAN.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13481, 22 July 1907, Page 5

KOREA AND JAPAN.

ABDICATION OF EMPEHOK VI

HEUI.

JAPANESE INTERFERENCE

DENIED.

United Press Association — By Electric

Telegraph. — Copyright:

SEOUL, July 20. The Emperor Vi Heui has abdicated in favour of the Crown Prince.

Marquis Ito, the Japanese ResidentGeneral in Korea, refused to intervene between the Emperor and the Ministers, even when requested by His Majesty to do so. The Marquis declares that the Cabinet's whole action was based on its own initiative. Ministers represented to the Emperor that his imprudence in despatching a deputation to The Hague had endangered the nation, and made it necessary that'he should abdicate. The Emperpr thereupon convoked the Council of the Elder Statesmen, .and they unanimously supported the Ministers' views of the situation. ' :* There was much unrest in the vicinity of the Palace while the deliberations were proceeding, 'and 5000 people 'who had gathered in" front of tho gates were beaten back. (Vi Heui succeeded to the tHrone ./i Korea in 1864 and assumed the title of Emperor in 1897. The deputation sent by him to Th'e'Hagu* protested against the failure of the powers to invite Korea to be represented at the Peacd Con - vention. This action wa3 certainly strange in view of the fact that Korea had agreed by a treaty signed on November 17th, 1905, that her external relations should be controlled by the Japanese Department of Foreign Affairs.)