甲申政變과 立憲主義

The Coup D'etat of 1884 and Constitutionalism -

The main body making the coup d’etat of 1884 asserted active reform policy to make the Chosun dynasty modern state. As their first object was abolishing subordinate relation with Ch’ing dynasty, they wished to overthrow the pro-Ch’ing government and carry out their own reform program. We can find this kind of idea in the movement of the association of the independent and the first constitution of Great-Han empire. They also had their own internal reform program, for example introduction of modern army, police, tax and financial system. Their goal was to rationalize the traditional bureaucratic system and to raise the efficiency of government. Though these plans were significant in the sense of modernization of Chosun dynasty, we cannot consider the system of 1884 revolution as modern constitutional government. There was no separation of power and rationalization of authority in the reform program. Adding that, they did not try to introduce modern parliament.