which was not in favor of entering into relations with the outside world. But they were not able to have their way, and so in due time the first minister was sent to Japan in the person of Pak Yung-ho. About the same time a number of young men were sent to Japan to study military matters, and a Japanese officer was brought to Korea to drill Korean troops.
For a while the progressive party seemed to have everything their own way, and the king and queen were both in sympathy with them. But it is the same old story over again, as it has ever been with men who were acting from selfish motives: they could not wait till their plans of reform had time to grow and develop into something of real profit to the nation. With the help of the Japanese authorities then in Seoul they succeeded in capturing the king, reorganizing the government, and appointed themselves to the principal offices of the government. They put to the sword many of the leading men belonging to the conservative party which had formerly been in charge of affairs.
In the meantime the United States had succeeded in making her first treaty with Korea, and sent General Foote as her first minister to the little kingdom. He arrived in Seoul in May of that year, took up his duties at once, and in a short while succeeded in ratifying the treaty which had been drawn up in Chemulpo by Commodore Shufeldt and the Korean Commissioners.
During all these rapidly moving events the king and his party were looking to China for help, while the
