The Review of Korean Studies
- P-ISSN1229-0076
- E-ISSN2773-9351
- SCOPUS, ESCI
ISSN : 1229-0076
“A Shrewd Man of Business”: Frederick Jenkins and the Oppert Incident
Abstract
The Oppert Incident, in which a German adventurer and French priest helped lead an expedition to steal the bones of King Gojong’s grandfather to hold hostage to force the Korean government to open the country to trade and cease the persecution of Catholics, is well-known. What is not as well-known is the fact that an American citizen, Frederick Jenkins, played a key role in providing the financial support and weapons necessary for the expedition to take place, and that after its failure, he was tried by the American consul of Shanghai in an unsuccessful attempt to punish him, in part because of the damage he had done to future Korea-US relations. However, there is little in English on the Oppert Incident in general or the role Jenkins played within it. This paper will therefore examine Frederick Jenkins’ role in the expedition and why he participated in it. In so doing, this paper will shed light on our understanding of the early relationship between the United States government, American citizens, and Korea, revealing that the comparative weakness of American diplomatic officials prevented them from restraining the problematic behavior of US citizens such as Jenkins.
- keywords
- Oppert Incident, Ernst Oppert, Frederick Jenkins, the General Sherman, George Seward, US-Korea relations
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