United States expedition to Korea (1871)

Korean Expedition
American forces after capturing the Deokjin Fort during the Battle of Ganghwa in 1871
Date 1 June–3 July 1871 Location Ganghwa Island, Joseon (present-day South Korea) Result American military victory but diplomatic failure Withdrawal of American forces Korea retains its isolationist policies Eventual agreement and signing of the United States–Korea Treaty of 1882
Belligerents
United States	Joseon
Commanders and leaders
John Rodgers Winfield Schley	Eo Jae-yeon †
Strength
Land: 650 sailors and Marine infantry Sea: 5 warships	Land: 300 infantry 40 artillery pieces 6 forts 4 shore batteries
Casualties and losses
3 killed 10 wounded 1 gunboat damaged	243 killed 20 captured 40 artillery pieces captured 5 forts destroyed 1 fort damaged Dozens of small cannons captured 4 shore batteries destroyed

United States expedition to Korea
Hangul	신미양요
Hanja	辛未洋擾
Revised Romanization	Shinmiyangyo
McCune–Reischauer	Shinmiyangyo

American military victory but diplomatic failure

The United States expedition to Korea, the Shinmiyangyo, or simply the Korean Expedition, in 1871, was the first American military action in Korea.

It took place predominantly on and around the Korean island of Ganghwa. The reason for the presence of the American land and naval force in Korea was to support an American diplomatic delegation sent to establish trade and political relations with the peninsular nation, to ascertain the fate of the merchant ship General Sherman, and to establish a treaty assuring aid for shipwrecked sailors. When Korean shore batteries attacked two American warships on 1 June, a punitive expedition was launched 10 days later after the commanding American admiral failed to receive an official apology from the Koreans. The isolationist nature of the Joseon Dynasty government and the assertiveness of the Americans led to a misunderstanding between the two parties that changed a diplomatic expedition into an armed conflict. On 10 June, about 650 Americans landed and captured several forts, killing over 200 Korean troops with a loss of only three American dead. Korea continued to refuse to negotiate with the United States until 1882.

The expedition consisted of about 650 men, over 500 sailors and 100 Marines, as well as five warships:Colorado, Alaska, Palos, Monocacy, and Benicia. Embarked aboard Colorado was Rear Admiral John Rodgers, also Frederick F. Low, the United States Ambassador to China. The Korean forces, known as "Tiger Hunters", were led by General Eo Jae-yeon (Hangul; 어재연 Hanja; 魚在淵).

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