Page:The passing of Korea.djvu/177

 The ex-regent was determined that Pak Yong-hyo should be gotten out of the way. To this end he concocted a scheme which, with the probable sanction of the Japanese, seemed to promise success. He laid before the King certain grave charges of treason against Pak, which, though not believed either by the King or the Queen, convinced them that it would be impossible to shield him from probable destruction; for the people still called him a traitor, the ex-regent would spare no pains to see him put out of the way, and it was evident that the Japanese would not take any strong measures to protect him. The Queen called him up and advised him to make good his escape before action could be taken on the charge of treason. He complied, and forthwith escaped again to Japan. He had not as yet broken with the Japanese, and they were doubtless glad to help him away. It was early in July that he passed off the stage, perhaps for ever, and thus there were lost to Korea the services of one of the most genuinely patriotic Koreans of modern times. If the Japanese could have determinedly put the ex-regent in the background, and allowed Pak Yong-hyo to work out his plans on terms of amity with the royal family, all the evils which followed might easily have been averted. It was this act, as we believe, of allowing the ex-regent to carry out his scheme of personal revenge that caused the whole trouble, and there never was a time, before or since, when brighter hopes for Korea were more ruthlessly sacrificed.

But progressive measures kept on apace, and during July the government issued new and important mining, quarantine and army regulations, and organised a domestic postal system. A valuable mining concession in the district of Un-san in the north was granted to an American syndicate, a transaction that has proved the most profitable, at least to the foreigner, of any attempt to open up the resources of Korea.

Near the end of the month Korea suffered the misfortune of seeing Count Inouye retire from the legation in Seoul and return to Japan. Never did the Japanese have such need of a