When people think of successful reforms or revolutions in Korean history, they rarely think of the end of the Chosun Dynasty as a likely part of history. Instead of the collapse of a Confucian dynasty in the late 19th century, a reform of an empire began, the Gwangmu Reform. The Gwangmu Reform officially began shortly after the proclamation of the Korean Empire (大韓帝國) in 1897. The reform lasted for eight years until the signing of the Treaty of Eulsa (乙巳條約) with Japan in 1905; however, the practical start took place much earlier. It is no exaggeration to say that it dates back to the late 1880s. Emperor Gojong (King Gojong at the time) tried in vain to modernize the country for several decades but failed. Bigger projects began after the proclamation of the Empire. Under the reign of Emperor Gojong (高宗), Korea successfully reformed, ignoring neighboring countries that oppressed and pressured the empire. The Korean Empire successfully showed other countries that it was an independent country rather than a subordinate state to China. . First, Korea demolished Yeungeun Gate (迎恩門) and built Independence Gate (獨立門) on its site. Yeungeun Gate was built during the Chosun Dynasty to accommodate Chinese diplomats. Monarchs would meet them at this gate. The Independence Gate was modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France (Gate). The demolition of Yeungeun Gate meant that the Korean Empire, unlike the official Chosun, would not be a subordinate state to the Qing dynasty. The construction of the Independence Gate was a monumental proclamation to the world of independence from the Korean Empire (Yi, Tokyo 156). A building with the same intention was constructed within the walls of Seoul. The Nambeolgoong (南別宮) was also a...... middle of paper...... of logic and penmanship between teachers was very interesting to watch. I learned both sides of reform; like all events, there were also negative aspects. I will refer to this as “Gojong”. Yun, Young Chan. "A national intelligence agency present during the GojongEra era." The Dong-A Ilbo [Seoul] Nov. 7, 1998, 45th ed., sec. 24033: 5. Print. This is proof that there was a national intelligence agency, similar to those of today, with specific missions assigned, that was present during the Korean Empire. The article is approximately two paragraphs long. This is the national intelligence service which shows the National Assembly that their origins come from the Korean Empire. The proof was a videotape taken by a professor that showed a book containing the laws and rules applicable to Secret Service agents. The teacher was Tae-jin, Yi. The book was titled Jaegookyikmoonsaebibojangjung (帝國益聞社秘報章程).).