Assassination of Empress Myeongseong
Between 5:50 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on 8 October 1895, Queen Min (later "Empress Myeongseong"), the wife of King Gojong of Joseon, was assassinated by a group of Japanese agents under Miura Gorō. This incident is known in Korea as the Eulmi Incident (). The attack happened at Okhoru () in , which was the rear private royal residence (the king's quarters) inside the palace Gyeongbokgung. The queen had been assertive and wielded a great amount of political power in Korea. Soon before her death, she aligned Korea with the Russian Empire, in order to counterbalance Japanese influence on the peninsula. This drew the ire of Japan. The agents were let into the palace by pro-Japanese Korean guards. Once inside, they beat and threatened other members of the Royal Family during their search for the Queen. The Crown Princess was dragged down stairs and beaten. When the Queen was eventually located, she was beaten and killed with a single slash from a sword. Some agents then proceeded to loot the palace, while others stripped her body and examined her genitals. They then covered her corpse in oil and burned it. The attack has been characterized by modern historians of Japan