Von Heidelberg nach Han-Seong

How did it happen that a law book on international law by a scholar in Heidelberg had such a significant impact on the late Kingdom of Choson, resulting in the foundation of a new empire?

This work reconstructs how the Korean Court discussed Euro-American constitutional and international law concepts as well as new categories of political thought, which were transmitted through the Chinese translation of Bluntschli’s “Völkerrecht,” which led to the foundation of the Dae Han Empire. A main focus of this work lies in the contextual source analysis of the minutes of the proceedings between the king and his ministers. It shows the intellectual understanding of the protagonists regarding new terms, ideas and concepts from an area which evolved differently with respect to its historical, political and social traditions. This work analyzes how Bluntschli’s law book on international law was intentionally distorted in the quest for independence, sovereignty and entry into the family of nations.