After the failure of Gapsin Coup(甲申政變), Kim Ok-kyun(金玉均), the leader of the Enlightenment Party, fled to Japan with his comrades. They wanted to rebuild their revolutionary power with Japan"s assistance and help. But Japanese Government never deal with them as the political refugee.
The Japanese Government, immediately after their refuge to Japan, denied the fact of their residence in Japan in order to avoid the responsibilities of participating in Kapsin Coup. The Government turned their face against them. But Japanese Government gradually recognized again value of Kim in the diplomatic big deal within Chosun. Because, at that time, the Dynasty was the center all the important imperial nations rushed into. Every imperial nation struggled to obtain its interest in Chosun. And so there were many inequal international agreements and military actions in Chosun such as the Korean-Russo Secret Agreement(朝露密約) and the Occupation of Kumun-do by Britain (巨文島事件). Now Japan also needed Kim’s value to have influence on Chosun. At that time, Chosun and Qing demanded that Kim should be delivered into Chosun for the responsibilities of the revolt. On the while, Japan tried Kim’s card to diplomatic negotiation with Qing Dynasty which was superior power in the Chosun after the failure of Kim’s Kapsin Coup. Therefore the problem of Kim Ok-kyun was magified in Japan. That was resisting the deal of Japanese Government by Kim and the dispatch a assassin of Chosun Government to kill Kim.
Moreover, if Kim had gone to another countries hostile to Japan, Japan could not have influenced on the Chosun’s problems. Japan could not permit its political asylum to another country. Japan also tried to revise inequal international agreements with powerful countries. If Kim had been expelled, Japan’s international status to have obtain agreements would have been damaged profoundly. Only one alternative was to be sent into reclusive Ogasawara Island(小笠原島) and Hokkaido(北海道).
As the diplomatic strategy of Japanese government was transformed into a hard line and getting ready to war against Qing in the early 1890s, they permitted Kim’s free dwelling or emigration but they kept watch his move.
This means that the diplomatic strategy of Japanese Government which tried to evade diplomatic dispute caused by Kime Ok-kyun’s problem was changed aggressive practical policy of Kim against Chosun and Qing at this time.