Marquis Ito was received in formal audience on November 15th, and there presented a series of demands, drawn up in treaty form.  These were, in the main, that the foreign relations of Korea should be placed entirely in the hands of Japan, the Korean diplomatic service brought to an end, and the Ministers recalled from foreign Courts.  The Japanese Minister to Korea was to became supreme administrator of the country under the Emperor, and the Japanese Consuls in the different districts were to be made Residents, with the powers of supreme local governors.  In other words, Korea was entirely to surrender her independence as a State, and was to hand over control of her internal administration to the Japanese.  The Emperor met the request with a blank refusal.  The conversation between the two, as reported at the time, was as follows.

The Emperor said—­

“Although I have seen in the newspapers various rumours that Japan proposed to assume a protectorate over Korea, I did not believe them, as I placed faith in Japan’s adherence to the promise to maintain the independence of Korea which was made by the Emperor of Japan at the beginning of the war and embodied in a treaty between Korea and Japan.  When I heard you were coming to my country I was glad, as I believed your mission was to increase the friendship between our countries, and your demands have therefore taken me entirely by surprise.”

To which Marquis Ito rejoined—­

“These demands are not my own; I am only acting in accordance with a mandate from my Government, and if Your Majesty will agree to the demands which T have presented it will be to the benefit of both nations and peace in the East will be assured for ever.  Please, therefore, consent quickly.”

The Emperor replied—­

“From time immemorial it has been the custom of the rulers of Korea, when confronted with questions so momentous as this, to come to no decision until all the Ministers, high and low, who hold or have held office, have been consulted, and the opinion of the scholars and the common people have been obtained, so that I cannot now settle this matter myself.”

Said Marquis Ito again—­

     “Protests from the people can easily be disposed of, and for the
     sake of the friendship between the two countries Your Majesty
     should come to a decision at once.”

To this the Emperor replied—­

     “Assent to your proposal would mean the ruin of my country, and I
     will therefore sooner die than agree to it.”