Gapsin Coup
The key figure in the paper's establishment was undeniably Seo Jae-pil. After the failure of the progressive Gapsin Coup in 1884, Seo sought refuge in the United States. In exile he learned from Pak Yeong-hyo (, ) that he had been pardoned from the charge of high treason as of March 1895, and further, that his "Gaehwapa" (, lit. reformist) comrades had come to power during his exile. As a result, he decided to return to Korea in December of that year.