Port Hamilton incident

{{Short description|1885–1887 British intervention in Korea}}

{{EngvarB|date=July 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox military conflict

| title = Port Hamilton incident

| date = 15 April 1885 – 27 February 1887

| place = Port Hamilton

| result = Occupation ended

| combatant1 = {{flagicon|Joseon}} Joseon

| combatant2 = {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} British Empire

• 20px British Royal Navy

}}

{{Campaignbox Ganghwa Island War}}

The Geomun Island incident or the Port Hamilton incident was the military occupation of Geomundo (formerly "Port Hamilton"), Korea, by the British Royal Navy from 15 April 1885 to 27 February 1887.{{cite book |title= The Russo-Japanese war in global perspective: World War Zero |year= 2005 |publisher= Brill Academic Pub |isbn= 90-04-14284-3 |page= 448|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xlg0lM8f9Y4C&q=%22Port+Hamilton+Incident%22&pg=PA448}}

Russia had intended to use the island as a coaling station.

While the British government was alarmed by rumors of a secret agreement between Russia and Korea, these rumors did not reach the British Cabinet until after the decision to occupy Geomundo had been taken.Lensen, G. A. (1989) Balance of Intrigue: International Rivalry in Korea & Manchuria, 1884–1899. University Press of Florida (2 Vols.). Vol. 1: p. 54. The port was taken to establish a British port in the Far East outside China in the event of a war with Russia, to mitigate the harmful potential of possible Chinese neutrality. In official statements, the British government claimed that the occupation had been undertaken to preempt Russian annexation of the islands. In response, diplomats such as the then French minister to Japan and newspapers such as the Novoe Vremiya speculated that Russia would counterbalance the British occupation by seizing Port Lazarev (Wonsan) or Jeju Island.Lensen, Vol. 1, pp. 57–58.

Russia threatened to occupy parts of Korea, in response to British actions. After receiving assurances from the Russians that they would not occupy any part of Korea, the British withdrew.{{cite book|last=Seth|first=Michael J|title=A History of Korea: From Antiquity to the Present|year=2010|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=978-0742567160|page=225|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WJtMGXyGlUEC}}

The proposal to occupy the islands had been considered earlier by the British Cabinet, in July 1875, but was rejected by Foreign Secretary Lord Derby as setting a poor precedent.