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Abdürreşid İbrahim, a leading Muslim scholar originally from Russia, embarked on his journey to Japan in 1908 to meet with his contacts from Kokuryūkai (Black Dragon Society). On his way back, he spent around ten days in the Korean Empire. İbrahim, who was convinced of the “barbarism” of the West, found quite a few examples in Korea to build upon his theory of “Eastern civility,” just as he had found during his time in Japan. He met with a range of people, from porters to the Korean Empire’s Interior Minister, and wrote about them in his travelogue titled Âlem-i İslam [The World of Islam]. This paper argues that İbrahim was particularly sympathetic to Koreans because he saw their position in a world of imperial hierarchies as analogous to that of Muslims in the Russian Empire. In Korea, İbrahim’s anti-Westernism is coupled with his vision of a Pan-Asian world order led by Imperial Japan. Âlem-i İslam is significant because it is the only account of the Korean Empire’s final years written by a Muslim intellectual.

Amerika Birleşik Devletleri, Kore'nin Chosŏn Krallığı'na ve Kore İmparatorluğu'na 1883'ten 1905'e kadar sekiz elçi gönderdi. John J. Muccio, A.B.D.'nin Kore Cumhuriyeti'ne gönderdiği ilk büyükelçiydi. Muccio'yu sekiz selefine kıyasla farklı kılan nokta ise ülkesinin I. Dünya Savaşı ve II. Dünya Savaşı sonrası dünya politikasındaki değişen yeriydi. II. Dünya Savaşı sonrasında A.B.D. Sovyetler Birliği ile birlikte Kore Yarımadasının kaderini belirleme sürecinde en etkin rol oynayan ülke konumundaydı. Bu tez, Kore Cumhuriyetindeki `en kıdemli diplomatın` dikkat çeken amaçlarını, ikilemlerini ve deneyimlerini tetkik etmektedir. Bu tez, gizliliği kaldırılmış Amerikan ve Kore arşiv belgelerine geniş ölçüde başvurarak Kore Savaşını John J. Muccio'nun gözünden tekrar inşa etmektedir. Muccio, Amerikan askeri birliklerinin Kore'den çekilmesinin ertelenmesi fikrinin başta gelen savunucularından birisidir. Kore Savaşı'nın patlak vermesinin hemen ardından Muccio yabancı bir ülkenin temsilcisi olmakla beraber gelen sınırlamaları Syngman Rhee'nin yeterli liderlik gösterememesi nedeniyle çiğnemek zorunda kalmıştır. Muccio, Kuzey Kore'nin şiddetli saldırısının karşısında olan sivillerin fiili lideri olmuştur ve bu pozisyonunu Kore Cumhuriyeti'nin 29 Eylül 1950'de Seul'e tekrar dönmesine kadar korumuştur. 1952'deki siyasi kriz sırasında Muccio, Rhee'nin manipülasyon taktiklerine boyun eğmek zorunda kalmış ve bu olay A.B.D.'nin Kore'de demokratik süreçleri desteklemek yerine otoriter liderlerle aynı eksene girmesi konusunda emsal teşkil etmiştir. The United States of America sent eight ministers to Korea's Chosŏn Dynasty and Korean Empire from 1883 until 1905. John J. Muccio was the first Ambassador that the U.S. dispatched to the Republic of Korea. What made Muccio different from the other eight representatives was his country's changing place in world politics after World War I and World War II. After World War II, the U.S. became a key player in the decision making process with regard to the Korean Peninsula's fate along with the Soviet Union. The dissertation explores the salient aspirations, dilemmas and experiences of the `dean of diplomatic corps` in the Republic of Korea. Relying extensively on the American and Korean declassified archival materials, this dissertation reconstructs the Korean War from the point of view of John J. Muccio. Muccio was one of the primary proponents of the idea of delaying the withdrawal of the U.S. troops from the Republic of Korea. Immediately after the outbreak of the Korean War, Muccio had to overstep his bounds as an envoy of a foreign nation mainly because of the lack of leadership shown by Syngman Rhee. Muccio became the de facto leader of the civilian opposition against the North Korean onslaught, a position he kept until the relocation of the Republic of Korea to Seoul on September 29, 1950. The political crisis of 1952 was when Muccio yielded to Rhee's manipulation tactics and it set a precedent for the U.S. to align itself with authoritative figures in Korea instead of supporting democratic processes. 185