 In October 1873, when the Confucian scholar Choe Ik-hyeon submitted a memorial to King Gojong urging him to rule in his own right, Queen Min seized the opportunity to force her father-in-law's retirement as regent.The departure of the Daewongun led to Korea's abandonment of its isolationist policy.Subsequently, the treaty of Ganghwa in 1876 had led to the opening of Korea.