▁per sec ution ▁of ▁native ▁and ▁foreign ▁C athol ics , ▁a ▁policy ▁that ▁led ▁directly ▁to ▁the ▁French ▁Camp aign ▁against ▁Korea ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 6 . ▁The ▁early ▁years ▁of ▁his ▁rule ▁also ▁witness ed ▁a ▁large ▁effort ▁to ▁restore ▁the ▁dil ap id ated ▁G ye ong b ok ▁Palace , ▁the ▁seat ▁of ▁royal ▁authority . ▁During ▁his ▁reign , ▁the ▁power ▁and ▁authority ▁of ▁the ▁in - law ▁families ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁And ong ▁K ims ▁sharp ly ▁decl ined . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁get ▁rid ▁of ▁the ▁And ong ▁Kim ▁and ▁P ung y ang ▁Cho ▁families , ▁he ▁promoted ▁persons ▁without ▁making ▁references ▁to ▁political ▁party ▁or ▁family ▁affili ations , ▁and ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁bur dens ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁and ▁solid ify ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁economy , ▁he ▁reform ed ▁the ▁tax ▁system . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 1 , ▁U . S . ▁and ▁Korean ▁forces ▁cl ashed ▁in ▁a ▁U . S . ▁attempt ▁at ▁" gun bo at ▁diplom acy " ▁following ▁on ▁the ▁General ▁Sh erman ▁incident ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 6 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁King ▁Go j ong ▁announced ▁his ▁assumption ▁of ▁royal ▁rule . ▁With ▁the ▁subsequent ▁ret irement ▁of ▁He ung se on ▁Da ew ong un , ▁the ▁future ▁Queen ▁Min ▁( l ater ▁called ▁Em press ▁My e ong se ong ) ▁became ▁a ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁court , ▁placing