The following is a chronology of the key points in modern Korean-Japanese history.
1873: Japanese military and political leader Takamori Saigo calls for invasion of Korean Peninsula due to Korea's refusal to recognize the Emperor Meiji's legitimacy and its claimed insulting treatment of Japanese envoys. His political rival Toshimichi Okubo thwarted those plans, arguing that such an invasion would be premature.
1875: Unyo Incident. A Japanese ship ventured near Korean coast, provoking reaction from coastal defenses, justifying Japanese retaliation and a show of force.