The General Sherman incident was the destruction in 1866 of the American merchant ship SS General Sherman in the Taedong River during an unsuccessful and illegal attempt by the ship's crew to open up trade with the isolationist Joseon dynasty of Korea. With the rapid increase in Western imperialism in Asia during the 19th century, Asian nations came under increasing pressure to end their isolationist policies. Despite China and Japan being forcibly opened to foreign trade by Western powers, Korea maintained its isolationism.

The United States expedition to Korea, known in Korea as the Shinmiyangyo or simply the Korean Expedition, was an American military action in Korea that took place predominantly on and around Ganghwa Island in 1871.