当初は巨済島または鬱陵島の割譲を要求していたが、軍艦4隻と寺内正毅大隊長が率いる兵1500人が到着する6日前に、既に清国が反乱を鎮圧し、主導権を握っていたことと、アメリカ合衆国が軍艦を派遣し威圧をかけてきた事から交渉担当の花房義質李氏朝鮮公使は方針を変更させ、馬建忠（在朝清軍の隊長李鴻章の外交秘書）の仲介を経て上記の内容に落ち着いた。

At first, Japan was demanding the cession of Geoje Island or Utsuryo Island, however, six days before the arrival of four warships and 1,500 soldiers led by Daitaicho (Battalion Chief) Masatake TERAUCHI, Qing had already subdued the rebellion and taken the initiative, and the United States of America had dispatched warships to put pressure on Japan, both of which led Yoshimoto HANABUSA, the Japanese Minister to Yi Dynasty Korea who was in charge of the negotiation, to change the original demands to the ones stipulated in the treaty, mediated by Jianzhong MA (a diplomatic secretary to Hung Chang LI, the captain of the army of Qing). - Wikipedia日英京都関連文書対訳コーパス