In May, 1870, he became Gaimu gon no daisakan (a post at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the twelfth rank), and in October of the same year, he was sent to Yi Dynasty Korea in attendance on Koki YOSHIOKA, Gaimu gon no shojo (a post at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ninth rank), to seek for diplomatic relations; however, as Dong-Jun AHN, Wagaku Kundo (倭学訓導) (Korean official who was in charge of diplomatic relations with Japan) at the Korean side, refused meeting anyone but officials from Tsushima Domain, they once returned to Japan in December, 1871.
明治3年（1870年）4月に外務権大録となり、同年10月に外務権少丞の吉岡弘毅の随行で李氏朝鮮に派遣され修交を求めたが、朝鮮側の倭学訓導安東晙に対馬藩吏以外との会見を拒否されたため、明治4年（1871年）11月に一旦帰国した。