In the same year, he came under suspicion that he directed the Empress Myeongseong's assassination, with the cooperation of Lieutenant Colonel Yukihiko KUSUNOSE, who was a military officer to the Legation and the adviser to the military of the Korean Government, and Kenzo ADACHI, the president of a Japanese newspaper company, 'Hanseong Shinpo.' (Itsubi Incident).
公使館付武官で朝鮮政府軍部顧問の楠瀬幸彦中佐や、邦字新聞「漢城新報」社長の安達謙蔵らの協力を得て、同年の閔妃暗殺を指揮したとされた（乙未事変）。