 In 1879, Li was appointed as governor-general of Zhili Province and the imperial commissioner for the northern ports.He was in charge of China's Korea policy and urged Korean officials to adopt China's own self-strengthening program to strengthen their country in response to foreign threats, to which King Gojong was receptive.The Korean government, immediately after opening of the country to the outside world, pursued a policy of enlightenment aimed at achieving national prosperity and military strength through the doctrine of "tongdo sŏgi" ("Eastern ways and Western machines").