Chosun Dynasty1392-1910 CE

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Chosun’s Beginnings:

Yi Seung-kye is dispatched to repel Ming attack Concludes he can’t win Negotiates with invaders Returns to Kaesung and takes over city with Ming help

Ming alliance New Chosun Dynasty

Named by Ming Emperor

朝鮮 -- 조선 – “ Morning Calm”

Ming China invades Korea 1392

Yi’s diagnosis of Koryo’s failings:

Buddhism – too influential

Confucianism is the answer Focus on Confucian relationships and virtues Five Relationships Hyo (filial piety) is the core virtue

Neo-Confucian orthodoxy

Chosun and Gender

Patrilocal marriage Rigid patriarchy Women’s roles

Strict obedience Produce a son Woman’s Three Lords:

Father … Husband … Son Strict Chastity

Chosun women’s small dagger

Religious intolerance

Buddhism Persecuted Driven out of cities Lands confiscated – hence: Mountain Temples Becomes a religion predominantly of women

Chosun Dynasty

Censorate system Confucian Secret Investigator

Focus on Scholarship: Sungkyunkwan University 1400s Focused on Confucian Scholarship Now a major, modern university

King Sejong: 1418-1450

Patron of Arts and Sciences Printing of Confucian

classics Moveable type used heavily

Hangul Commissioned Korea’s

Phonetic Script His most famous

accomplishment

Hideyoshi Invasion: 1592

Korea occupied, ransacked National treasures

destroyed Tremendous animosity

developed

Non’gae -- “Patriotic Kisaeng”

Turtle ships Korea Liberated Reemphasize Confucianism: Korea is the

last bastion of civilization… Korea as the Hermit Kingdom

Catholics Enter Korea: 1784

Two Korean Yangban Discover Catholicism in China

Convert Bring back Catholic books Teach Catholicism in Korea

French priests sneak in Chesa condemned as “worship” Catholicism not warmly welcomed by

government

Kim Taegon: (Andrew Kim), Korea’s first native priest.

Martyred 1847; Beatified 1925

Catholics In Korea

Silk letter 1801 Smuggled with tribute mission

to China Discovered Requested French intervention to ensure Catholic

rights in Korea Chesa Controversy

Catholics forbidden to perform Chesa Government declares Catholicism illegal

Catholic Pogroms: 1860s Thousands beheaded

French Respond with brief naval attack

Catholics In Korea

Catholics (mostly Yangban) retreat from public life

Live in small villages Make ceramic pots Kimchi Pots “Potter” is slang for

Catholic

Korea and the West

General Sherman incident 1866 American Merchant Marine Ship Sunk and burned

1871 retaliation for General Sherman US sends retaliatory naval strike

Pressure from Japan 1874: first unequal treaty – Japan

Grants Japan special rights in Korea Japan may intervene if other nations do Koreans recognize the threat, but are powerless to resist

Korea and the West

1882: first US Treaty “Good offices” clause

Korea sees it as mutual defense Protection from the real threat: Japan West, esp. US, seen as potential savior

from the more-threatening Japanese

Korea and the WestProtestants

1884 Dr. Horace AllenMD to the US ConsulatePresbyterian MissionaryHeals Korean Crown PrinceGranted one favor

Requests freedom of religion for Korea and missionary rights for Christianity

Protestants in Korea

Enter 1884 Adopt Nevius Method

Service: education, medical care, etc Focus on poor and women Cultivate local clergy and leadership ASAP Prepare for local church independence

Protestants in Korea

Bible (성경 ) is the first major work published in hangul (한글 ) – not Chinese

Prompts the beginning of Hangul literature movement

“The Board of Bible Translation”

Protestants in Korea

Presbyterian Structure Governance by “Elders”

Lay leaders play major role: High prestige Democratic, participatory structure Koreans flock to Presbyterians

Christians seen as connected with America America seen as the one hope for protection from Japan Western Education (in Christian Schools) seen as the key

to modernizing the nation Non-Christian Korean nationalists flock to Christian

schools for modern, Western education

Yonesi University: Original Hall Founded as

Yonsei school for Boys, 1885

Protestants in Korea

Provide Best education available

Become core to nationalist and modernization movements

Grow and develop rapidly

Develop a strong national network of hundreds of churches and many thousands of members by 1900

Ewha Women’s University:

Founded as Ewha School for Girls,

1885

Late Chosun Government:Decay and Stagnation

Government stagnates and tries to avoid reform or Western interaction as much as possible

Dominated by Conservative Queen Min

Queen Min, like China’s Empress Dowager, was a tyrannical traditionalist

Kabo Reforms: Attempt to modernize after Queen Min’s death Modernization effort, but too little, too late

Tonghak Rebellion

Tonghak Rebellion: 1894 (Eastern Learning) Nativist movement growing out of the Chundokyo

Religion (a native Korean religion borrowing both from Daoism and Christianity)

Deeply Anti foreign Chosun Government could not repress the Tonghaks Calls in China and Japan asserts 1874 treaty to follow

Sino-Japanese War 1894-95

Chosun Collapse

Chosun Weakened King even seeks protection in Russian Embassy Russo-Japanese War 1904-05

Russia forced to leave Korea becomes a Japanese protectorate

Meaning Japan “protects” (dominates) Korea

Kyongbok Palace: Center of Chosun rule

Japanese Occupation1910-1945

Koreans continue to look to US as potential savior

Look to Protestant churches as special connection to America

Japan annexes Korea 1910 Taft-Katsura Agreement US concurs secretly that Japan should lead to

modernize and develop Korea Protestant Missionaries agree:

Japan is the one modern Asian Nation Korean’s need Japanese tutelage Koreans today see this as a major betrayal