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107-450: The city is divided into 2 eup , 9 myeon and 3 dong . The name "Dangjin" was first used to refer to this area during the Joseon period. From 1413 to 1895, it was known as Dangjin-hyeon, a division of Chungcheong Province. The city achieved its present borders in 1973, with the merger of a portion of Jeongmi-myeon into Seosan's Unsan-myeon. It was originally a county but was promoted to

214-736: A persecution of Catholics . However, after the retirement and death of the Queen Dowager, the Norons were gradually ousted, while the Andong Kim clan of Kim Jo-sun , the father of the Queen Sunwon , gained power. Gradually the Andong Kims came to dominate the court. With the domination of the Andong Kims, the era of Sedo Politics began. The formidable in-law lineage monopolized the vital positions in government, holding sway over

321-539: A city on January 1, 2012, after a rapid population boost. Being on the Yellow Sea, the port has been important for trade with China, and since early times was defended against foreign invasion by becoming a fortress city ( Eupseong ). According to legend, the eupseong was built in the 16th year of King Chungyeol (1290 AD), but it is currently believed to have been built during the Baekje period and modified throughout

428-586: A few weeks. Despite working on tight rations by January 1637, the Joseon defenders were able to effectively counter Manchu siegeworks with sorties and even managed to blow up the powder magazine of an artillery battery that was assailing the East Gate of the fortress, killing its commander and many soldiers. Some walls crumbled under repeated bombardment, but were repaired overnight. Despite their successes, Dorgon occupied Ganghwa Island on 27 January, and captured

535-421: A highly respected leader of a group loyal to Goryeo dynasty, and dethroned King Gongyang, exiling him to Wonju , and he ascended the throne himself. The Goryeo kingdom had come to an end after 474 years of rule. In the beginning of his reign, Yi Sŏng-gye, now ruler of Korea, intended to continue to use the name Goryeo for the country he ruled and simply change the royal line of descent to his own, thus maintaining

642-413: A kingdom led by ministers appointed by the king while Yi Bang-won wanted to establish an absolute monarchy ruled directly by the king. With Taejo's support, Jeong Do-jeon kept limiting the royal family's power by prohibiting political involvement of princes and attempting to abolish their private armies. Both sides were well aware of each other's great animosity and were getting ready to strike first. After

749-450: A large number of people. Hong Taiji's main division, 70,000 strong, laid siege to the fortress. Provincial forces from around the country began moving in to relieve King Injo and his small retinue of defenders. Joseon forces under Hong Myeong-gu and Yu Lim , 5,000 strong, engaged 6,000 Manchus on 28 January. The Manchu cavalry attempted frontal assaults several times but was turned back by heavy musket fire. Eventually they circumnavigated

856-599: A more important event than the Japanese invasions of Korea from 1592 to 1598, which, while devastating, had not ended in complete defeat for Joseon. The defeat at the hands of the "barbarian" Manchus, the humiliation of the Joseon kings and Yi family , as well as the destruction of the Ming dynasty, had a deeper psychological impact on contemporary Korean society than the Japanese invasions. The Japanese invasions had not created

963-518: A mountain and ambushed Hong's troops from the rear, defeating them. Protected by the mountainous terrain, Yu's forces fared better and successfully decimated the Manchu forces after defeating their attacks several times throughout the day. The Joseon troops within the fortress, which consisted of both capital and prefectural armies, also successfully defended the fortress against Manchu assaults, forcing their actions to be relegated to small-scale clashes for

1070-410: A nearly 200-year period of peace. Joseon witnessed the emergence of Silhak (Practical Learning). The early group of Silhak scholars advocated comprehensive reform of civil service examination, taxation, natural sciences and the improvement in agromanagerial and agricultural techniques. It aimed to rebuild Joseon society after it had been devastated by the two invasions. Under the leadership of Kim Yuk ,

1177-661: A power in the court, placing her family in high court positions. Japan, after the Meiji Restoration , acquired Western military technology, and forced Joseon to sign the Treaty of Ganghwa in 1876, opening three ports to trade and granting the Japanese extraterritoriality. Port Hamilton was briefly occupied by the Royal Navy in 1885. Qing invasion of Joseon The Qing invasion of Joseon ( Korean :  병자호란 ; Hanja :  丙子胡亂 ) occurred in

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1284-526: A quick campaign that was assisted by northern yangban who had supported Gwanghaegun, the Jurchens imposed a treaty that forced Joseon to accept "brotherly relations" with the Jurchen kingdom. Because Injo persisted in his anti-Manchu policies, Qing emperor Hong Taiji sent a punitive expedition of 120,000 men to Joseon in 1636. Defeated, King Injo was forced to end his relations with the Ming and recognize

1391-629: A raid against Ming first. At one point the Qing forces under Ajige got as close to Beijing as the Marco Polo Bridge . Although they were ultimately repelled, the raid made it clear that Ming defenses were no longer fully capable of securing their borders. After this successful operation, Hong Taiji turned towards Joseon and launched an attack in December 1636. Prior to the invasion, Hong Taiji sent Abatai , Jirgalang , and Ajige to secure

1498-419: A result were not welcomed by their families even if they were released by the Qing after being ransomed. Divorce demands rose, causing social unrest, but the government rejected the divorce requests and said the repatriated women should not be regarded as having been disgraced. In 1648 Joseon was forced to provide several royal princesses as concubines to the Qing regent Prince Dorgon . In 1650 Dorgon married

1605-540: A small and medium-sized power at the time, were able to use this incident as an opportunity to lay a political foundation, and in particular, Jeong Do-jeon , a friend of Yi Sŏng-gye, wanted to use this incident as an opportunity to reform the corrupt nobles and the Buddhist community. He later killed King U and his son after a failed restoration and forcibly placed a royal named Wang Yo on the throne (he became King Gongyang of Goryeo ). In 1392, Yi eliminated Chŏng Mong-ju ,

1712-593: A three pronged attack on Joseon. Chinese support was particularly evident in the army's artillery and naval contingents. Im Gyeong-eop with 3,000 men at the Baengma Fortress in Uiju successfully held off attacks by the 30,000 strong western division led by Dodo . Dodo decided not to take the fortress and passed it instead. Similarly elsewhere Manchu forces of the main division under Hong Taiji bypassed northern Joseon fortresses as well. Dorgon and Hooge led

1819-558: A vanguard Mongol force straight to Hanseong to prevent King Injo from evacuating to Ganghwa Island like in the previous war. On 14 December, Hanseong's garrisons were defeated and the city was taken. Fifteen thousand troops were mobilized from the south to relieve the city, but they were defeated by Dorgon's army. King Injo, along with 13,800 soldiers, took refuge at the Namhan Mountain Fortress (Namhansanseong) which did not have enough provisions stockpiled for such

1926-503: Is a ' Byeongja ' year in the sexagenary cycle and ' Horan ' means a disturbance caused by northern or western foreigners, from 胡 ( ho ; northern or western, often nomadic barbarians ) + 亂 ( ran ; chaos, disorder, disturbance, turmoil, unrest, uprising, revolt, rebellion). The Kingdom of Joseon continued to show ambivalence toward the Qing dynasty after the invasion in 1627 . Later Jin accused Joseon of harboring fugitives and supplying

2033-514: Is still a dispute about the nature and purpose of his group, which reflected the desire for a classless society and spread throughout Honam . He was subsequently accused of conspiracy to start a rebellion. Jeong Cheol , head of the Western faction, was in charge of investigating the case and used this event to affect the widespread purge of Easterners who had the slightest connection to Jeong Yeo-rip. Eventually 1000 Easterners were killed or exiled in

2140-432: The daimyō of Tsushima, Sadamori, capitulated to the Joseon court. In 1443, The Treaty of Gyehae was signed in which the daimyō of Tsushima was granted rights to conduct trade with Korea using fifty ships per year in exchange for sending tribute to Korea and aiding to stop any Waegu coastal pirate raids on Korean ports. On the northern border, Sejong established four forts and six posts to safeguard his people from

2247-488: The Bukhak theory , which argued that Joseon should adopt Qing and Western culture through the Qing dynasty. Joseon scholars became intrigued by the sophisticated architectural technology of China, encompassing construction techniques, wagon utilization, and the ondol heating system. Particularly fascinated by brick, the proponents of Bukhak endeavored to popularize its usage across Joseon, and eventually succeeded. Bak Jiwon

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2354-637: The Dopyeong Assembly , a council of the old government administration that held a monopoly in court power during the waning years of Goryeo , in favor of the State Council of Joseon , a new branch of central administration that revolved around the king and his edicts. After passing the subject documentation and taxation legislation, he issued a new decree in which all decisions passed by the State Council could only come into effect with

2461-662: The Jurchens , who later became the Manchus , living in Manchuria. In 1433, Sejong sent Kim Jong-seo , a government official, north to fend off the Jurchens. Kim's military campaign captured several castles, pushed north, and expanded Korean territory, roughly the current border between North Korea and China. During the rule of Sejong, Korea saw advances in natural science , agriculture , literature , traditional Chinese medicine , and engineering . Because of such success, Sejong

2568-452: The Manchu script . Shin's adapted textbooks, completed in 1639, were used for the yeokgwa (special examinations for foreign languages) until 1684. The Manchu examination replaced the Jurchen examination, and the examination's official title was not changed from "Jurchen" to "Manchu" until 1667. For much of Joseon's historical discourse following the invasion, the Qing invasion was seen as

2675-639: The Ming army with grain. In addition, Joseon did not recognize Hong Taiji 's newly declared dynasty. The Manchu delegates Inggūldai and Mafuta received a cold reception in Hanseong , and King Injo refused to meet with them or even send a letter, which shocked the delegates. A warlike message to Pyongan Province was also carelessly allowed to be seized by Inggūldai. The beile (Qing princes) were furious with Joseon's response to Qing overtures and proposed an immediate invasion, but Hong Taiji chose to conduct

2782-463: The Tangpyeongchaek – a policy of maintaining balance and equality between the factions. The two kings led a second renaissance of the Joseon kingdom. Yeongjo's grandson, the enlightened King Jeongjo enacted various reforms throughout his reign, notably establishing Kyujanggak , a royal library to improve the cultural and political position of Joseon and to recruit gifted officers to run

2889-615: The deposed Queen Yun , who was forced to drink poison after poisoning one of Seongjong's concubines out of jealousy and leaving a scratch mark on Seongjong's face. When he was shown a piece of clothing that was allegedly stained with his mother's blood vomited after drinking poison, he beat two of Seongjong's concubines, who had accused Queen Yun to death, and pushed his grandmother, Grand Queen Dowager Insu , who died afterward. He executed government officials who supported Queen Yun's death along with their families. He also executed sarim scholars for writing phrases critical of Sejo's usurpation of

2996-955: The Dangjin Office of Education. There are some institution of higher education in the city is Shinsung College ( 신성대학교 ), Hoseo University ( 호서대학교 ). Dangjin is home to a number of factories, including steel mills operated by Hyundai Hysco and Hyundai INI Steel . These factories are supplied in part by ships docking at Dangjin Harbor, a cargo port with 5 piers, two of which are dedicated to steel coil shipping. 36°53′35″N 126°37′41″E  /  36.89306°N 126.62806°E  / 36.89306; 126.62806 Joseon Joseon ( English: / ˈ tʃ oʊ s ʌ n / CHOH -sun ; Korean :  조선 ; Hanja :  朝鮮 ; MR :  Chosŏn ; [tɕo.sʰʌn] ), officially Great Joseon State ( 대조선국 ; 大朝鮮國 ; [tɛ.dʑo.sʰʌn.ɡuk̚] ),

3103-611: The Japanese together with the Koreans. During the war, Koreans developed powerful firearms and the turtle ships . The Joseon and Ming forces defeated the Japanese at a deep price. Following the war, relations between Korea and Japan were completely suspended until 1609. After the Japanese invasions, the Korean Peninsula was devastated. Meanwhile, Nurhaci (r. 1583–1626), the chieftain of the Jianzhou Jurchens ,

3210-467: The Joseon Dynasty , it was said that no official dared to receive a bribe or exploit the populace during this time because as Inspector General, he applied the law strictly. These radical reforms were very popular with the populace but were fiercely opposed by the conservative officials who had helped to put Jungjong on the throne. They plotted to cause Jungjong to doubt Jo's loyalty. Jo Gwang-jo

3317-581: The Joseon Princess Uisun (義順公主), the daughter of Prince Geumnim, who had to be adopted by King Hyojong beforehand. Dorgon married another Joseon princess at Lianshan . Koreans continued to harbor a defiant attitude towards the Qing dynasty in private while they officially yielded obedience and sentiments of Manchu "barbarity" continued to pervade Korean discourse. Joseon scholars secretly used Ming era names even after that dynasty's collapse and some people thought that Joseon should have been

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3424-456: The Joseon faced difficult external and internal problems. Internally, the foundation of national law and order weakened as a result of "Sedo Politics" (in-law government) by royal in-laws. The young Sunjo succeeded his father, King Jeongjo, in 1800. With Jeongjo's death the Noron seized power with the regency of Queen Dowager Jeongsun , whose family had strong ties to the faction, and initiated

3531-518: The Joseon period to prevent foreign invasion. Mianchuan Eupseong is a city with four gates in the east, west, south, and north. It was rebuilt in the 13th year of King Taejong of the Joseon Dynasty , and it was rebuilt during the reign of King Gyeongjong . As of March 2005, in Dangjin there were 33 elementary schools, 12 middle schools, and 38 preschools, serving 14,293 students. In addition, there were 8 high schools. All of these organs are overseen by

3638-542: The Joseon period. By the late 14th century, the nearly 500-year-old Goryeo established in 918 was tottering, its foundations collapsing from years of war spilled over from the disintegrating Yuan dynasty . Following the emergence of the Ming dynasty , the royal court in Goryeo split into two conflicting factions, one favouring neutrality and the other wanting to retake the Liaodong peninsula , which many in Goryeo believed

3745-570: The Joseon throne, though the plan died with his death on the eve of the expedition. From 1639 until 1894, the Joseon court trained a corps of professional Korean-Manchu translators. They replaced earlier interpreters of Jurchen , who had been trained using textbooks in the Jurchen script . Joseon's first textbooks of Manchu were drawn up by Shin Gye-am , who had previously been an interpreter of Jurchen, and he transliterated old Jurchen textbooks into

3852-529: The Korean peninsula and saw the height of classical Korean culture, trade, literature, and science and technology. In the 1590s, the kingdom was severely weakened due to the two failed Japanese invasions of 1592 and 1598. Several decades later, Joseon was invaded by the Later Jin dynasty and the Qing dynasty in 1627 and 1636–1637 respectively, leading to an increasingly harsh isolationist policy, for which

3959-418: The Ming court was also requesting assistance. Gwanghaegun tried to maintain neutrality, but most of his officials opposed him for not supporting Ming China, which had saved Joseon during Hideyoshi's invasions. In 1623, Gwanghaegun was deposed and replaced by Injo of Joseon (r. 1623–1649), who banished Gwanghaegun's supporters. Reverting his predecessor's foreign policy, the new king decided to openly support

4066-459: The Ming defectors gave Later Jin leaders confidence that they could easily strike Joseon leadership even if they evacuated to a nearby island such as Ganghwa . This provided Later Jin with military background in maintaining a strong position against Joseon. First, a Ming envoy, Lu Weining , visited Joseon in June 1634 to preside over the installation ceremony of the crown prince of Joseon. However,

4173-605: The Ming dynasty as the center of the civilized world. Joseon intellectuals, who had political and cultural allegiances to the Ming dynasty, were forced to reexamine their state identity when the Qing overthrew the Ming, leading to an influx of Ming refugees into Joseon. As a result, Joseon created the Little China ideology , known as sojunghwa. According to Youngmin Kim, " it held that the Joseon embodied Chineseness authentically while other neighboring countries failed to do so in

4280-528: The Ming, King Injo now attempted to relocate the memorial tablet of his late father into the Jongmyo Shrine . As Prince Jeongwon had never ruled as the king, this attempt was met with severe opposition from government officials, which lasted until early 1635. Adding to this, the mausoleum of King Seonjo was accidentally damaged in March 1635 and the political debate about its responsibility continued for

4387-416: The Ming, but a rebellion led by military commander Yi Gwal erupted in 1624 and wrecked Joseon's military defenses in the north. Even after the rebellion had been suppressed, King Injo had to devote military forces to ensure the stability of the capital, leaving fewer soldiers to defend the northern borders. In 1627, a Jurchen army of 30,000 led by Nurhaci's nephew Amin overran Joseon's defenses. After

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4494-521: The Qing Empire, as well as cut ties with the declining Ming. The crown prince of Joseon along with his younger brother were taken as hostages, but they came back to Joseon after a few years. One of the two later became the King Hyojong . He is best known for his plan for an expedition to the Qing Empire. In Korean, the Qing invasion (1636–1637) is called ' Byeongja Horan ' ( 병자호란 ), where 1636

4601-479: The Qing as suzerain instead. Injo's successor Hyojong of Joseon (r. 1649–1659) tried to form an army to keep his enemies away and conquer the Qing for revenge, but could never act on his designs. Despite reestablishing economic relations by officially entering the imperial Chinese tributary system , Joseon leaders and intellectuals remained resentful of the Manchus, whom they regarded as barbarians, and regarded

4708-595: The Yuan dynasty weakened. The act caused an uproar among the Goryeo court, and General Ch'oe Yŏng seized the chance to argue for an invasion of the Ming-controlled Liaodong Peninsula . General Yi Sŏng-gye was chosen to lead the attack; he revolted, swept back to the capital Gaegyeong (now Kaesong ) and initiated a coup d'état , overthrowing King U of Goryeo in favor of his son, Chang of Goryeo (1388). Neo-Confucian scholars, who were

4815-479: The aftermath. Throughout Korean history, there was frequent piracy on sea and brigandage on land. The only purpose for the Joseon navy was to secure the maritime trade against the Waegu . The navy repelled pirates using an advanced form of gunpowder technologies including cannons and fire arrows in form of singijeon deployed by hwacha . During the Japanese invasions in the 1590s , Toyotomi Hideyoshi , plotting

4922-521: The approval of the king. This ended the custom of court ministers and advisors making decisions through debate and negotiations amongst themselves, and thus brought the royal power to new heights. Shortly thereafter, Taejong installed an office, known as the Sinmun Office , to hear cases in which aggrieved subjects felt that they had been exploited or treated unjustly by government officials or aristocrats . He kept Jeong Do-jeon's reforms intact for

5029-537: The aristocracy to maintain private armies. His revocation of such rights to field independent forces effectively severed their ability to muster large-scale revolts, and drastically increased the number of men employed in the national military. Taejong's next act as king was to revise the existing legislation concerning the taxation of land ownership and the recording of state of subjects. With the discovery of previously hidden land, national income increased twofold. In 1399, Taejong had played an influential role in scrapping

5136-473: The burdens of the people and solidify the basis of the nation's economy, he reformed the tax system. In 1871, U.S. and Korean forces clashed in a U.S. attempt at "gunboat diplomacy" following on the General Sherman incident of 1866. In 1873, King Gojong announced his assumption of royal rule. With the subsequent retirement of Heungseon Daewongun, Queen Min (later called Empress Myeongseong ) became

5243-535: The chief minister of King Hyeonjong , the implementation of reforms proved highly advantageous both to state revenues and to the lot of the peasants. The co-existence system between Southerners and Westerners which were established after the Injo coup started to fall. After the Yesong debate, factional conflict grew particularly intense under the reigns of the kings Sukjong and Gyeongjong , with major rapid reversals of

5350-430: The coastal approaches to Korea , so that Ming could not send reinforcements. The defector Ming mutineer Kong Youde , ennobled as the Qing dynasty's Prince Gongshun, joined the attacks at Ganghwa Island and Ka Island . The defectors Geng Zhongming and Shang Kexi also played prominent roles in the Korean invasion. After the 1627 invasion, Joseon maintained a nominal but reluctant friendship with Later Jin. However,

5457-522: The conquest of Ming China with Portuguese guns, invaded Korea with his daimyōs and their troops, intending to use Korea as a stepping stone. Factional division in the Joseon court, inability to assess Japanese military capability, and failed attempts at diplomacy led to poor preparation on Joseon's part. The use of superior firearms by the Japanese left most of the southern part of the Korean Peninsula occupied within months, with both Hanseong (present-day Seoul ) and Pyongyang captured. The invasion

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5564-490: The country became known as the " hermit kingdom " in Western literature . After the end of these invasions from Manchuria , Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace and prosperity, along with cultural and technological development. What power the kingdom recovered during its isolation waned as the 18th century came to a close. Faced with internal strife, power struggles, international pressure, and rebellions at home,

5671-570: The country, and by large-scale invasions by Japan and Manchu which nearly toppled the kingdom. The Sarim faction had suffered a series of political defeats during the reigns of Yeonsangun, Jungjong, and Myeongjong , but it gained control of the government during the reign of King Seonjo . It soon split into opposing factions known as the Easterners and the Westerners by their political or philosophical masters. Easterners mainly followed

5778-500: The crown, and psychologically exhausted from the death of his second wife, King Taejo abdicated and immediately crowned his second son Yi Bang-gwa as King Jeongjong . One of King Jeongjong's first acts as monarch was to revert the capital to Gaegyeong, where he is believed to have been considerably more comfortable, away from the toxic power strife. Yet Yi Bang-won retained real power and was soon in conflict with his disgruntled older brother, Yi Bang-gan, who also yearned for power. In 1400,

5885-539: The deteriorating relations between the two nations. Now, preparation for war was all that remained for Joseon. Contrary to those who supported a war, officials who suggested viable plans and strategies were not taken seriously. Instead, King Injo, afraid of head-on clash with the mighty Qing army, listened to the advice of Choe Myeong-gil and Huang Sunwu , a Ming military advisor, and decided to dispatch peace seeking messengers to Shenyang in September 1636. Although

5992-402: The envoy requested an excessive bribe in return for the ceremony. In addition, quite a few Ming merchants who accompanied the envoy sought to make a huge fortune by forcing unfair trades upon their Joseon counterparts. This envoy visit eventually cost Joseon more than 100,000 taels of silver. Having accomplished the installations of both his father Prince Jeongwon and his son with help from

6099-538: The envoys was to boast the recent expansion of the Later Jin sphere of influence and examine the opinion of Joseon about the upcoming ascension of Hong Taiji as the "Emperor". The envoys informed King Injo about their ever-growing strength and requested celebration of Hong Taiji's ascension from Joseon. This greatly shocked Joseon, as the Ming Emperor was the only legitimate emperor from their perspective. It

6206-520: The face of the barbarian domination of the center of the civilized world." A set of standardized rites and unifying symbols were developed in Late Joseon Korea to maintain that sense of cultural identity. Long after submitting to the Qing, the Joseon court and many Korean intellectuals kept using Ming reign periods , as when a scholar marked 1861 as "the 234th year of Chongzhen ". After invasions from Japan and Manchuria, Joseon experienced

6313-533: The façade of continuing the 500-year-old Goryeo tradition. After numerous threats of mutiny from the drastically weakened but still influential Gwonmun nobles, who continued to swear allegiance to the remnants of the Goryeo and to the now-demoted Wang clan , the consensus in the reformed court was that a new dynastic title was needed to signify the change. In naming the new kingdom, Taejo contemplated two possibilities – "Hwaryeong" (his place of birth) and "Joseon". After much internal deliberation, as well as endorsement by

6420-587: The first form of constitutional law in a written form in Korea. Sejo undermined much of the foundation of many existing systems, including the Jiphyeonjeon which his predecessors, Sejong and Munjong, had carefully laid down. He cut down on everything he deemed unworthy and caused countless complications in the long run. Many of these adjustments were done for his own power, not regarding the consequences and problems that would occur. The favoritism he showed toward

6527-428: The intention of invading Joseon unless Joseon showed willingness to alter its policy by providing one of Joseon's princes as hostage. After confirming the message, hardliners against Qing gained voice in Joseon. They even requested execution of the envoys for failing to immediately destroy the message in front of Hong Taiji himself. In June 1636, Joseon eventually transmitted their message to Qing, which blamed Qing for

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6634-412: The kingdom declined rapidly in the late 19th century. The Joseon period has left a substantial legacy to modern Korea; much of modern Korean culture , etiquette, norms, and societal attitudes toward current issues, along with the modern Korean language and its dialects , derive from the culture and traditions of Joseon. Modern Korean bureaucracy and administrative divisions were also established during

6741-484: The legitimate successor of the Ming dynasty and Chinese civilization instead of the "barbaric" Manchu's Qing. Despite the peace treaty forbidding construction of fortresses, fortresses were erected around Hanseong and in the northern region. The future Hyojong of Joseon lived as a hostage for seven years in Mukden (Shenyang) . He planned an invasion of Qing called Bukbeol (북벌, 北伐, Northern expedition) during his ten years on

6848-530: The messengers gathered some intelligence about the situation in Shenyang, they were denied a meeting with Hong Taiji. This further enraged hardliners in Joseon and led to the dismissal of Choe Myeong-gil from office. Although King Injo dispatched another team of messengers to Shenyang in early December, this was after the execution of the Qing plan to invade Joseon on November 25. On 9 December 1636, Hong Taiji led Manchu , Mongol , and Han Chinese Banners in

6955-484: The ministers who aided him in taking the throne led to increased corruption in the higher echelon of the political field. Sejo's weak son Yejong succeeded him as the eighth king, but died two years later in 1469. Yejong's nephew Seongjong ascended the throne. His reign was marked by the prosperity and growth of the national economy and the rise of neo-Confucian scholars called sarim who were encouraged by Seongjong to enter court politics. He established Hongmungwan ,

7062-422: The most part. In addition, Taejong executed or exiled many of his supporters who had helped him ascend the throne to strengthen his own royal authority. To limit the influence of in-laws, he killed all four of his wife 's brothers and Shim On , the father-in-law of his son Sejong . Taejong remains a controversial figure who killed many of his rivals and relatives to gain power and yet ruled effectively to improve

7169-414: The most to assisting his father's rise to power, Chief State Councillor Jeong Do-jeon and Nam Eun used their influence on the king to name Yi Bang-seok, his eighth son (second son of Queen Sindeok ), as crown prince in 1392. This conflict arose largely because Jeong Do-jeon, who shaped and laid down ideological, institutional, and legal foundations of the new kingdom more than anyone else, saw Joseon as

7276-600: The mouth of the Yalu River . Ming officer Shen Shikui was well ensconced in Ka Island 's fortifications and hammered his attackers with heavy cannon for over a month. In the end, Ming and Joseon defectors including Kong Youde landed 70 boats on the eastern side of the island and drew out his garrison in that direction. On the next morning, however, he found that the Qing—"who seem to have flown"—had landed to his rear in

7383-415: The mutiny. An official letter of installation of King Injo 's late father ( Prince Jeongwon ) from the Ming government resulted in Joseon siding with Ming and supplying their soldiers only. This gave Later Jin the impression that Joseon would side with Ming when in decisive engagements and suppressing Joseon became a prerequisite for a future successful campaign against Ming. In addition, the naval strength of

7490-452: The nation. King Jeongjo also spearheaded bold social initiatives, opening government positions to those who would previously have been barred because of their social status. King Jeongjo had the support of the many Silhak scholars. King Jeongjo's reign also saw the further growth and development of Joseon's popular culture. At that time, the group of Silhak scholars encouraged the individual to reflect on state traditions and lifestyle, initiating

7597-417: The natural boundaries at the rivers of Amnok and Tuman through the subjugation of the Jurchens . During its 500-year duration, Joseon encouraged the entrenchment of Confucian ideals and doctrines in Korean society. Neo-Confucianism was installed as the new state's ideology. Buddhism was accordingly discouraged, and occasionally Buddhists faced persecutions. Joseon consolidated its effective rule over

7704-429: The neighboring Ming dynasty's emperor, Taejo declared the name of the kingdom to be Joseon, a tribute to the ancient Korean state of Gojoseon . He also moved the capital to Hanseong (modern Seoul ) from Gaegyeong (modern Kaesong). When the new dynasty was brought into existence, Taejo brought up the issue of which son would be his successor. Although Yi Bang-won , Taejo's fifth son by Queen Sinui , had contributed

7811-405: The next few months. These political gridlocks prohibited Joseon from taking sufficient measures to prepare for a possible invasion from Later Jin. In February 1636, Later Jin envoys led by Inggūldai visited Joseon to participate in the funeral of Joseon's late queen. However, as the envoys included 77 high-ranking officials from the recently conquered Mongolian tribes, the real purpose of

7918-412: The northwest corner of the island in the middle of the night. Shen refused to surrender, but was overrun and beheaded by Ajige . Official reports put the casualties as at least 10,000 , with few survivors. The Ming general Yang Sichang then withdrew the remaining Ming forces in Korea to Denglai in northern Shandong . Many Korean women were kidnapped and raped at the hands of the Qing forces, and as

8025-476: The people, sought to reduce the gap between the rich and poor with a land reform that would distribute land to farmers more equally and limit the amount of land and number of slaves that one could own, promulgated Confucian writings with vernacular translations widely among the populace, and sought to trim the size of government by reducing the number of bureaucrats. According to the Veritable Records of

8132-444: The political scene, and intervening in the succession of the throne. These kings had no monarchic authority and could not rule over the government. The other aristocratic families, overwhelmed by the power exercised by the royal in-laws, could not speak out. As the power was concentrated in the hands of the royal in-law lineage, there was disorder in the governing process, and corruption became rampant. Large sums were offered in bribes to

8239-598: The populace's lives, strengthen national defense, and lay down a solid foundation for his successor Sejong's rule. In August 1418, following Taejong's abdication two months earlier, Sejong the Great ascended the throne. In May 1419, King Sejong, under the advice and guidance of his father Taejong, embarked upon the Gihae Eastern Expedition to remove the nuisance of waegu (coastal pirates) who had been operating out of Tsushima Island . In September 1419,

8346-430: The powerful lineages to obtain positions with nominally high rank. Even the low-ranking posts were bought and sold. This period, which spanned 60 years, saw the manifestation of both severe poverty among the Korean population and ceaseless rebellions in various parts of the country. Externally, Joseon became increasingly isolationist . Its rulers sought to limit contact with foreign countries. In 1863, King Gojong took

8453-437: The royal library and advisory council composed of Confucian scholars, with whom he discussed philosophy and government policies. He ushered in a cultural golden age that rivaled Sejong's reign by publishing numerous books on geography, ethics, and various other fields. He also sent several military campaigns against the Jurchens on the northern border in 1491, like many of his predecessors. The campaign, led by General Heo Jong ,

8560-457: The ruling faction, known as hwanguk (換局; literally change in the state of affairs ), being commonplace. During the early reign of Sukjong , the southerners managed to become a ruling faction and made westerners lose power. But the southerners' rise to power was temporary. Sukjong , who believed that political faction would weaken the king's power started rapid reversals of the ruling faction, which resulted in bloody killings between factions. After

8667-553: The seat of royal authority. From 1862 to 1864, an insurgency movement driven by Donghak followers and religious leader Choe Je-u gathered a peasant army to take over southern parts of Korea until Choe was executed in 1864. During his reign, the power and authority of the in-law families such as the Andong Kims sharply declined. To get rid of the Andong Kim and Pungyang Jo clans, he promoted persons without making references to political party or family affiliations, and to reduce

8774-626: The second son and consorts of King Injo. King Injo surrendered the day after. The surrendering delegation was received at the Han River , where King Injo turned over his Ming seals of investiture and three pro-war officers to Qing, as well as agreeing to the following terms of peace, which required Joseon to: Hong Taiji set up a platform in Samjeondo in the upper reach of the Han River. Injo of Joseon kneeled thrice and bowed nine times, as

8881-661: The series of events involving three countries ( Joseon , Later Jin , and Ming ) caused the deterioration of the relationship between Later Jin and Joseon. Having previously defected to the Later Jin by the end of the Wuqiao mutiny , Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming assisted the Qing with sizable forces numbering 14,000 soldiers and 185 warships under their command. Appreciating the usefulness of their navy in future war effort, Later Jin offered highly favorable terms of service to Kong and Geng and their forces. Joseon received conflicting requests for aid from both Later Jin and Ming during

8988-418: The studies of Korea that addressed its history, geography, epigraphy and language. During the late Joseon period of the 18th and 19th centuries, Joseon started to change its perceptions of the Qing dynasty. The shift in perceptions commenced through the introduction of Qing dynasty culture to Joseon society by Yeonhaengsa, Korean envoys to the Qing dynasty. Progressive-thinking Joseon intellectuals advocated

9095-409: The sudden death of Queen Sindeok, while King Taejo was still in mourning for his second wife, Yi Bang-won struck first by raiding the palace and killed Jeong Do-jeon and his supporters as well as Queen Sindeok's two sons (his half-brothers) including the crown prince in 1398. This incident became known as the "First Strife of Princes". Aghast at the fact that his sons were willing to kill each other for

9202-765: The teachings and philosophy of Yi Hwang and Jo Sik while the Westerners followed the philosophy of Yi I and Song Hon. Within decades the Easterners themselves divided into the Southerners and the Northerners ; in the seventeenth century the Westerners also permanently split into the Noron and the Soron . Factions in the Joseon dynasty were formed based on their different interpretations of Confucian philosophy, which mainly differed according to who their master

9309-429: The tensions between Yi Bang-won's faction and Yi Bang-gan's camp escalated into an all-out conflict that came to be known as the "Second Strife of Princes". In the aftermath of the struggle, the defeated Yi Bang-gan was exiled to Dosan while his supporters were executed. Thoroughly intimidated, King Jeongjong immediately invested Yi Bang-won as heir presumptive and voluntarily abdicated. That same year, Yi Bang-won assumed

9416-510: The three bloody hwanguk, the Southerners lost their influence in the central government, and the ruling Westerners were divided into hard-line Noron who rejected the Southerners and moderate Soron who were friendly to the Southerners. This shift resulted in political radicalism which viewed other factions as the ones that should be eliminated. In response, the next kings, Yeongjo (r. 1724–1776) and Jeongjo (r. 1776–1800), generally pursued

9523-411: The throne of Joseon as King Taejong , third king of the dynasty. In the beginning of Taejong's reign, the former King Taejo refused to relinquish the royal seal that signified the legitimacy of any king's rule. Regardless, Taejong initiated policies he believed would prove his qualification to rule. One of his first acts as king was to abolish the privilege enjoyed by the upper echelons of government and

9630-507: The throne, Sejo executed the six ministers and also killed Danjong in his place of exile. King Sejo enabled the government to determine exact population numbers and to mobilize troops effectively. He also revised the land ordinance to improve the national economy and encouraged the publication of books. Most importantly, he compiled the Grand Code for State Administration , which became the cornerstone of dynastic administration and provided

9737-544: The throne. Yeonsangun also seized a thousand women from the provinces to serve as palace entertainers and appropriated the Sungkyunkwan as a personal pleasure ground. He abolished the Office of Censors, whose function was to criticize inappropriate actions and policies of the king, and Hongmungwan. He banned the use of hangul when the common people used it on posters to criticize the king. After twelve years of misrule, he

9844-528: The throne. His father, Heungseon Daewongun , ruled for him until Gojong reached adulthood. During the mid-1860s the Regent was the main proponent of isolationism and the instrument of the persecution of native and foreign Catholics, a policy that led directly to the French Campaign against Korea in 1866. The early years of his rule also witnessed a large effort to restore the dilapidated Gyeongbokgung ,

9951-515: The winter of 1636 when the newly established Qing dynasty invaded the Joseon dynasty , establishing the former's status as the hegemon in the Imperial Chinese Tributary System and formally severing Joseon's relationship with the Ming dynasty . The invasion was preceded by the Later Jin invasion of Joseon in 1627. The invasion resulted in a Qing victory. Joseon was forced to establish a tributary relationship with

10058-414: Was theirs . Goryeo remained a neutral third-party observer in the conflict between the Yuan and the Ming and had friendly diplomatic relations with both. In 1388, a Ming messenger came to Goryeo to demand that territories of the former Ssangseong Prefectures be handed over to Ming China. The tract of land was taken by Mongol forces during the invasion of Korea , but had been reclaimed by Goryeo in 1356 as

10165-585: Was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom was founded following the aftermath of the overthrow of Goryeo in what is today the city of Kaesong . Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul . The kingdom's northernmost borders were expanded to

10272-543: Was among the first to construct brick Chinese-style buildings in Anui, Gyeongsang Province, and Gyedong, Seoul, towards the end of the 18th century. Following the establishment of the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress , which was influenced by Qing construction technology and techniques, Qing-style architectural style and techniques started to become more widespread in Joseon society. After the death of King Jeongjo,

10379-451: Was and what they believed in. The alternations in power among these factions were often accompanied by charges of treason and bloody purges, initiating a cycle of revenge with each change of regime. One example is the 1589 rebellion of Jeong Yeo-rip , one of the bloodiest political purges of Joseon. Jeong Yeo-rip, an Easterner, had formed a society with a group of supporters that also received military training to fight against Waegu . There

10486-555: Was customary with the other subjects of the Qing court. Then he was called to eat with the others, sitting the closest to the left of Hong Taiji, higher than even the Hošo-i Cin Wang . A monument in honor of the so-called excellent virtues of the Manchu Emperor was erected at Samjeondo, where the ceremony of submission had been conducted. In accordance with the terms of surrender, Joseon sent troops to attack Ka Island at

10593-460: Was executed, and most of his reform measures died with him in the resulting third literati purge . For nearly 50 years afterward, the court politics were marred by bloody and chaotic struggles between factions backing rival consorts and princes. In-laws of the royal family wielded great power and contributed to much corruption in that era. The middle Joseon period was marked by intense and bloody power struggles between political factions that weakened

10700-436: Was finally deposed in a coup which placed his half-brother Jungjong on the throne in 1506. Jungjong was a fundamentally weak king because of the circumstances that placed him on the throne, but his reign also saw a period of significant reforms led by his minister Jo Gwang-jo , the charismatic leader of sarim. He established a local self-government system called hyangyak to strengthen local autonomy and communal spirit among

10807-466: Was followed by extremely hostile opinions growing towards Later Jin in both government and non-government sectors. Envoys themselves had to go through life-threatening experiences as Sungkyunkwan students called for their execution and fully armed soldiers loitered around the places in the itinerary of the envoys. Finally, the envoys were forced to evacuate from Joseon and return to Later Jin territory. The diplomatic relationship between Later Jin and Joseon

10914-457: Was given the title "Sejong the Great". The most remembered contribution of King Sejong is the creation of Hangul , the Korean alphabet, in 1443. Rejected in its time by the scholarly elite, the everyday use of Hanja in writing was eventually surpassed by Hangul in the latter half of the 20th century. After King Sejong's death, his son Munjong continued his father's legacy but soon died of illness in 1452, just two years after his coronation. He

11021-429: Was slowed when Admiral Yi Sun-shin destroyed the Japanese invasion fleet. The guerrilla resistance that eventually formed also helped. Local resistance slowed down the Japanese advance and decisive naval victories by Admiral Yi left control over sea routes in Korean hands, severely hampering Japanese supply lines. Furthermore, Ming China intervened on the side of the Koreans, sending a large force in 1593 which pushed back

11128-492: Was succeeded by his twelve-year-old son, Danjong . In addition to two regents, Princess Gyeonghye also served as Danjong's guardian and, along with the general Kim Jong-seo, attempted to strengthen royal authority. Danjong's uncle, Grand Prince Suyang , gained control of the government and eventually deposed his nephew to become the seventh king of Joseon himself in 1455, taking the name Sejo. After six ministers loyal to Danjong attempted to assassinate Sejo to return Danjong to

11235-471: Was successful, and the defeated Jurchens, led by the Udige clan (兀狄哈), retreated to the north of the Yalu River . King Seongjong was succeeded by his son, Yeonsangun , in 1494. Yeonsangun is often considered the worst tyrant in Joseon's history, whose reign was marked by literati purges between 1498 and 1506. His behavior became erratic after he learned that his biological mother was not Queen Junghyeon but

11342-420: Was unifying the Jurchen tribes of Manchuria into a strong coalition that his son Hong Taiji (r. 1626–1643) would eventually rename the "Manchus". After he declared Seven Grievances against Ming China in 1618, Nurhaci and the Ming engaged in several military conflicts. On such occasions, Nurhaci required help from Gwanghaegun of Joseon (r. 1608–1623), putting the Korean state in a difficult position because

11449-526: Was virtually severed. Hong Taiji became the Emperor in April 1636 and changed the name of his country from Later Jin to Qing. Envoys from Joseon who were at the ceremony refused to bow to the emperor. Although the emperor spared them, the Joseon envoys had to carry his message home. The message included denunciation of the past Joseon activities that were against the interest of Later Jin/Qing and also declared

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