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Seongjeosimni ( Korean :  성저십리 ; Hanja :  城底十里 , or sometimes romanized as Seongjeo Shibri ) was the peripheral area of Joseon 's capital city, Hanseongbu  [ ko ] ( 한성부 ), literally meaning areas 10 Ri (Korean mile) around the Fortress Wall of Seoul . Though this area was outside of the Fortress Wall, clearly it was a suburb area within city limits of the Hanseongbu. While it was mainly a residential area , some of its components took important role in Joseon 's governmental functions, including diplomacy and defense.

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100-671: Seongjeosimni was part of the Joseon 's new capital city Hanseong from the very beginning. While specific demarcations of administrative divisions were changed inside of it, outer boundary of the Seongjeosimni was almost never changed during the entire age of Joseon . Historical records in Joseon , including the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty , describes boundary of the Seongjeosimni as following; north to

200-736: 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

300-421: 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

400-413: 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

500-410: 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 ,

600-691: 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. Jongno District Jongno District ( Korean :  종로구 ; RR :  Jongno-gu )

700-577: 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

800-540: 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 ,

900-683: Is a district ( gu ) in Downtown Seoul , South Korea. It is the historic center of Seoul, and contains the Joseon-era royal palace Gyeongbokgung and the former presidential residence, the Blue House . In Korean, the name ' Jongno ' means Bell Street. Jongno district is named after the road Jongno, which is a major trunk road running through the center of the district. The bell in question refers to Bosingak belfry, which sits at Jonggak intersection, on Jongno road. Jongno has been

1000-615: Is located in the LG Gwanghwamun Building on Sinmunno 2-ga . The head office of Air Seoul is in the Kumho Asiana Main Tower in Sinmunno 1-ga , Jongro Gu. Tourism plays a major role in the district's economy. Several of the most well-known attractions are located in the district, as is Gwanghwamun Plaza which attracts huge numbers of tourists every year given its central location. In addition,

1100-740: Is located in the heart of Seoul, and thus in the heart of the Republic of Korea. The district was the home to the official residence of the President , the Blue House ( Cheongwadae ) until 2022, and two of the three largest plazas in Seoul (the first being Gwanghwamun Plaza , and the other Cheonggye Plaza ), making the district the first constituency to appear in the National Election Commission 's election statistics, and in exit polls for every nationwide election. Because of

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1200-546: Is named as 'district', but its residents are entitled to elect their own mayor and form their own district council, as 25 districts in Seoul——including Jongno——have city-equivalent status. The City of Seoul has province-equivalent status and its mayor is regarded as a cabinet-minister-level position. The mayorship is regarded as a higher position than any other provincial governors, as these positions are regarded as deputy minister level positions. Traditionally,

1300-514: 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

1400-485: 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

1500-609: The Blue House , is also located in the Jongno District. Jongno is also popular with tourists. Tourist attractions include the restored Cheonggyecheon stream, the traditional neighborhood of Insa-dong , the Confucian Jongmyo shrine, and Jogyesa , the chief temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. The district also has a number of museums, including Art Center Nabi and Gahoe Museum . It also has

1600-539: 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

1700-710: The Deoksucheon ( 덕수천 ), south to the Noryang ( 노량 ), east to the Songyewon ( 송계원 ), and west to the Yanghwajin ( 양화진 ). These records show that specific area of Seongjeosimni was not exactly 10 Ri from the Fortress Wall, but around 10 Ri , since there was no modernized technology of cartography to measure distance in straight line. In early period of Joseon , one of the Seongjeosimni's main function

1800-637: 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

1900-662: 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

2000-463: 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

2100-615: 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

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2200-675: The Central Government Complex in Jongno District. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also had its headquarters in Jongno District. The Ministry of Health and Welfare had its headquarters in the Hyundai Building. The offices of those ministries have moved to Sejong City . Before merged into another ministry in 2008, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries was located in Jongro-gu. It

2300-443: The Fortress Wall, an area named by Koreans as 'Namchon' ( 남촌 ; lit.  Southern village), and another area populated by Japanese was Yongsan . Following this geographic status, in 1914, Japanese Government-General changed name of colonial Joseon's capital from 'Hanseong' to ' Keijō ', and reduced its city limit to areas a lot close to the Fortress Wall and Yongsan. Yet since this sudden shrink of Keijō(Seoul)'s city limit

2400-566: The Fortress wall was 17,015. Then in year 1789 when was reign of the King Jeongjo number of former expanded to 21,835 while the latter hit only 22,094. This huge economic and social growth of Seongjeosimni had drawn interest of national government around the late 18th century. So from 1751 to 1788, national government of Joseon realigned administrative divisions of Hanseong, to clarify that local governance of Seongjeosimni belongs strictly to

2500-736: The Hanseong city. During short reign of the Korean Empire , the national government tried to industrialize itself. Some of these efforts were put into Seongjeosimni area especially around Seodaemun , such as improving roads for logistics. However, when the Japanese Empire took colonial power over Korea , Japanese-led government in Joseon's primary concern was protecting interests of Japanese in Korea. Japanese residents in colonial Joseon were mainly concentrated around southside inside of

2600-611: 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 ,

2700-403: 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

2800-456: 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

2900-592: 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

3000-579: 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

3100-460: The Korean presidency; the city government was led by Kim Yeong-jong, a three-term mayor who served from July 2010 to November 2021, and also a Democrat . The Conservative People Power Party made a comeback in the district when Choi Jae-hyung was elected as National Assembly member for Jongno in the by-elections of March 2022. In the subsequent local elections in June, Chung Moon-heon, a member of

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3200-418: 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

3300-605: 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

3400-416: 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

3500-904: The Prince's rebellion but, in 1405 (the fifth year of King Taejong 's reign), the capital changed back to Hanyang. The city grew into a large city with about 200,000 people at King Sejong 's time. As the traditional heart of Seoul, Jongno's central location continues to attract both local and foreign businesses to set up offices there and remains an important business district. Notable companies based in Jongno include Kumho Asiana Group , Kyobo Life , Lotte Group , SK Group , Hyundai Engineering & Construction , Daewoo E&C , Daelim Group , East Asia Daily and many more. The district also features numerous major business centers and office buildings housing businesses as well as diplomatic missions. The headquarters of South Korean skincare retailer The Face Shop

3600-479: 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

3700-412: The Seongjeosimni in late Joseon period was a place called Seogyo ( 서교 ; 西郊 ), corresponding to contemporary Jongno District 's Gyonam-dong , Muak-dong and Seodaemun District 's Cheonyeon-dong and Hyeonjeo-dong . It was primarily designed as place for Joseon's international relations, since Seogyo was essential node along the passage connecting capital city of China and Korea. For example, at

3800-402: The Seongjeosimni. So, although residents in the Seongjeosimni were clearly under jurisdiction of the Hanseong, sometimes, the national government overlooked other authorities governing the adjacent local regions outside of Hanseong city to mobilize the residents in Seongjeosimni. However, as Hanseong city's downtown region inside the Fortress Wall became overly crowded in the late 15th century,

3900-595: 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

4000-534: 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

4100-521: 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

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4200-537: 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

4300-473: 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

4400-415: The capital city, Hanseong. These facilities later encouraged Seogyo region's international and commercial development. 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] ),

4500-520: The capital of Joseon, included Jongno district and Jung district . In October 1394 (the third year of King Taejo's reign), Taejo Lee Seong-gye moved his capital from Gaegyeong to Hanyang. The capital of Goryeo , Gaegyeong, had a strong base of traditional forces against Lee Seong-gye. In addition, the topography divination theory states that the new dynasty was unlucky due to its failure, and that it also moved to Hanyang with regard to water transport of rice and military geographical conditions. Following

4600-482: The center of the city for 600 years, since it is where the Joseon dynasty established its capital city. The district is commonly referred to as the face and heart of Korea because of its important roles in the politics, economics, culture, and history as the capital city. Jongno District is home to palaces in which the kings used to reside and work, such as Gyeongbokgung , Changdeokgung , Changgyeonggung , and Unhyeongung . The South Korean president's former residence,

4700-535: 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

4800-522: 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

4900-490: 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,

5000-570: 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

5100-500: 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,

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5200-464: The district has been regarded as a Conservative stronghold riding in Seoul, since Seoul natives and rich people used to form a majority in terms of resident numbers in towns such as Pyeongchang, Samcheong-dong, Sajik-dong, Jongro 1 and 4. However, as Democrats gradually gained power in the Sudogwon region in the 2010s, and eventually making the region their stronghold, the party also gained power in

5300-504: The district, thanks to the votes of Sungkyunkwan University students in Hyehwa-dong and residents of relatively lower income in towns such as Changsin-dong and Sungin-dong . As of June 2020, the district was regarded as Democratic stronghold, as are many other constituencies in Seoul. The district was represented by Lee Nak-yon , a Democrat , former Prime Minister and leader of his party , who resigned his office to run for

5400-520: 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

5500-533: 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

5600-535: 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

5700-448: The heart of this place, a famous building named Mohwagwan ( 모화관 ; 慕華館 ) and its symbolic gate Yeongeunmun existed. It was mainly a state guest house for welcoming the chinese diplomats, but also was an event hall for various important state ceremonies. Another important facility was Gyeonggigamyeong  [ ko ] ( 경기감영 ), a government agency for local governance of Gyeonggi-do  [ ko ] and defense of

5800-412: 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

5900-487: The main campuses of Sungkyunkwan University and Baewha Women's University . The area is also home to the Gwanghwamun Plaza and Seoul Plaza . It also has the statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin and a statue of King Sejong . Jongno district was historically the center of Joseon & latterly the Korean Empire and retained its prominence in the modern era after the establishment of South Korea. Hanyang ,

6000-484: 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 ,

6100-422: 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

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6200-414: 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

6300-452: 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

6400-489: The national government tried to redevelop the Seongjeosimni as residential area. This new approach was also supported by growth of agriculture and commerce in Joseon's middle period, resulting prosperity of the Seongjeosimni as suburb of the Hanseong city's downtown area in late period of the Joseon dynasty. For example, in the reign of the King Sejong , number of households in Seongjeosimni was 1,779 while households inside

6500-417: 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

6600-429: 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

6700-410: 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

6800-444: 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

6900-598: 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,

7000-430: 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

7100-408: The relocation of the capital city, the Joseon government pushed for the construction of Hanyang, starting with the construction of Jongmyo. The construction of the main palace, Gyeongbok Palace and the separate palace, Changdeok Palace was done. In 1395, it was renamed as Hanyang Department. In 1399 (the first year of King Jeongjong 's reign), the capital was moved to Gagyeong for a while because of

7200-437: 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 ,

7300-457: 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

7400-575: The same party, was elected Mayor. The headquarters of the Ministry of Security and Public Administration is located in the Seoul Government Complex in Jongno District. The third and fourth floors of the same building house the Ministry of Unification . The headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is located in the MOFA Building in Jongno District. Previously the Ministry of Education had its headquarters in

7500-553: 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

7600-502: The significance in politics the district has, every political party carefully selects its own candidate to run in every election, and even most minor parties nominate their candidates to run in the district while they choose not to nominate candidates in other constituencies in Seoul. Jongno has elected three presidents to represent it in the National Assembly : Yun Posun , Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Myung-bak . Although Jongno

7700-418: 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

7800-409: 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

7900-765: 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

8000-429: 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

8100-510: 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

8200-411: 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

8300-507: 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

8400-544: 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

8500-528: 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 ,

8600-464: The tourist areas of Insa-Dong and Bukchon Hanok Village also attract huge numbers of visitors. Another popular tourist destination is Gwangjang Market , previously called Dongdaemun Market. It is one of the oldest traditional markets in the country and is visited by approximately 65,000 each day. Jongno district is considered as the most important district in South Korean politics , as it

8700-414: 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

8800-523: 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

8900-543: 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,

9000-451: 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

9100-460: 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

9200-436: 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

9300-457: 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

9400-520: Was re-established in Sejong City. Being at the center of the city, the district hosts numerous foreign embassies . The district council serves administrative functions such as Foreign Seal Registration, International Marriage, Adoption, Acknowledgement reports and Alien Registration Certificates for foreigners residing in Jongno District. In year 2022, current mayor of Jongno District is Chung Moon Hun  [ ko ] . Those are some of

9500-429: 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

9600-492: 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

9700-529: 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

9800-489: Was tree farm to provide wooden materials for the national government. To achieve this policy, new settlements and deforestation were strictly prohibited in Seongjeosimni. Instead, government-led granaries to store tax paid by grains, diplomatic missions and military post for defense of the capital city filled this sparsely populated area. As there was not a notifiable group of population, national government of Joseon in early period did not have much attention on local governance of

9900-474: 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

10000-527: Was unrealistic as the city was growing faster than any before, Government-General had to expand city limit of Keijō. This policy change in 1936 put most of Seongjeosimni's major area back into Keijō's city limit. History of the Seongjeosimni can still be found in contemporary Seoul, as many of nowaday Seoul's administrative divisions have their etymological origin from that of the Seongjeosimni. This etymologic cases include Yeonhui-dong of Seodaemun District and Yongsan District . The most prosperous region among

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