| (1) Pro-Ming and Good
Neighbor Policies |
Choson enforced pro-Ming and
good neighbor policies when forming the nation in an
effort to maintain peace with surrounding countries. At
the same time, Choson propelled a northward expansion
policy to extend the national territory.
Choson's
pro-Ming policy was established in order to stabilize
the state and its royal power, and to pursue economic
and cultural interests while maintaining peace with
Ming. In compliance with this policy, Choson regularly
dispatched envoys to Ming.
Through these envoys,
cultural exchanges and economic trade increasingly
developed.
With regard to the N zhens, both
appeasement and hard-line policies were promoted to
temper justice with mercy. N zhens who surrendered to
the government were provided friendly treatment such as
granting them opportunities for office and land. Along
the borders, trading posts were established to permit N
zhens to engage in trade to obtain the necessities of
life.
But at certain times, large expedition forces
were dispatched to subjugate the N zhens. During the
reign of King Sejong, Ch'oe Yun-dok and Kim Chong-so
drove the N zhens out and built four counties and six
ports to obtain the land south of the Yalu and Tumen
Rivers. |
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A screen painting depicting a
fleet of
turtle ships. | |
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By the end of Koryo,
invasions by Japanese pirates had caused much damage,
but the Choson government strengthened its navy to
confront them. Under the reign of King Sejong, Yi
Chong-mu led a fleet of 200 ships to Tsushima, a base
for Japanese pirates and conquered them.
Afterwards,
Japan requested trade with Choson. Through the good
neighbor policy, Choson granted their request and opened
the ports of Che-p'o, Yom-p'o and Pusan-p'o. Thus, Japan
stationed Waegwans (Japanese Houses) at the three ports
and trade activities began inside a confined area.
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| (2) Japanese Invasion and
Conquest of Aggressions |
Entering the 16th century, a
split within the ruling classes, the impoverishment of
many farmers and a weakening of national defense
occurred, and the Choson Dynasty gradually began to
experience difficulties. Availing themselves of this
opportunity, the Japanese residing in the three ports
waged war and Japanese invasions and pillages often took
place on the southern coasts.
In Japan, Toyotomi
Hideyoshi, after stabilizing the state during this era
of warring nations, made preparations for a large scale
invasion of Choson. However, Choson remained unaware of
the Japanese situation and was unprepared to meet the
Japanese aggression.
In 1592, approximately 200,000
Japanese soldiers invaded Choson and the Waeran
(Japanese War) began. At first, the government armies of
Choson sufferred repeated defeats, and the Japanese
armies marched north up to P'yong'an and the Hamgyong
provinces.
On the sea, however the Choson navy under
the command of Admiral Yi Sun-sin reaped successive
victories. Throughout the country, loyal volunteer
armies formed and fought against the Japanese together
with the government armies of Choson.
Thus, the
Japanese army was driven back southward. For three years
afterwards, negotiations for a ceasefire
continued.
After the breakdown of truce talks, Japan
again invaded Choson in 1597. This time, the government,
volunteer and Ming armies checked Japan's advance
northward. Following the reappointment of Yi Sun-sin in
the Choson navy, the Japanese Navy was annihilated. Yi
Sun-sin defeated the Japanese fleet during its flee at
Noryang. He died in that battle. With this, the long
seven-year Japanese War ended in 1598.
The reason
behind Choson's success was that the whole nation formed
an alliance and entered into war with all its might.
Among the great victories of the Japanese war, Yi
Sun-sin's triumph at Hansan Island, Kwon Yul's triumph
in Haengju, and Kim Si-min's battle in the city of
Chinju are remembered best and have come to be known as
the Three Great Victories. Among the Generals of the
volunteer armies, Generals Kwak Chae-u, Ko Kyong-myong,
Cho Hon, Kim Ch'on-il, and Chong Mun-bu are known to
have played important roles. |
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| (3) Other Invasions and
the Movement to Conquer the North |
| After the Japanese War, the
situation on the continent changed. Ming's power
weakened and the power of the N zhens increased. The N
zhens, who lived scattered throughout Manchuria, broke
away from Ming domination and founded the nation of
Hugum (Later Jin). |
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Namhansan-song : Located
in Kwangju,
Kyonggi province.
Historic site No.
57. | |
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Thirty years after the end
of the Japanese war, Choson was invaded by Later Jin in
1627. But peace was soon restored and the Later Jin army
was driven out of Choson.
Soon after, Later Jin
became even more powerful. They changed the name of its
country to Qing and demanded that Choson submit to
becoming its subject. When Choson rejected the demand
Qing again invaded Choson in 1636.
Choson, upon being
invaded by Qing, resisted in the Namhansansong Fortress
for 45 days, but finally accepted Qing's demand and
obtained peace. The two repeated invasions by the N zhen
are called the Horan (War of the Barbarians). Under the
reign of King Hyojong, Song Si-yol and Yi Wan led a
movement to send an expedition north and made
preparations for war. However, Qing had destroyed Ming
and had become a great empire which dominated all of
China, thus the northward expedition movement failed
before it began. |
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| (4) Propagation of Choson
Culture to Japan |
Due to the seven-year-long
Japanese War, Choson suffered tremendous losses. Many
people were killed or wounded, and homes and property
were destroyed. The farmlands were abandoned and the
people wandered. Through arson and plunder, many
cultural assets were lost.
At the same time,
approximately 100,000 Choson citizens were taken to
Japan. The majority of them became slaves, and some
scholars and technicians were forced to provide
scholarly works and technology to the Japanese.
Kang
Hang taught Songrihak or Neo-confucianism in Japan and
Hujihara Seika, one of his students became a pioneering
scholar in Japanese Songrihak or Neo-confucianism. The
development of the Japanese printing culture and
printing technology was also influenced by the Choson
culture.
During the Koryo Dynasty, Japan desired the
Taejanggyong and valuable books and carried them out of
Choson. During the Hideyoshi invasions, they stole many
books and kidnapped type technicians. The Japanese
printing culture developed as a result of these
activities.
The technology of developing ceramics in
Japan also developed as a result of Choson artisans
being kidnapped during the Japanese War. These workers
were scattered throughout Japan and were forced to make
ceramic wares on the demand of lords. Thereafter,
manufacturing of ceramic ware made great advancement in
Japan.
In addition, Choson paintings, Buddhist
statues and bells from Choson influenced the development
of Japanese culture.
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