PP Notes Korea

Chosun Dynasty 1392-1910 CE Chosun’s Beginnings: Yi Seung-kye is dispatched to repel Ming attack Concludes he can’t win Negotiates with invaders Returns to Kaesung and takes over city with Ming help Ming alliance New Chosun Dynasty Named by Ming Emperor 朝鮮 -- 조선 – “Morning Calm” Ming China invades Korea 1392 Yi’s diagnosis of Koryo’s failings: Buddhism – too influential Confucianism is the answer Focus on Confucian relationships and virtues Five Relationships Hyo (filial piety) is the core virtue Neo-Confucian orthodoxy Chosun and Gender Patrilocal marriage Rigid patriarchy Women’s roles Strict obedience Produce a son Woman’s Three Lords: Father … Husband … Son Strict Chastity Chosun women’s small dagger Religious intolerance Buddhism Persecuted Driven out of cities Lands confiscated – hence: Mountain Temples Becomes a religion predominantly of women Chosun Dynasty Censorate system Confucian Secret Investigator Focus on Scholarship: Sungkyunkwan University 1400s Focused on Confucian Scholarship Now a major, modern university King Sejong: 1418-1450 Patron of Arts and Sciences Printing of Confucian classics Moveable type used heavily Hangul Commissioned Korea’s Phonetic Script His most famous accomplishment Hideyoshi Invasion: 1592 Korea occupied, ransacked National treasures destroyed Tremendous animosity developed Non’gae -- “Patriotic Kisaeng” Turtle ships Korea Liberated Reemphasize Confucianism: Korea is the last bastion of civilization… Korea as the Hermit Kingdom Catholics Enter Korea: 1784 Two Korean Yangban Discover Catholicism in China Convert Bring back Catholic books Teach Catholicism in Korea French priests sneak in Chesa condemned as “worship” Catholicism not warmly welcomed by government Catholics In Korea Silk letter 1801 Smuggled with tribute mission to China Discovered Requested French intervention to ensure Catholic rights in Korea Chesa Controversy Catholics forbidden to perform Chesa Government declares Catholicism illegal Catholic Pogroms: 1860s Thousands beheaded French Respond with brief naval attack Catholics In Korea Catholics (mostly Yangban) retreat from public life Live in small villages Make ceramic pots Kimchi Pots “Potter” is slang for Catholic Korea and the West General Sherman incident 1866 American Merchant Marine Ship Sunk and burned 1871 retaliation for General Sherman US sends retaliatory naval strike Pressure from Japan 1874: first unequal treaty – Japan Grants Japan special rights in Korea Japan may intervene if other nations do Koreans recognize the threat, but are powerless to resist Korea and the West 1882: first US Treaty “Good offices” clause Korea sees it as mutual defense Protection from the real threat: Japan West, esp. US, seen as potential savior from the more-threatening Japanese Korea and the West Protestants 1884 Dr. Horace Allen MD to the US Consulate Presbyterian Missionary Heals Korean Crown Prince Granted one favor Requests freedom of religion for Korea and missionary rights for Christianity Protestants in Korea Enter 1884 Adopt Nevius Method Service: education, medical care, etc Focus on poor and women Cultivate local clergy and leadership ASAP Prepare for local church independence Protestants in Korea Bible (성경) is the first major work published in hangul (한글) – not Chinese Prompts the beginning of Hangul literature movement Protestants in Korea Presbyterian Structure Governance by “Elders” Lay leaders play major role: High prestige Democratic, participatory structure Koreans flock to Presbyterians Christians seen as connected with America America seen as the one hope for protection from Japan Western Education (in Christian Schools) seen as the key to modernizing the nation Non-Christian Korean nationalists flock to Christian schools for modern, Western education Protestants in Korea Provide Best education available Become core to nationalist and modernization movements Grow and develop rapidly Develop a strong national network of hundreds of churches and many thousands of members by 1900 Late Chosun Government: Decay and Stagnation Government stagnates and tries to avoid reform or Western interaction as much as possible Dominated by Conservative Queen Min Queen Min, like China’s Empress Dowager, was a tyrannical traditionalist Kabo Reforms: Attempt to modernize after Queen Min’s death Modernization effort, but too little, too late Tonghak Rebellion Tonghak Rebellion: 1894 (Eastern Learning) Nativist movement growing out of the Chundokyo Religion (a native Korean religion borrowing both from Daoism and Christianity) Deeply Anti foreign Chosun Government could not repress the Tonghaks Calls in China and Japan asserts 1874 treaty to follow Sino-Japanese War 1894-95 Chosun Collapse Chosun Weakened King even seeks protection in Russian Embassy Russo-Japanese War 1904-05 Russia forced to leave Korea becomes a Japanese protectorate Meaning Japan “protects” (dominates) Korea Japanese Occupation 1910-1945 Koreans continue to look to US as potential savior Look to Protestant churches as special connection to America Japan annexes Korea 1910 Taft-Katsura Agreement US concurs secretly that Japan should lead to modernize and develop Korea Protestant Missionaries agree: Japan is the one modern Asian Nation Korean’s need Japanese tutelage Koreans today see this as a major betrayal