Joseon

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Great Joseon 조선국 (1392–1894) 朝鮮國 대조선국 (1894–1897) 大朝鮮國
1392–1897
Top: Flag (1883–1897) Bottom: Royal flag Royal emblem Emblem (c. 1884–1897)
Seal
Territory of Joseon after King Sejong's conquest of Jurchens in 1433 (with current borders)
Status	Tributary relations with the Ming and Qing (1401–1895)a Qing Intervention Period a (1882–1894)[1][2][3][4] Japanese Intervention Period (1894–1896) Agwan Pacheon incident(1896–1897)
Capital	Main: Hanseong (now Seoul) (1394–1399/1405–1897) Temporary: Gaegyeong (1392–1394/1399–1405)
Official languages	Middle Korean, Early Modern Korean, Classical Chinese[5][6]: 243, 329 [7]: 74  (literary Chinese or Hanmun in Korean)
Religion	Confucianism (state ideology), Buddhism, Shamanism, Taoism, Christianity (recognized in 1886)
Demonym(s)	Korean
Government	Absolute monarchy[8]
King
• 1392–1398	Taejo (first)
• 1864–1897	Gojong (last)
Chief State Councillor[note 1]
• 1392	Bae Geuk-ryeom (first)
• 1894–1898	Kim Byeong-si (last)
Legislature	None (rule by decree) (until 1894) Jungchuwon [ko] (from 1894)
History
• Coronation of Taejo	5 August 1392
• Promulgation of the Korean alphabet	9 October 1446
• Japanese invasions	1592–1598
• First and second Manchu invasions	1627, 1636–1637
• Japan–Korea Treaty of 1876	26 February 1876
• Treaty of Shimonoseki	17 April 1895
• Proclamation of the Korean Empire	13 October 1897
Population
• 1519[9]	3,300,000
• 1648[10]	2,576,000
• 1717[10]	10,056,000
• 1777[10]	9,074,000
• 1807[10]	9,377,000
Currency	Mun (1423–1425, 1625–1892) Yang (1892–1897)
Preceded by Succeeded by Goryeo Tamna Korean Empire
Today part of	North Korea South Korea Russia (Nokdundo)[11]
The Chinese tributary system was a largely-symbolic Confucian world order, with its basis in trade and philosophical relations between foreign states and various Chinese dynasties. The diplomatic system in East Asia was hierarchical and its relation to the sovereignty of some states was flexible and diverse. Larger states, such as Joseon Korea and Japan, enjoyed full sovereignty in both domestic and foreign affairs, and their international status cannot be considered 'client states'. However, in the wake of the Imo Incident in 1882, the Qing dynasty abandoned its laissez-faire policy, signed the China–Korea Treaty of 1882, and became directly involved in the affairs of Joseon. The "radical change in China's policy" was in reaction to the growing influence of European powers and of Japan in Korea. The political influence of the Qing Dynasty ended in 1895 with the Treaty of Shimonoseki.

Joseon^[a] (Korean: 조선; Hanja: 朝鮮; MR: Chosŏn; [tɕo.sʌn]), officially Great Joseon State (대조선국; 大朝鮮國; [tɛ.tɕo.sʌn.ɡuk̚]),^[14] was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that lasted just over 500 years.^[15][16] It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897.^[17] 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 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 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 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, 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 the Joseon period.

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