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Korea: Hong Daeyong (1731 - 1783), philosopher, astronomer and mathematician during the late Joseon Kingdom (1392 - 1897). Also known as Damheon, Hong was an early promoter of Korean industrialization and the development of trade by using Western technologies.
The Imo Incident, also referred to as the Imo Mutiny, was a military revolt by some units of the Korean military in Seoul, on July 23, 1882. The initial cause for the violence was due to dissatisfaction with the Korean government, and worries about Japanese military advisors and the support Emperor Gojong was showing them.<br/><br/> Initially, government officials were attacked and killed by the rioters, who were swelled by Seoul's general population. The regent father of the emperor, the Heungseon Daewongun, took power during the chaos and supported the rioting soldiers.<br/><br/> A number of Japanese were killed during the rioting, and ultimately led to Chinese troops being deployed to quell the rebellion, arresting the Daewongun. The Japanese government also sent four naval ships and a battalion of armed soldiers.
The First Sino-Japanese War (1 August 1894 - 17 April 1895) was waged between Qing Dynasty China and the Japanese Empire, primarily over control of the Korean peninsula. In China, the war is commonly known as the War of Jiawu, while in Japan it is called the Japan-Qing War, and in Korea, the Qing-Japan War.<br/><br/> The war lasted 8 months altogether, and saw more than six months of unbroken victories and success by the Japanese land and naval forces against the numerically superior but militarily inferior Chinese army. The Japanese eventually took over the Chinese port city of Weihaiwei and forced the Qing government to sue for peace in February 1895, though the war would continue until April.<br/><br/> The Sino-Japanese War highlighted the stark failure of the Qing Empire to modernise and advance its armed forces, and resulted in regional dominance in East Asia shifting for the first time from China to Japan. The Korean peninsula, Joseon, was removed from the Chinese sphere of influence and fell under Japanese vassalage instead.
The First Sino-Japanese War (1 August 1894 - 17 April 1895) was waged between Qing Dynasty China and the Japanese Empire, primarily over control of the Korean peninsula. In China, the war is commonly known as the War of Jiawu, while in Japan it is called the Japan-Qing War, and in Korea, the Qing-Japan War.<br/><br/> The war lasted 8 months altogether, and saw more than six months of unbroken victories and success by the Japanese land and naval forces against the numerically superior but militarily inferior Chinese army. The Japanese eventually took over the Chinese port city of Weihaiwei and forced the Qing government to sue for peace in February 1895, though the war would continue until April.<br/><br/> The Sino-Japanese War highlighted the stark failure of the Qing Empire to modernise and advance its armed forces, and resulted in regional dominance in East Asia shifting for the first time from China to Japan. The Korean peninsula, Joseon, was removed from the Chinese sphere of influence and fell under Japanese vassalage instead.
The First Sino-Japanese War (1 August 1894 - 17 April 1895) was waged between Qing Dynasty China and the Japanese Empire, primarily over control of the Korean peninsula. In China, the war is commonly known as the War of Jiawu, while in Japan it is called the Japan-Qing War, and in Korea, the Qing-Japan War.<br/><br/> The war lasted 8 months altogether, and saw more than six months of unbroken victories and success by the Japanese land and naval forces against the numerically superior but militarily inferior Chinese army. The Japanese eventually took over the Chinese port city of Weihaiwei and forced the Qing government to sue for peace in February 1895, though the war would continue until April.<br/><br/> The Sino-Japanese War highlighted the stark failure of the Qing Empire to modernise and advance its armed forces, and resulted in regional dominance in East Asia shifting for the first time from China to Japan. The Korean peninsula, Joseon, was removed from the Chinese sphere of influence and fell under Japanese vassalage instead.
The First Sino-Japanese War (1 August 1894 - 17 April 1895) was waged between Qing Dynasty China and the Japanese Empire, primarily over control of the Korean peninsula. In China, the war is commonly known as the War of Jiawu, while in Japan it is called the Japan-Qing War, and in Korea, the Qing-Japan War.<br/><br/> The war lasted 8 months altogether, and saw more than six months of unbroken victories and success by the Japanese land and naval forces against the numerically superior but militarily inferior Chinese army. The Japanese eventually took over the Chinese port city of Weihaiwei and forced the Qing government to sue for peace in February 1895, though the war would continue until April.<br/><br/> The Sino-Japanese War highlighted the stark failure of the Qing Empire to modernise and advance its armed forces, and resulted in regional dominance in East Asia shifting for the first time from China to Japan. The Korean peninsula, Joseon, was removed from the Chinese sphere of influence and fell under Japanese vassalage instead.
The First Sino-Japanese War (1 August 1894 - 17 April 1895) was waged beween the Qing Dynasty and the Japanese Empire, primarily over control of the Korean peninsula. In China, the war is commonly known as the War of Jiawu, while in Japan it is called the Japan-Qing War, and in Korea, the Qing-Japan War.<br/><br/> The war lasted 8 months altogether, and saw more than six months of unbroken victories and success by the Japanese land and naval forces against the numerically superior but militarily inferior Chinese army. The Japanese eventually took over the Chinese port city of Weihaiwei and forced the Qing government ot sue for peace in February 1895 CE, though the war would continue until April.<br/><br/> The Sino-Japanese War highlighted the stark failure of the Qing Empire to modernise and advance its armed forces, and resulted in regional dominance in East Asia shifting for the first time from China to Japan. The Korean peninsula, Joseon, was removed from the Chinese sphere of influence and fell under Japanese vassalage instead.
'The Tale of the Heike' is a Japanese epic account of the conflict between the Minamoto and Taira clans over control of Japan which occurred near the end of the 12th century CE, known as the Genpei War (1180-1185). The tale is often described as a Japanese 'Iliad', and has been translated into English multiple times.<br/><br/> The Genpei War occurred during the late Heian Period, and ultimately saw the fall of the Taira clan and the rise of the Minamoto clan. Minamoto no Yoritomo, clan leader, then established the Kamakura shogunate, which would rule over Japan for roughly 150 years. The Kamakura shogunate began the suppression of the emperor's power and the rise of samurai influence and power.
The First Sino-Japanese War (1 August 1894 - 17 April 1895) was waged beween the Qing Dynasty and the Japanese Empire, primarily over control of the Korean peninsula. In China, the war is commonly known as the War of Jiawu, while in Japan it is called the Japan-Qing War, and in Korea, the Qing-Japan War.<br/><br/> The war lasted 8 months altogether, and saw more than six months of unbroken victories and success by the Japanese land and naval forces against the numerically superior but militarily inferior Chinese army. The Japanese eventually took over the Chinese port city of Weihaiwei and forced the Qing government ot sue for peace in February 1895 CE, though the war would continue until April.<br/><br/> The Sino-Japanese War highlighted the stark failure of the Qing Empire to modernise and advance its armed forces, and resulted in regional dominance in East Asia shifting for the first time from China to Japan. The Korean peninsula, Joseon, was removed from the Chinese sphere of influence and fell under Japanese vassalage instead.
The First Sino-Japanese War (1 August 1894 - 17 April 1895) was waged beween the Qing Dynasty and the Japanese Empire, primarily over control of the Korean peninsula. In China, the war is commonly known as the War of Jiawu, while in Japan it is called the Japan-Qing War, and in Korea, the Qing-Japan War.<br/><br/> The war lasted 8 months altogether, and saw more than six months of unbroken victories and success by the Japanese land and naval forces against the numerically superior but militarily inferior Chinese army. The Japanese eventually took over the Chinese port city of Weihaiwei and forced the Qing government ot sue for peace in February 1895 CE, though the war would continue until April.<br/><br/> The Sino-Japanese War highlighted the stark failure of the Qing Empire to modernise and advance its armed forces, and resulted in regional dominance in East Asia shifting for the first time from China to Japan. The Korean peninsula, Joseon, was removed from the Chinese sphere of influence and fell under Japanese vassalage instead.
The Imo Incident, also referred to as the Imo Mutiny, was a military revolt by some units of the Korean military in Seoul, on July 23, 1882. The initial cause for the violence was due to dissatisfaction with the Korean government, and worries about Japanese military advisors and the support Emperor Gojong was showing them.<br/><br/> Initially, government officials were attacked and killed by the rioters, who were swelled by Seoul's general population. The regent father of the emperor, the Heungseon Daewongun, took power during the chaos and supported the rioting soldiers.<br/><br/> A number of Japanese were killed during the rioting, and ultimately led to Chinese troops being deployed to quell the rebellion, arresting the Daewongun. The Japanese government also sent four naval ships and a battalion of armed soldiers.
The government of Meiji Japan considered Queen Min an obstacle to its overseas expansion. Efforts to remove her from the political arena, orchestrated through failed rebellions prompted by the father of King Gojong, the Heungseon Daewongun (an influential regent working with the Japanese), influenced her to take a harsher stand against Japanese influence.<br/><br/> After Japan's victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, Queen Min advocated stronger ties between Korea and Russia in an attempt to block Japanese influence in Korea, which was represented by the Daewongun.<br/><br/> In the early morning of 8 October 1895, the Hullyeondae Regiment, loyal to the Daewongun, accompanied by a group of Japanese assassains, attacked the Joseon Royal Palace, overpowering its Royal Guards. Upon entering the Queen's quarters, the assassins murdered Queen Min, burned her corpse in a pine forest, and then dispersed the ashes. She was 43 years old.
The government of Meiji Japan considered Queen Min an obstacle to its overseas expansion. Efforts to remove her from the political arena, orchestrated through failed rebellions prompted by the father of King Gojong, the Heungseon Daewongun (an influential regent working with the Japanese), influenced her to take a harsher stand against Japanese influence.<br/><br/> After Japan's victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, Queen Min advocated stronger ties between Korea and Russia in an attempt to block Japanese influence in Korea, which was represented by the Daewongun.<br/><br/> In the early morning of 8 October 1895, the Hullyeondae Regiment, loyal to the Daewongun, accompanied by a group of Japanese assassains, attacked the Joseon Royal Palace, overpowering its Royal Guards. Upon entering the Queen's quarters, the assassins murdered Queen Min, burned her corpse in a pine forest, and then dispersed the ashes. She was 43 years old.
The government of Meiji Japan considered Queen Min an obstacle to its overseas expansion. Efforts to remove her from the political arena, orchestrated through failed rebellions prompted by the father of King Gojong, the Heungseon Daewongun (an influential regent working with the Japanese), influenced her to take a harsher stand against Japanese influence.<br/><br/> After Japan's victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, Queen Min advocated stronger ties between Korea and Russia in an attempt to block Japanese influence in Korea, which was represented by the Daewongun.<br/><br/> In the early morning of 8 October 1895, the Hullyeondae Regiment, loyal to the Daewongun, accompanied by a group of Japanese assassains, attacked the Joseon Royal Palace, overpowering its Royal Guards. Upon entering the Queen's quarters, the assassins murdered Queen Min, burned her corpse in a pine forest, and then dispersed the ashes. She was 43 years old.
Joseon was a Korean kingdom founded by Yi Seonggye that lasted for approximately five centuries, from July 1392 to October 1897. It was officially renamed the Korean Empire in October 1897. It was founded following the aftermath of the overthrow of Goryeo in what is today the city of Kaesong.<br/><br/> The kingdom's northernmost borders were expanded to the natural boundaries at the Yalu and Tumen Rivers through the subjugation of the Jurchens. Joseon was the last dynasty of Korea and its longest-ruling Confucian dynasty.
The government of Meiji Japan considered Queen Min an obstacle to its overseas expansion. Efforts to remove her from the political arena, orchestrated through failed rebellions prompted by the father of King Gojong, the Heungseon Daewongun (an influential regent working with the Japanese), influenced her to take a harsher stand against Japanese influence.<br/><br/> After Japan's victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, Queen Min advocated stronger ties between Korea and Russia in an attempt to block Japanese influence in Korea, which was represented by the Daewongun.<br/><br/> In the early morning of 8 October 1895, the Hullyeondae Regiment, loyal to the Daewongun, accompanied by a group of Japanese assassains, attacked the Joseon Royal Palace, overpowering its Royal Guards. Upon entering the Queen's quarters, the assassins murdered Queen Min, burned her corpse in a pine forest, and then dispersed the ashes. She was 43 years old.
The Ch'onhado, literally 'Map of the world beneath the heavens', or sometimes Cheonha Jeondo, literally 'Complete map of the world beneath the heaven'), is a peculiar type of circular world map developed in Korea during the 17th century.<br/><br/> It is based on the Korean term for map, <i>chido</i>, translated roughly as 'land picture'.
Joseon was a Korean kingdom founded by Yi Seonggye that lasted for approximately five centuries, from July 1392 to October 1897. It was officially renamed the Korean Empire in October 1897. It was founded following the aftermath of the overthrow of Goryeo in what is today the city of Kaesong.<br/><br/> The kingdom's northernmost borders were expanded to the natural boundaries at the Yalu and Tumen Rivers through the subjugation of the Jurchens. Joseon was the last dynasty of Korea and its longest-ruling Confucian dynasty.
The government of Meiji Japan considered Queen Min an obstacle to its overseas expansion. Efforts to remove her from the political arena, orchestrated through failed rebellions prompted by the father of King Gojong, the Heungseon Daewongun (an influential regent working with the Japanese), influenced her to take a harsher stand against Japanese influence.<br/><br/> After Japan's victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, Queen Min advocated stronger ties between Korea and Russia in an attempt to block Japanese influence in Korea, which was represented by the Daewongun.<br/><br/> In the early morning of 8 October 1895, the Hullyeondae Regiment, loyal to the Daewongun, accompanied by a group of Japanese assassains, attacked the Joseon Royal Palace, overpowering its Royal Guards. Upon entering the Queen's quarters, the assassins murdered Queen Min, burned her corpse in a pine forest, and then dispersed the ashes. She was 43 years old.
Shin Yun-bok, better known by his pen name Hyewon, (born 1758) was a Korean painter of the Joseon Dynasty. Like his contemporaries Danwon and Geungjae, he is known for his realistic depictions of daily life in his time. His genre paintings are distinctly more erotic than Danwon's, a fact which contributed to his expulsion from the royal painting institute, Dohwaseo.<br/><br/> Painting was frequently a hereditary occupation in the Joseon period, and Hyewon's father and grandfather had both been court painters. Together with Danwon and the later painter Owon, Hyewon is remembered today as one of the ‘Three Wons’ of Joseon-period painting. Shin Yun-bok, despite being greatly influenced and overshadowed by Kim Hong-do during his career, developed his own unique technique and artistry. Whereas Kim depicted everyday life of peasants with a humorous touch, Shin showed glimpses of eroticism in his paintings of townspeople and gisaeng (courtesan).<br/><br/> His choice of characters, composition, and painting method differed from Kim's, with use of bright colors and delicate paint strokes. He also painted scenes of shamanism and townlife, offering insight to lifestyle and costumes of the late Joseon era.
Construction of Changdeok Palace began in 1405, and was completed in 1412. The Palace was burnt to the ground during the Japanese invasion in 1592 and reconstructed in 1609 by King Seonjo and King Gwanghaegun. The palace was also attacked by the Manchu Qing but throughout its history of reconstruction and repair has remained faithful to its original design.<br/><br/> Changgyeong Palace was built in the mid-15th century by King Sejong for his father, Taejong. It was originally named 'Suganggung', but it was renovated and enlarged in 1483 by King Seongjong, at which time it received its current name.
Joseon was a Korean kingdom founded by Yi Seonggye that lasted for approximately five centuries, from July 1392 to October 1897. It was officially renamed the Korean Empire in October 1897. It was founded following the aftermath of the overthrow of Goryeo in what is today the city of Kaesong.<br/><br/> The kingdom's northernmost borders were expanded to the natural boundaries at the Yalu and Tumen Rivers through the subjugation of the Jurchens. Joseon was the last dynasty of Korea and its longest-ruling Confucian dynasty.
Joseon missions to Imperial China were Joseon diplomatic ventures which were intermittently sent in the years 1392-1894. These represent a significant aspect of the international relations of mutual Korean-Chinese contacts and communication.<br/><br/> Although the Joseon Dynasty considered 1392 as the foundation of the Joseon Kingdom, Imperial China did not immediately acknowledge the new government on the Korean peninsula. In 1401, the Ming court recognized Joseon as a tributary state in its sino-centric schema of foreign relations. In 1403, the Yung-lo emperor conveyed a patent and a gold seal to Taejong of Joseon, thus confirming his status and that of his dynasty.<br/><br/> Despite the label 'tributary state', China did not interfere in Joseon domestic affairs and diplomacy.
In 1592, on the command of Japanese Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi, approximately 200,000 Japanese soldiers invaded Korea, and the Waeran (Japanese War) began. At the beginning of the invasion, King Seonjo fled the capital, leaving a weak, poorly trained army to defend the country. In desperation he called on Seosan to organise monks into guerilla units. Even at 73 years of age he managed to recruit and deploy some 5,000 of these warrior monks, who enjoyed some instrumental successes.<br/><br/> At first, the government armies of Joseon suffered repeated defeats, and the Japanese armies marched north up to Pyongyang and the Hamgyong provinces. At sea, however, the Joseon navy, under the command of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, enjoyed successive victories. Throughout the country, loyal volunteer armies formed and fought against the Japanese together with the warrior monks and the government armies of Joseon.<br/><br/> The presence of Seosan's monks' army, operating out of the Heungguksa temple deep in the mountain of Yeongchwisan, was a critical factor in the eventual expulsion of the Japanese invaders in 1593 and again in 1598.
Gojong (Hangul: ๊ณ ์ข…; hanja: ้ซ˜ๅฎ—; RR: Gojong; MR: Kojong), the Emperor Gwangmu (Hangul: ๊ด‘๋ฌด์ œ; hanja: ๅ…‰ๆญฆๅธ), proclaimed the Korean Empire in 1897 to justify the country's ending of its traditional tributary subordination to China. He tried to promote the ultimately unsuccessful Gwangmu Reform.<br/><br/>Gojong was forced to abdicate by the Japanese and Gojong's son Sunjong succeeded to the throne. After abdicating, Emperor Gojong was confined to the Deoksu Palace by the Japanese. On 22 August 1910, the Empire of Korea was annexed by Japan under the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty.<br/><br/>Gojong died suddenly on 21 January 1919 at Deoksugung Palace. There is much speculation that he was killed by poison administered by Japanese officials, an idea that gained wide circulation and acceptance at the time of his death. His death and subsequent funeral proved a catalyst for the March First Movement for Korean independence from Japanese rule. He is buried with his wife at the imperial tomb of Hongneung (ํ™๋ฆ‰, ๆดช้™ต) in the city of Namyangju.
Heungseon Daewongun (ํฅ์„ ๋Œ€์›๊ตฐ, 1820–1898) or The Daewongun (๋Œ€์›๊ตฐ), Guktaegong (๊ตญํƒœ๊ณต, ‘The Great Archduke’), also known to period western diplomats as Prince Gung, was the title of Li Ha-eung, regent of Joseon during the minority of King Gojong in the 1860s and until his death a key political figure of late Joseon Korea.<br/><br/> Daewongun literally translates as 'prince of the great court', a title customarily granted to the father of the reigning monarch when that father did not reign himself (usually because his son had been adopted as heir of a relative who did reign). While there had been three other Daewongun during the Joseon Dynasty, so dominant a place did Yi Ha-eung have in the history of the late Joseon dynasty that the term Daewongun usually refers specifically to him.<br/><br/> The Daewongun is remembered for the wide-ranging reforms he attempted during his regency, as well as for his vigorous enforcement of the seclusion policy, persecution of Christians, and the killing or driving off of foreigners who landed on Korean soil.
Korean dragon jars, also known as cloud-dragon jars are a type of ceremonial porcelain vessel that became popular among the ruling classes of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910). They are decorated with large dragons against a background of stylized clouds, painted with underglaze pigments.<br/><br/> In addition to being a generally auspicious symbol, the dragon represented the authority and beneficence of the ruler. In 1754, King Yòngjo decreed that iron pigments were to be used exclusively in ceramic ware, except for jars having a dragon design. Because of the scarcity of the traditional cobalt blue pigment, which was imported from Muslim Turkestan, and was also known as 'Mohammedan blue', an underglaze brown iron oxide pigment was also used between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries.
Gang Se-hwang was a high government official as well as a painter, calligrapher and art critic of the mid-Joseon period.<br/><br/> He was born in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, the son of Kang Hyeon. He entered royal service when more than sixty years old. Gang established and practised the 'munhwa' style of painting.
Gang Se-hwang was a high government official as well as a painter, calligrapher and art critic of the mid-Joseon period.<br/><br/> He was born in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, the son of Kang Hyeon. He entered royal service when more than sixty years old. Gang established and practised the 'munhwa' style of painting.
In 1592, on the command of Japanese Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi, approximately 200,000 Japanese soldiers invaded Korea, and the Waeran (Japanese War) began. At the beginning of the invasion, King Seonjo fled the capital, leaving a weak, poorly trained army to defend the country. In desperation he called on Seosan to organise monks into guerilla units. Even at 73 years of age he managed to recruit and deploy some 5,000 of these warrior monks, who enjoyed some instrumental successes.<br/><br/> At first, the government armies of Joseon suffered repeated defeats, and the Japanese armies marched north up to Pyongyang and the Hamgyong provinces. At sea, however, the Joseon navy, under the command of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, enjoyed successive victories. Throughout the country, loyal volunteer armies formed and fought against the Japanese together with the warrior monks and the government armies of Joseon.<br/><br/> The presence of Seosan's monks' army, operating out of the Heungguksa temple deep in the mountain of Yeongchwisan, was a critical factor in the eventual expulsion of the Japanese invaders in 1593 and again in 1598.
Little is known about Shim Deuk-gyeong (1629-1710) except that he passed the lower civil service examination in 1693, the 19th year of King Sukjong. In this portrait he is wearing a Confucian scholar's overcoat and a tiered black horsehair hat and seated on a stool, in a three-quarter view from left.<br/><br/> The two colophons, both composed by Yi Seo (1662-1723), reveal that the portrait was painted by Yun Du-seo (1668-1715) in the 11th month of 1710, the 36th year of Sukjong, four months after Shim's death.
Kisaeng (also spelled gisaeng), sometimes called ginyeo, were female official prostitutes or entertainers. Kisaeng are artists who work to entertain others, such as the yangban aristocracy and kings.<br/><br/> First appearing in the Goryeo Dynasty, kisaeng were legally entertainers of the government, required to perform various functions for the state. Many were employed at court, but they were also spread throughout the country. They were carefully trained, and frequently accomplished in the fine arts, poetry, and prose, although their talents were often ignored due to their inferior social status.<br/><br/> Women of the kisaeng class performed various roles, although they were all of the same low status in the eyes of yangban society. Aside from entertainment, these roles included medical care and needlework. In some cases, such as at army bases, kisaeng were expected to fill several such roles.<br/><br/> Kisaeng, both historic and fictional, play an important role in Korean conceptions of the traditional culture of the Joseon Dynasty. Some of Korea's oldest and most popular stories, such as the tale of Chunhyang, feature kisaeng as heroines. Although the names of most real kisaeng have been forgotten, a few are remembered for an outstanding attribute, such as talent or loyalty. The most famous of these is the 16th-century kisaeng Hwang Jin-i.
Joseon (July 1392 – October 1897) (also Chosลn, Choson, Chosun), was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo Kingdom at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul and the kingdom's northernmost borders were expanded to the natural boundaries at the Amnok and Duman rivers (through the subjugation of the Jurchens). Joseon was the last royal and later imperial dynasty of Korean history. It was the longest ruling Confucian dynasty. During its reign, Joseon consolidated its absolute rule over Korea, encouraged the entrenchment of Korean Confucian ideals and doctrines in Korean society, imported and adapted Chinese culture, and saw the height of classical Korean culture, trade, science, literature, and technology. However, the dynasty was severely weakened during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, when invasions by the neighboring Japanese and Qing nearly overran the peninsula, leading to the kingdom becoming a Qing tributary state in 1636 and to an increasingly harsh isolationist policy for which the country became known as the Hermit Kingdom. After invasions from Manchuria, Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace. However, whatever power the kingdom recovered during its isolation further waned as the 18th century came to a close, and faced with internal strife, power struggles, international pressure and rebellions at home, the Joseon Dynasty declined rapidly in the late 19th century. The Joseon's rule has left a substantial legacy on the modern face of Korea; much of modern Korean etiquette, cultural norms, societal attitudes towards current issues, and even the modern Korean language and its dialects stem from the traditional thought pattern that originated from this period.
Gang Se-hwang (1713–1791) was not only a high government official but also a painter, calligrapher and art critic of the mid-Joseon period.<br/><br/> He was born in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, the son of Kang Hyeon. He entered royal service when more than sixty years old. Gang established and practised the 'munhwa' style of painting.
Joseon (July 1392 – October 1897) (also Chosลn, Choson, Chosun), was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo Kingdom at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul and the kingdom's northernmost borders were expanded to the natural boundaries at the Amnok and Duman rivers (through the subjugation of the Jurchens). Joseon was the last royal and later imperial dynasty of Korean history. It was the longest ruling Confucian dynasty.<br/><br/> During its reign, Joseon consolidated its absolute rule over Korea, encouraged the entrenchment of Korean Confucian ideals and doctrines in Korean society, imported and adapted Chinese culture, and saw the height of classical Korean culture, trade, science, literature, and technology. However, the dynasty was severely weakened during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, when invasions by the neighboring Japan and Qing nearly overran the peninsula, leading to an increasingly harsh isolationist policy for which the country became known as the Hermit Kingdom. After invasions from Manchuria, Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace.<br/><br/> However, whatever power the kingdom recovered during its isolation further waned as the 18th century came to a close, and faced with internal strife, power struggles, international pressure and rebellions at home, the Joseon Dynasty declined rapidly in the late 19th century.<br/><br/> Vulture Peak Mountain is, by tradition, the site where Gautama Buddha taught the Heart Sutra as is noted in the first several lines of the sutra: 'Thus have I heard: At one time, the Bhgavan dwelt in Rajagriah at Vulture Peak Mountain together with a great sangha of fully ordained monks and a great sangha of bodhisattvas'. In addition, the Saddharmapundarika Sutra (also known as the Lotus Sutra) and the Suramgamasamadhi sutra, as well as many other Prajnaparamita Sutras were first taught there as well.
Two pages from a 19th century Korean book depicting a Korean writer and sage.
Shin Yun-bok, better known by his pen name Hyewon, (born 1758) was a Korean painter of the Joseon Dynasty. Like his contemporaries Danwon and Geungjae, he is known for his realistic depictions of daily life in his time. His genre paintings are distinctly more erotic than Danwon's, a fact which contributed to his expulsion from the royal painting institute, Dohwaseo.<br/><br/> Painting was frequently a hereditary occupation in the Joseon period, and Hyewon's father and grandfather had both been court painters. Together with Danwon and the later painter Owon, Hyewon is remembered today as one of the ‘Three Wons’ of Joseon-period painting. Shin Yun-bok, despite being greatly influenced and overshadowed by Kim Hong-do during his career, developed his own unique technique and artistry. Whereas Kim depicted everyday life of peasants with a humorous touch, Shin showed glimpses of eroticism in his paintings of townspeople and gisaeng. His choice of characters, composition, and painting method differed from Kim's, with use of bright colors and delicate paint strokes. He also painted scenes of shamanism and townlife, offering insight into the lifestyles and costumes of the late Joseon era.
A typical domestic scene from the late Joseon Dynasty period showing two women dressed in traditional Hanbok clothing, ironing a robe using a long-handled ironing device filled with hot coals. There is a three legged stand for the iron, a basket full clothes waiting to be ironed, and a pile of neatly-ironed clothing beside the women.
The Japan-Korea Treaty of Amity, also known as the Treaty of Ganghwa or Treaty of Kanghwa, was made between representatives of the Empire of Japan and the Empire of Korea in 1876. It was an unequal treaty forced on Korea by a rapidly modernising Japan that was eager to become a colonising power in Eastern Asia. When the negotiations were concluded, the ports of Busan, Inchon and Wuson were opened for trade. Japan employed gunboat diplomacy to press the Joseon Dynasty to sign this unequal treaty. The pact opened up Korea, as Commodore Matthew Perry's fleet of Black Ships had opened up Japan in 1853. It ended Joseon's status as a tributary state of Qing China, at least in the eyes of Joseon and Japan, if not China, and opened three ports to Japanese trade. The Treaty also granted Japanese many of the same rights in Korea that Westerners enjoyed in Japan. The chief treaty negotiators were Kuroda Kiyotaka, Governor of Hokkaido, and Shin Heon, General and Minister of Joseon Dynasty Korea.
Gojong (Hangul: ๊ณ ์ข…; hanja: ้ซ˜ๅฎ—; RR: Gojong; MR: Kojong), the Emperor Gwangmu (Hangul: ๊ด‘๋ฌด์ œ; hanja: ๅ…‰ๆญฆๅธ), proclaimed the Korean Empire in 1897 to justify the country's ending of its traditional tributary subordination to China. He tried to promote the ultimately unsuccessful Gwangmu Reform.<br/><br/>Gojong was forced to abdicate by the Japanese and Gojong's son Sunjong succeeded to the throne. After abdicating, Emperor Gojong was confined to the Deoksu Palace by the Japanese. On 22 August 1910, the Empire of Korea was annexed by Japan under the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty.<br/><br/>Gojong died suddenly on 21 January 1919 at Deoksugung Palace. There is much speculation that he was killed by poison administered by Japanese officials, an idea that gained wide circulation and acceptance at the time of his death. His death and subsequent funeral proved a catalyst for the March First Movement for Korean independence from Japanese rule. He is buried with his wife at the imperial tomb of Hongneung (ํ™๋ฆ‰, ๆดช้™ต) in the city of Namyangju.
Yi Sun-sin (April 28, 1545 – December 16, 1598) was a Korean naval commander noted for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon Dynasty. Yi is also known for his innovative use of the 'turtle ship'. He is reputed to be one of the few admirals to have been victorious in every naval battle in which he commanded. Yi was killed by a single bullet in the Battle of Noryang on December 16, 1598. Yi remains a venerated hero among Koreans today.
Yi Chae was a scholar who lived in late Joseon. This shows him at the age of 59. He is donning a black hat known as <i>dongpagwan</i> and a <i>simui</i>, a white scholar’s jacket. The white jacket has a collar in a contrasting black band. A large sash woven with threads in five colors, representing the four cardinal directions and the center, drapes down from the mid-chest level.
Park Yeon (๋ฐ•์—ฐ, ๆœดๅ ง) was born in 1378 into a family of Yeongdong officials. As a talented classical musician, he was responsible for the education of the crown prince Sejong the Great, subsequently reviving and renewing Joseon court music between 1424-1433.
Yi Sun-sin (April 28, 1545 – December 16, 1598) was a Korean naval commander noted for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon Dynasty. Yi is also known for his innovative use of the 'turtle ship'. He is reputed to be one of the few admirals to have been victorious in every naval battle in which he commanded. Yi was killed by a single bullet in the Battle of Noryang on December 16, 1598. Yi remains a venerated hero among Koreans today.
Yun Du-seo (1668–1715) was a painter and scholar of the Joseon period. He is the grandson of Yun Seondo, a great scholar in Korean history. He passed the gwageo exam, but did not enter government service.<br/><br/>He devoted his whole life to painting and studying Confucianism. His self-portrait is regarded as one of the many masterpieces of Korean art. Yun Duseo is also known for his yeongmohwa (animal-and-bird painting).<br/><br/>This painting is designated as the 240th National Treasure of Korea.
Joseon (Korean: ์กฐ์„ ; Hanja: ๆœ้ฎฎ; also Chosลn, Choson, Chosun, Cho-sen), was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries, from July 1392 to October 1897. It was founded following the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo Dynasty 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 Amnok and Duman rivers through the subjugation of the Jurchens. Joseon was the last dynasty of Korean history and the longest-ruling Confucian dynasty.<br/><br/>During its reign, Joseon consolidated its effective rule over the territory of current Korea, encouraged the entrenchment of Korean Confucian ideals and doctrines in Korean society, imported and adapted Chinese culture, and saw the height of classical Korean culture, trade, science, literature, and technology. However, the dynasty was severely weakened during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, when invasions by the neighboring states of Japan and Qing nearly overran the peninsula, leading to an increasingly harsh isolationist policy for which the country became known as the Hermit Kingdom. After the end of invasions from Manchuria, Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace.<br/><br/>However, whatever power the kingdom recovered during its isolation further waned as the 18th century came to a close, and faced with internal strife, power struggles, international pressure and rebellions at home, the Joseon Dynasty declined rapidly in the late 19th century.<br/><br/>The Joseon period has left a substantial legacy to modern Korea; much of modern Korean etiquette, cultural norms, societal attitudes towards current issues, and the modern Korean language and its dialects derive from the culture and traditions of Joseon.
Yi Sun-sin (April 28, 1545 – December 16, 1598) was a Korean naval commander noted for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon Dynasty. Yi is also known for his innovative use of the 'turtle ship'. He is reputed to be one of the few admirals to have been victorious in every naval battle in which he commanded. Yi was killed by a single bullet in the Battle of Noryang on December 16, 1598. Yi remains a venerated hero among Koreans today.
Sejong the Great (May 15, 1397 – April 8, 1450, r. 1418–1450) was the fourth king of Joseon. He was the third son between King Taejong and Queen-Consort Min. He was designated as heir-apparent, Grand Prince, after his older brother Jae was stripped of his title. He ascended to the throne in 1418.<br/><br/>Sejong reinforced Confucian policies and instituted major legal amendments (๊ณต๋ฒ•; ่ฒขๆณ•). He also oversaw the creation of Hangul script, encouraged advancements of scientific technology, and instituted many other efforts to stabilize and improve prosperity. He dispatched military campaigns to the north and installed Samin Policy (์‚ฌ๋ฏผ์ •์ฑ…; ๅพ™ๆฐ‘ๆ”ฟ็ญ–) to attract new settlers to the region. To the south, he subjugated Japanese raiders and captured Tsushima Island.<br/><br/>During his reign from 1418 to 1450, he governed from 1418 to 1442 and governed as regent with his son Grand Prince MoonJong until his death in either 1442 or 1450
Generally the history of Korean painting is dated to approximately 108 C.E., when it first appears as an independent form. Between that time and the paintings and frescoes that appear on the Goryeo dynasty tombs, there has been little research. Suffice to say that until the Joseon dynasty the primary influence was Chinese painting though done with Korean landscapes, facial features, Buddhist topics, and an emphasis on celestial observation in keeping with the rapid development of Korean astronomy.<br/><br/> Throughout the history of Korean painting, there has been a constant separation of monochromatic works of black brushwork on very often mulberry paper or silk; and the colourful folk art or min-hwa, ritual arts, tomb paintings, and festival arts which had extensive use of colour.<br/><br/> This distinction was often class-based: scholars, particularly in Confucian art felt that one could see colour in monochromatic paintings within the gradations and felt that the actual use of colour coarsened the paintings, and restricted the imagination. Korean folk art, and painting of architectural frames was seen as brightening certain outside wood frames, and again within the tradition of Chinese architecture, and the early Buddhist influences of profuse rich thalo and primary colours inspired by Art of India.
Kang Yi-o (1788-?), who used the pen name Yaksan, was a grandson of the famous scholar-painter Kang Se-hwang. In this half-length, full-frontal portrait, he is depicted wearing an official's everyday pink robe (sibok) and a black silk hat.<br/><br/> The colophon at top, praising the subject's wise appearance and the realistic likeness of the picture, was written by the famous calligrapher Kim Jeong-hui.
Joseon (Korean: ์กฐ์„ ; Hanja: ๆœ้ฎฎ; also Chosลn, Choson, Chosun, Cho-sen), was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries, from July 1392 to October 1897. It was founded following the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo Dynasty 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 Amnok and Duman rivers through the subjugation of the Jurchens. Joseon was the last dynasty of Korean history and the longest-ruling Confucian dynasty.<br/><br/>During its reign, Joseon consolidated its effective rule over the territory of current Korea, encouraged the entrenchment of Korean Confucian ideals and doctrines in Korean society, imported and adapted Chinese culture, and saw the height of classical Korean culture, trade, science, literature, and technology. However, the dynasty was severely weakened during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, when invasions by the neighboring states of Japan and Qing nearly overran the peninsula, leading to an increasingly harsh isolationist policy for which the country became known as the Hermit Kingdom. After the end of invasions from Manchuria, Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace.<br/><br/>However, whatever power the kingdom recovered during its isolation further waned as the 18th century came to a close, and faced with internal strife, power struggles, international pressure and rebellions at home, the Joseon Dynasty declined rapidly in the late 19th century.<br/><br/>The Joseon period has left a substantial legacy to modern Korea; much of modern Korean etiquette, cultural norms, societal attitudes towards current issues, and the modern Korean language and its dialects derive from the culture and traditions of Joseon.
Korean academic Sin-Ui Yi (์ด์‹ ์˜, ๏งกๆ„ผๅ„€) was a mid-Joseon academic thinker and Confucian scholar.
Kiyomasa was one of the three senior commanders during the Seven-Year War (1592–1598) against the Korean dynasty of Joseon. Together with Konishi Yukinaga, he captured Seoul, Busan and many other crucial cities. He defeated the last Korean regulars in the Battle of Imjin River and pacified Hamgyong.
Joseon missions to Imperial China were Joseon diplomatic ventures which were intermittently sent in the years 1392-1894. These represent a significant aspect of the international relations of mutual Korean-Chinese contacts and communication.<br/><br/> Although the Joseon Dynasty considered 1392 as the foundation of the Joseon Kingdom, Imperial China did not immediately acknowledge the new government on the Korean peninsula. In 1401, the Ming court recognized Joseon as a tributary state in its sino-centric schema of foreign relations. In 1403, the Yung-lo emperor conveyed a patent and a gold seal to Taejong of Joseon, thus confirming his status and that of his dynasty.<br/><br/> Despite the label 'tributary state', China did not interfere in Joseon domestic affairs and diplomacy.
The government of Meiji Japan considered Queen Min an obstacle to its overseas expansion. Efforts to remove her from the political arena, orchestrated through failed rebellions prompted by the father of King Gojong, the Heungseon Daewongun (an influential regent working with the Japanese), influenced her to take a harsher stand against Japanese influence.<br/><br/> After Japan's victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, Queen Min advocated stronger ties between Korea and Russia in an attempt to block Japanese influence in Korea, which was represented by the Daewongun.<br/><br/> In the early morning of 8 October 1895, the Hullyeondae Regiment, loyal to the Daewongun, accompanied by a group of Japanese assassains, attacked the Joseon Royal Palace, overpowering its Royal Guards. Upon entering the Queen's quarters, the assassins murdered Queen Min, burned her corpse in a pine forest, and then dispersed the ashes. She was 43 years old.
Gojong (Hangul: ๊ณ ์ข…; hanja: ้ซ˜ๅฎ—; RR: Gojong; MR: Kojong), the Emperor Gwangmu (Hangul: ๊ด‘๋ฌด์ œ; hanja: ๅ…‰ๆญฆๅธ), proclaimed the Korean Empire in 1897 to justify the country's ending of its traditional tributary subordination to China. He tried to promote the ultimately unsuccessful Gwangmu Reform.<br/><br/>Gojong was forced to abdicate by the Japanese and Gojong's son Sunjong succeeded to the throne. After abdicating, Emperor Gojong was confined to the Deoksu Palace by the Japanese. On 22 August 1910, the Empire of Korea was annexed by Japan under the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty.<br/><br/>Gojong died suddenly on 21 January 1919 at Deoksugung Palace. There is much speculation that he was killed by poison administered by Japanese officials, an idea that gained wide circulation and acceptance at the time of his death. His death and subsequent funeral proved a catalyst for the March First Movement for Korean independence from Japanese rule. He is buried with his wife at the imperial tomb of Hongneung (ํ™๋ฆ‰, ๆดช้™ต) in the city of Namyangju.
Joseon (Korean: ์กฐ์„ ; Hanja: ๆœ้ฎฎ; also Chosลn, Choson, Chosun, Cho-sen), was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries, from July 1392 to October 1897. It was founded following the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo Dynasty 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 Amnok and Duman rivers through the subjugation of the Jurchens. Joseon was the last dynasty of Korean history and the longest-ruling Confucian dynasty.<br/><br/>During its reign, Joseon consolidated its effective rule over the territory of current Korea, encouraged the entrenchment of Korean Confucian ideals and doctrines in Korean society, imported and adapted Chinese culture, and saw the height of classical Korean culture, trade, science, literature, and technology. However, the dynasty was severely weakened during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, when invasions by the neighboring states of Japan and Qing nearly overran the peninsula, leading to an increasingly harsh isolationist policy for which the country became known as the Hermit Kingdom. After the end of invasions from Manchuria, Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace.<br/><br/>However, whatever power the kingdom recovered during its isolation further waned as the 18th century came to a close, and faced with internal strife, power struggles, international pressure and rebellions at home, the Joseon Dynasty declined rapidly in the late 19th century.<br/><br/>The Joseon period has left a substantial legacy to modern Korea; much of modern Korean etiquette, cultural norms, societal attitudes towards current issues, and the modern Korean language and its dialects derive from the culture and traditions of Joseon.
A Korean 'gama' was a closed chair used by upper classes and nobles, both men and women. This anonymous watercolour on mulberry paper painting shows four porters, two in front and two at the rear, holding long poles through an enclosed palanquin. In Korea, royalty and aristocrats were carried in elaborately decorated litters called gama. Gamas were primarily used by royalty and government officials. There were six types of gama, each assigned to different government official rankings. In traditional weddings, the bride and groom are carried to the ceremony in separate gamas. Because of the difficulties posed by the mountainous terrain of the Korean peninsula and the lack of paved roads, gamas were preferred over wheeled vehicles.
Joseon (Korean: ์กฐ์„ ; Hanja: ๆœ้ฎฎ; also Chosลn, Choson, Chosun, Cho-sen), was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries, from July 1392 to October 1897. It was founded following the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo Dynasty 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 Amnok and Duman rivers through the subjugation of the Jurchens. Joseon was the last dynasty of Korean history and the longest-ruling Confucian dynasty.<br/><br/> During its reign, Joseon consolidated its effective rule over the territory of current Korea, encouraged the entrenchment of Korean Confucian ideals and doctrines in Korean society, imported and adapted Chinese culture, and saw the height of classical Korean culture, trade, science, literature, and technology. However, the dynasty was severely weakened during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, when invasions by the neighboring states of Japan and Qing nearly overran the peninsula, leading to an increasingly harsh isolationist policy for which the country became known as the Hermit Kingdom. After the end of invasions from Manchuria, Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace.<br/><br/> However, whatever power the kingdom recovered during its isolation further waned as the 18th century came to a close, and faced with internal strife, power struggles, international pressure and rebellions at home, the Joseon Dynasty declined rapidly in the late 19th century.<br/><br/> The Joseon period has left a substantial legacy to modern Korea; much of modern Korean etiquette, cultural norms, societal attitudes towards current issues, and the modern Korean language and its dialects derive from the culture and traditions of Joseon.
Gojong (Hangul: ๊ณ ์ข…; hanja: ้ซ˜ๅฎ—; RR: Gojong; MR: Kojong), the Emperor Gwangmu (Hangul: ๊ด‘๋ฌด์ œ; hanja: ๅ…‰ๆญฆๅธ), proclaimed the Korean Empire in 1897 to justify the country's ending of its traditional tributary subordination to China. He tried to promote the ultimately unsuccessful Gwangmu Reform.<br/><br/>Gojong was forced to abdicate by the Japanese and Gojong's son Sunjong succeeded to the throne. After abdicating, Emperor Gojong was confined to the Deoksu Palace by the Japanese. On 22 August 1910, the Empire of Korea was annexed by Japan under the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty.<br/><br/>Gojong died suddenly on 21 January 1919 at Deoksugung Palace. There is much speculation that he was killed by poison administered by Japanese officials, an idea that gained wide circulation and acceptance at the time of his death. His death and subsequent funeral proved a catalyst for the March First Movement for Korean independence from Japanese rule. He is buried with his wife at the imperial tomb of Hongneung (ํ™๋ฆ‰, ๆดช้™ต) in the city of Namyangju.
Heungseon Daewongun (ํฅ์„ ๋Œ€์›๊ตฐ, 1820–1898) or The Daewongun (๋Œ€์›๊ตฐ), Guktaegong (๊ตญํƒœ๊ณต, ‘The Great Archduke’), also known to period western diplomats as Prince Gung, was the title of Li Ha-eung, regent of Joseon during the minority of King Gojong in the 1860s and until his death a key political figure of late Joseon Korea.<br/><br/> Daewongun literally translates as 'prince of the great court', a title customarily granted to the father of the reigning monarch when that father did not reign himself (usually because his son had been adopted as heir of a relative who did reign). While there had been three other Daewongun during the Joseon Dynasty, so dominant a place did Yi Ha-eung have in the history of the late Joseon dynasty that the term Daewongun usually refers specifically to him.<br/><br/> The Daewongun is remembered for the wide-ranging reforms he attempted during his regency, as well as for his vigorous enforcement of the seclusion policy, persecution of Christians, and the killing or driving off of foreigners who landed on Korean soil.
O Jae-sun (1727-1792) was an erudite scholar who served in high government posts during the reign of King Jeongjo. He headed the Office of the Inspector-General (Saheonbu), Office of Special Advisors (Hongmungwan) and the Royal Secretariat (Jungchubu), among other posts.<br/><br/> This portrait was painted by Yi Myeong-gi when O Jae-sun was 65 years old
This is a portrait of Hwang Hyeon (1855-1910), a scholar and patriot toward the end of the Joseon period, produced by Chae Yong-sin (1850-1941).<br/><br/> Chae painted the portrait in May 1911, a year after Hwang's death, based on the photograph but changing the costume and pose. Hwang is portrayed wearing a Confucian scholar's overcoat (simeui) and a tiered black horsehair hat, sitting on a decorative mat and holding a book and a fan in his hands.
Chae Jegong (่”กๆฟŸๆญ, ์ฑ„์ œ๊ณต, 1720-1799) was a Chosun dynasty literati bureaucrat. He was of the Pyeonggang Chae Clan (ๅนณๅบท่œๆฐ, ํ‰๊ฐ•์ฑ„์”จ); his courtesy name (ๅญ—, ์ž) was Baekgyu (ไผฏ่ฆ, ๋ฐฑ๊ทœ); his pen name (่™Ÿ, ํ˜ธ) was Beon’am (ๆจŠๅท–, ๋ฒˆ์•”); and his posthumous name (่ซก, ์‹œ) was Munsuk (ๆ–‡่‚…, ๋ฌธ์ˆ™).<br/><br/> He passed the regional civil examination (้„•่ฉฆ, ํ–ฅ์‹œ) at the age of 15, and held high government offices throughout his life.
Chae Jegong (่”กๆฟŸๆญ, ์ฑ„์ œ๊ณต, 1720-1799) was a Chosun dynasty literati bureaucrat. He was of the Pyeonggang Chae Clan (ๅนณๅบท่œๆฐ, ํ‰๊ฐ•์ฑ„์”จ); his courtesy name (ๅญ—, ์ž) was Baekgyu (ไผฏ่ฆ, ๋ฐฑ๊ทœ); his pen name (่™Ÿ, ํ˜ธ) was Beon’am (ๆจŠๅท–, ๋ฒˆ์•”); and his posthumous name (่ซก, ์‹œ) was Munsuk (ๆ–‡่‚…, ๋ฌธ์ˆ™).<br/><br/> He passed the regional civil examination (้„•่ฉฆ, ํ–ฅ์‹œ) at the age of 15, and held high government offices throughout his life.
Kim Si-seup's ancestors originally came from Gangneung, Gangwon-do, but Kim himself was born in Seoul.<br/><br/> Throughout his life, Kim Si-seup (๊น€์‹œ์Šต) maintained a special bond with the Gangwon area and compiled a book of poetry called Tangyugwandongnok which was based on family history and experiences he had in the area. Kim was an extremely gifted child and had picked up reading ability at eight months of age. At five years of age, he was able to read and comprehend 'The Great Learning' and the 'Doctrine of the Mean'. Kim was a devout Buddhist and at twenty-one years of age he decided to leave government service and become a priest.
Chae Jegong (่”กๆฟŸๆญ, ์ฑ„์ œ๊ณต, 1720-1799) was a Chosun dynasty literati bureaucrat. He was of the Pyeonggang Chae Clan (ๅนณๅบท่œๆฐ, ํ‰๊ฐ•์ฑ„์”จ); his courtesy name (ๅญ—, ์ž) was Baekgyu (ไผฏ่ฆ, ๋ฐฑ๊ทœ); his pen name (่™Ÿ, ํ˜ธ) was Beon’am (ๆจŠๅท–, ๋ฒˆ์•”); and his posthumous name (่ซก, ์‹œ) was Munsuk (ๆ–‡่‚…, ๋ฌธ์ˆ™).<br/><br/> He passed the regional civil examination (้„•่ฉฆ, ํ–ฅ์‹œ) at the age of 15, and held high government offices throughout his life.
In this traditional depiction, the Korean magpie or Minhwa sits in a pine tree and calls to a tiger below. In Korean folklore, both magpie and tiger are bearers of good tidings. The gods send messages to the magpie, who passes them along to the tiger. The tiger is a messenger from the mountain spirits and a friend to mankind.
Yi Chae was a scholar who lived in late Joseon. This shows him at the age of 59. He is donning a black hat known as <i>dongpagwan</i> and a <i>simui</i>, a white scholar’s jacket. The white jacket has a collar in a contrasting black band. A large sash woven with threads in five colors, representing the four cardinal directions and the center, drapes down from the mid-chest level.<br/><br/>The eyes staring straight ahead are meticulously depicted with great detail. As the eyes were increasingly regarded as the windows to the moral universe of the subject, they were a focal point of portraits from the late Joseon.<br/><br/>This painting is designated as the 1483rd National Treasure of Korea.
Nam Gu-man (1629-1711) served as rector of the National Confucian Academy and minister of punishments.<br/><br/> In 1683 when the Westerners (Seoin) faction split into the Old Doctrine (Noron) and the Young Doctrine (Soron), he led the latter group.
Yi Gwang-sa was one of the leading calligraphers of the Joseon period. He created a calligraphy style, called the 'Wongyo style' after his pen name, in an effort to establish an independent Korean style.<br/><br/> The colophon at top right reveals the portrait was painted in 1775, when Yi was 70 years old, by court painter Shin Han-pyeong, father of the famous genre painter Shin Yun-bok.
The Portrait of Cho Brothers (่ตตๆฐ ไธ‰ ๅ…„ๅผŸ ่‚–ๅƒ) , Jongno-gu, Seoul , National Folk Museum is a portrait of the Joseon Dynasty era.<br/><br/> It was designated Korean National Treasure No. 1478 in 2006.
Yi Sun-sin (April 28, 1545 – December 16, 1598) was a Korean naval commander noted for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon Dynasty. Yi is also known for his innovative use of the 'turtle ship'. He is reputed to be one of the few admirals to have been victorious in every naval battle in which he commanded. Yi was killed by a single bullet in the Battle of Noryang on December 16, 1598. Yi remains a venerated hero among Koreans today.