Korea, Corea, or Chosen (morning calm) occupies the peninsula hanging
down from Manchooria and Russian Siberia between China and Japan,
and extending from the 33d to the 43d parallels of north latitude.
The area, including the outlying islands, is about one hundred thousand
square miles. The population, according to the most reliable estimate,
is a little more than sixteen millions. Yet, as the people live in
cities, towns, and hamlets, the country does not seem to be thickly
settled.
The climate varies much at the extremities of the peninsula, owing
to the fact that the southern portion is somewhat affected by the
warm southern currents that give Japan its tropical climate, but
which are warded off from Korea proper by the Japanese islands. The
climate of the central and northern provinces is much the same as
that of the northern central United States, with fewer changes. The
large river at the capital is not uncommonly frozen over for weeks
at a time during the winter, so that heavy carts pass over on the
ice. Ice is always preserved for general use in summer.
The country is decidedly mountainous, and well watered. Heavy timber
abounds in the northeast. The valleys are very fertile and are well
tilled, as the people are mainly devoted to agriculture.
The mineral resources have only been developed in a crude way,
yet sufficiently to demonstrate the great wealth of the ore
deposits. Especially is this true in reference to the gold mines.
The most pessimistic visitors to Korea are unstinted in their praise
of the beautiful scenery, which is fully appreciated by the natives
as well. From ancient times they have had guide-books setting
forth the natural charms of particular localities; and excursions
to distant places for the sole purpose of enjoying the views are a
common occurrence.
The King rules as absolute monarch. He is assisted by the
Prime-Minister and his two associates--the ministers of the Left and
Right. Next to these come the heads of the six departments of Etiquette
and Ceremonies, Finance, War, Public Works, Justice, and Registration,
with the heads of the two new departments that have been added as
the result of the opening up of foreign intercourse--the Foreign
(or outside) Office, and the Home (or interior) Office. This body of
officials forms the grand council of the King.
Each of the eight provinces is ruled by a governor, who has under
him prefects, local magistrates, supervisors of hamlets, and petty
officials, so that the whole scale makes a very complete system and
affords no lack of officials.
There are several special officers appointed by the King, one of whom
is the government inspector, whose duty it is to go about in disguise,
learn the condition of the people, and ascertain if any magistrate
abuses his office and oppresses the people unjustly. Any such he may
bring to speedy justice.
The present Dynasty has existed 498 years. Being founded by a revolting
general named Ye, it is known as the Ye Dynasty. The King's name,
however, is never used. He is almost sacred to his people. Those
officials of sufficiently high rank to go in before him bow to the
ground in his presence, and only speak when spoken to; then they use
a highly honorific language only understood at court.
The revenues are paid in kind, hence the annual income of an official
may consist of a certain quantity of rice, and other products, in
addition to his money compensation. The King, also, has the whole
revenue resulting from the sale of the ginseng, for which the country
is noted. This forms his private purse.
The currency is the common copper cash, worth some twelve hundred to
the Mexican dollar; though now that the new mint is in operation,
copper, silver, and gold coins are being made. The old perforated
cash will, however, be hard to supplant, owing to its convenience in
small transactions.
Banks proper do not exist; though the government does a kind of banking
business in granting orders on various provincial offices, so that
a travelling official need not be burdened with much ready money. A
number of large brokers at the capital assist in the government
financial transactions.
All unoccupied land belongs to the King, but any man may take up a
homestead, and, after tilling it and paying taxes on it for a period
of three years, it becomes his own, and must be purchased should the
government need it.
Deeds are given in the form of receipts and quit-claims by the
seller. These may be registered with the local magistrate. Wills,
as understood in western countries, are not executed; though a father
wishing to provide especially for the children of his concubines may
make a will, or statement, the proper execution of which devolves
upon the eldest son.
Records of the births of males are kept, as are also records of deaths,
but these are not always reliable. All males of fifteen years of age
are registered at the Hang Sung Poo, or Department of Registration,
which issues to them tablets bearing their name and address. Children
are also generally provided with these tablets, to prevent their
getting lost.
The people are well built and strong, as a rule. They are a loyal,
contented race, not grasping, and rather too easy in disposition. They
are intelligent and learn with great ease. Possessed of many
characteristics in common with their neighbors, the Chinese and
Japanese, they yet seem to have a personality indicative of a different
parentage, which continually calls forth inquiry as to their origin. In
some slight degree they resemble the aborigines of America, and it
is believed that their ancestors came from the north:--the question
opens up a fertile field for study. Their written records are said to
date back three thousand years. Their traditional first king descended
from heaven five thousand years ago. With a civilization of such age
they might well be excused for so long barring their doors against
the new civilization of the young nations of the West. While, as
a matter of fact, the difference existing between the two is more
one of degree than essence, perhaps more vices may be found in the
civilization of the West than are known to this people. And, with a
few exceptions, the virtues taught by the modern civilization have
been practised for centuries behind the bars of isolation that shut
in this self-satisfied people.
The people dress in imported cotton sheetings mostly, padding them well
with cotton-wool for winter use, and using the plain bleached white,
or dying the cloth a light shade of blue or green. Rice is the staple
article of food in the central and southern provinces; wheat enters
more largely into the diet of the northern people. Their cattle are
as large and fine as may be found anywhere; the people eat much beef,
and hides are a prominent article of export. Their houses are well
built and comfortable; foreigners adapt them to their own use with
little trouble. The houses are heated by means of a system of flues
underneath the floor, which is made of large flagstone placed over the
flues and well cemented; over all thick, strong, oil paper is placed,
making a rich, dark, highly polished floor, through which no smoke can
come, though it is always agreeably warm. The houses are all one story,
built around a court, and several sets of buildings, each within a
separate wall, usually make up a gentleman's compound. The buildings
are covered with a thick layer of earth and capped with tile laid on
in graceful curves. This roof insures coolness in summer. The rooms
are made almost air-tight by the plentiful use of paper on the walls
outside and in, as well as for doors and windows.
There are three great classes in Korea: the nobility, the middle class,
and the commoners. A commoner, not of the proscribed orders, may rise
to nobility by successfully passing the competitive examinations. The
officials are appointed from the noble classes.
The language is peculiar to the country, and while written official
documents are done in the common character of China and Japan, the
spoken language of neither of these people is understood in Korea. The
native language of Korea possesses an alphabet and grammar, and is
polysyllabic, thus resembling English more than it does Chinese.
In religious matters the Koreans are peculiar in that they may be
said to be without a religion, properly speaking. Prior to the advent
of the present dynasty, Buddhism reigned, but for 498 years it has
been in such disfavor that no priest dare enter a walled city. They
still maintain temples in the mountains, but exert but little if any
influence. In morals the people are Confucianists, and their reverent
devotion to their ancestors may serve in part as a religion. In
times of distress they "pray to Heaven," and seem really to be very
devoutly inclined.
Christianity came into disfavor through the indiscretion of its early
teachers. The distrust is slowly passing away now, and missionaries
are openly employed in doing the educational work that must precede
any successful attempt to secure the adoption of beliefs so radically
different from all existing ideas.
Some of the results of the outside intercourse that has been
indulged in for the past eight years may be mentioned. A maritime
customs service, under the charge of American and European officers,
is in very successful operation. So is a hospital, supported by the
government and operated by American physicians, gratuitously furnished
by the American Presbyterian Mission. The government supports a school
for which American teachers are employed. American military officers
have charge of the reorganization of the army and conduct a school for
the purpose of instructing the young officers. A mint, machine-shops,
powder-mills, silk filatures, an electric light, and a telegraph and
cable line are some of the new institutions recently adopted and, as a
rule, now in successful operation. Steamships have also been purchased
more for the purpose of transporting tribute rice than as a nucleus
for a navy. In regard to the relations existing between Korea and
China the reader is respectfully referred to a paper delivered before
the American Oriental Society by the Chinese scholar, W. W. Rockhill,
U. S. Secretary of Legation at Pekin, and contained in Vol. III. of
the Society's publications for 1888. In his preface Mr. Rockhill says:
"The nature of Korea's relations with China has for the last thirty
years been a puzzle for Western nations. Were they--with the ambiguous
utterance of the Chinese Government before them that 'Korea, though a
vassal and tributary state of China, was entirely independent so far
as her government, religion, and intercourse with foreign States were
concerned'--to consider it as an integral part of the Chinese Empire,
or should they treat it as a sovereign state, enjoying absolute
international rights?
"The problem was practically solved by the conclusion of the treaty
between Japan, and later on the United States, and Korea, but this
has not materially altered the nature of the relations existing for
the last four centuries, at least between China and its so-called
vassal. That China has, however, derived profit from the opening of
Korea to the commerce of nations, there can be no doubt, for she, too,
being at liberty to conclude treaties with Korea and open this new
market to her merchants, has done so, like other nations, though she
has chosen to call her treaty by the euphonious name of 'commercial
and trade regulations for the subjects of China and Korea', and her
diplomatic representative in Seoul, 'Minister Resident for political
and commercial affairs.' What China's relations with Korea were prior
to the opening of the latter kingdom by the treaty of 1883, I propose
to show in the following pages, taking as my authorities official
Chinese publications and writings of men in official position."