KOREAN INTERVIEWS. 3 



rules of conduct are drilled into them ; these are : To obey the 

 father, respect the elder brother, be loyal to the king, be respect- 

 ful to the wife, and be true to friends. These rules are strictly 

 Confucian. After these rules are firmly fixed in the minds of 

 the pupils they are taught to compose letters; next comes the 

 study of history ; after these studies Confucius and the Chinese 

 classics are taken up, and finally the art of poetical composition. 

 These studies go on through life. A gentleman will study classics 

 in winter, composition of poetry in spring, and in summer study 

 those subjects which will fit him for official duties. The king 

 appoints judges to examine candidates for office; the number 

 appointed may be three, seven, or twelve. The student for ex- 

 amination is locked up in a room for three days without books. 

 The subjects usually selected for examination are from ancient 

 poetry and classics, as follows : 1. Long- word poetry of seven 

 words. 2. Short- word poetry of six words. 3. Problems in clas- 

 sics. 4. Clearing up doubts in classics. 5. Criticising famous 

 men of olden times. 6. Considering what system of morality is 

 best to correct or modify bad customs. 7. Suggesting what kind 

 of military organization is best to defend and control the coun- 

 try. In these various examinations it is claimed that poetry 

 reveals one's nature, that problems in classics show one's knowl- 

 edge, that clearing up doubts in classics demonstrate one's powers 

 of decision, that criticising famous men indicates one's knowledge 

 of persons, that judging of the best system of morality and decid- 

 iDg as to the best kind of military organization displays one's 

 mental attributes.* 



In olden times Korea had public schools ; for centuries it has 

 had none. Private schools are kept in private houses ; no special 

 school building is known in the land. In many Confucian tem- 

 ples free classes are supported by the priests, but only Confucian 

 doctrines are taught. Buddhists have no schools, but have stated 

 times of teaching and expounding. 



POSITION OF WOMEN. The condition of women in Korea is 

 unhappy and degraded to the last degree. Among the more 

 favored classes the women are kept as prisoners within the house ; 

 in rare instances they may visit relatives. This seclusion begins 

 after a girl reaches the age of ten or twelve. Four or five hundred 

 years ago they had greater freedom. The women often refer to 

 these times, and the intelligent classes express sympathy and pity 

 for their present unfortunate condition. The seclusion of the 

 women from the men is so strict that it is customary in the cities 



* The swindling and thieving character of Korean officials, their torturing and murder- 

 ing subjects without trial, and the degradation and helplessness of Korea to-day, stand in 

 curious contrast to this ennobling list of studies and examinations, and indicate a depth of 

 hollow pretense and hypocrisy which is simply appalling. 



