258 



COREA. 



to suzerainty, and after the invasion maintained 

 a garrison in Fusan, kept that place open to 

 Japanese trade when intercourse was broken 

 off with all foreigners, exacted for a time an 

 annual tribute, and exerts to this day a certain 

 measure of political control. The relations 

 with China, established for purposes of mutual 

 protection, have continued to bear the charac- 

 ter of a friendly alliance, in which the condi- 

 tion of vassalage is treated simply as a matter 

 of form. For two hundred years China has 

 avoided complications with Corea, and has 

 never materially interfered with her affairs. 

 In the treaty of commerce between the United 

 States and Corea, the first clause contains a 

 recognition of the sovereign rights of China 

 over Corea, which became important again 

 and mutually advantageous when it was feared 

 that Russia or some other European power 

 might seek to establish a protectorate. 



In consequence of the Japanese and Manchu 

 invasions which devastated and depopulated 

 the country, the Corean Government adopted 

 a policy of complete non -intercourse with for- 

 eigners. The mineral industries were purpose- 

 ly neglected, and the wealth of the country in 

 gold and silver was kept concealed by means 

 of rigorous laws against mining, so as to avoid 

 presenting temptations to new conquerors. This 

 policy of seclusion is the cause of the stagna- 

 tion and backwardness of the country, and 

 has kept the people in a condition of poverty. 

 The population of Corea is estimated at 11,- 

 000,000, and the number of habitations at 

 1,700,000. 



Government. The reigning King is Li Fin, 

 the twenty-eighth successor in a line which 

 has reigned for 492 years. The King is an 

 absolute monarch. He has three ministers who 

 hold office for life. There are six governmental 

 departments, which have cognizance respect- 

 ively of the appointment and dismissal of sub- 

 ordinate officers ; the supervision of finances, 

 taxation, and coinage ; the government of 

 schools, the examination of literary candidates, 

 and the regulation of ceremonies; the army, 

 manufacture of arms, and postal affairs; the 

 supervision of courts and the administration of 

 justice. The heads of departments are asso- 

 ciated with the three chief ministers in the 

 Council, of State, which makes a daily report 

 to the King of the results of its work. The 

 official class constitutes the nobility. There 

 are no hereditary titles, and though the aris- 

 tocratic families preserve their power and dis- 

 tinction, each man's rank is derived from the 

 highest office he has held. The attachment of 

 rank-distinction to official posts is the cause of 

 frequent changes in the offices, in order that 

 the titles of rank may be multiplied, and the 

 cause also of fierce rivalry between the differ- 

 ent families of the upper class for these posts 

 and their division into factions which keep up 

 a constant turmoil. Officials possess certain 

 special privileges, such as immunity from ar- 

 rest. They can only be summoned into court 



on a writ from the Department of Justice. 

 The system of appointment is similar to that 

 which prevails in China. Literary examina- 

 tions are held at stated intervals, and three 

 classes of diplomas are awarded to the success- 

 ful candidates, which make them eligible to ap- 

 pointment in the corresponding grades of offi- 

 cial position. The common people take very 

 little part in public affairs. 



The Army. The army consists of a militia, in 

 which 1,300,000 are enrolled ; but this military 

 force is not effective, as the men are not drilled 

 and have no arms. 



Education. There are numerous private 

 schools, but no public system of education. 

 Nearly all of the common people can read and 

 write in the Corean language, in which many 

 simple books are printed. The language of 

 learning is Chinese, in which the upper classes 

 receive their literary education. After the 

 opening of the country to foreign intercourse 

 by the American treaty, the Government es- 

 tablished an English school at Seoul, the capi- 

 tal. The teachers were at first Chinese, edu- 

 cated in the United States. Subsequently Eu- 

 ropeans were engaged. 



Customs and Institutions. The titles to land 

 are derived from the Government, and are 

 carefully registered in public records. The 

 tenure depends on the payment of taxes, which 

 are levied in kind, and are an oppressive bur- 

 den on account of the extortions of officials. 

 The only coin in use is the copper cash, of 

 which 525 are equivalent to a Mexican dollar. 

 The roads are narrow and are unfitted for vehi- 

 cles, except the two- wheeled carts used to 

 transport merchandise. Bulls and Corean po- 

 nies are used as pack-animals. The wealthy 

 travel on horseback or in sedan-chairs. 



Post-offices are maintained in the principal 

 towns, and on some of the highways the 

 Government provides post-houses for public 

 use. 



The majority of the houses are only huts, 

 with mud walls and floors and thatched roofs. 

 The houses of the well-to-do have stone foun- 

 dations and flues running through them, which 

 serve as stoves. The building itself is of wood, 

 with a tiled roof. The floors, walls, and win- 

 dows are lined with paper. 



The clothing of the common people is of 

 cotton or linen cloth. They are shod with 

 sandals made of straw or twine, with soles of 

 rawhide. Their conical hats are made of 

 horsehair. Their leg-coverings are wide trou- 

 sers divided below the knees and fastened 

 about the ankles. Their coat is a long, loose 

 tunic, with flowing sleeves. Their winter cloth- 

 ing is wadded. 



A modified form of bondage exists. Some- 

 times people voluntarily enter the servile state 

 in order to escape extortion and oppression. 

 The artisans and laborers belong to powerful 

 guilds, which enable them to maintain a con- 

 siderable degree of comfort and independence. 

 The wages earned by laborers average about 



