COREA.. 
485 
The descendant of this king, in the fourteenth century, when the 
Mongol power was declining, still adhered to the cause of the 
descendants of Ivublai Khan ; but a noble of the name of Li-tan had 
the discrimination to pin his faith in the cowherd who ultimately 
drove the Mongols from China and established himself' as Emperor, 
founding the celebrated Ming dynasty. 
As a reward for the aid given him, Ilungwu, the first of the Ming 
dynasty, made Li-tan king of Corea in a.d. 1392. The present king is 
a descendant of Li-tan. Li-tan, on ascending the throne, changed the 
name of the country from Korai (Corea) to Chaohsien, land of the 
“morning calm,” pronounced “ Chos-sen.” In the sixteenth century 
there rose a quarrel between the Chinese and Manchu Tartars, and 
Japan seized the opportunity to invade Corea in a.d. 1592. 
Previous to this invasion Corea had, under the fostering influence 
of China and the liberty she enjoyed, made marvellous progress in 
prosperity and in the arts. 
Her armies had occupied vast regions in Manchuria; her fleet had 
defeated the Japanese and ravaged the coasts of Japan. In peaceful 
arts her ceramics and silks were the admiration as her wealth was the 
envy of the East. But six short years, 1592 to 159S, changed the 
whole aspect of affairs; the celebrated Hyde Hochi, a Japanese 
general with considerable military talents, but whose only virtue was 
an intense patriotism, utterly destroyed Corean prosperity. The 
Coreans were ruthlessly plundered and massacred ; no respect was 
paid to age or sex ; the pottery manufacturers and silk weavers were 
carried off to Japan, whore in quasi-slavery and enforced celibacy they 
were constrained to teach the Japanese their arts and knowledge. 
The Corean fishers were ousted by Japanese. The Corean port of 
Pusan was seized, and has for the last 300 years been a Japanese 
settlement. The Coreans were forced to give tribute to J apan, and this 
tribute was made as hateful as possible to the conquered people. Part 
of the tribute consisted of the human skins of Coreans, who were 
flayed alive for the purpose. Constant cries went from Corea to 
China for help. The Corean love and affection for China called forth 
the best qualities of the Chinese people — namely, generosity and a 
hatred for unreinunerative wickedness. The Chinese had had their 
nobler vanity propitiated by the Coreans. The Coreans had adopted 
the Chinese written language and literature as their own ; they had 
accepted and promulgated the Chinese criminal code ; the Corean 
Court was modelled on that of China. The Coreans had even adopted 
the ancient Chinese dress. Slowly and prudently, with great delibera- 
tion, and choosing a propitious time, China came to Corea’s assistance. 
Internal dissensions in J apan caused Hyde Hochi and his family to 
lose their influence. Japanese reinforcements were not sent in 
sufficient numbers to keep up the Japaneso army of occupation. 
Encouraged by the aid of China, the Coreans rose on their oppressors, 
and massacred them with circumstances of great cruelty and barbarity. 
Though masters of the situation, the Chinese evinced great moderation. 
They sanctioned Corea still giving tribute to Japan, and allowed the 
Japanese to still retain Eusan as a settlement, and to keep the fishery 
privileges they had acquired along the Corean coast. The Chinese 
also withdrew their troops, and again left the Coreans in the enjoy- 
ment of internal self-government. 
