[Gubook Janggoon]

Shingicheon Hwacha (Joseon)

Korean Firelancers (Goryeo)


Panokseon (Joseon)

Ssirum Contest (Joseon)

[Gubook Janggoon]

Here's a parade of Goguryeo stuff now...

Wall Murals

[Gubook Janggoon]

Rendition of Goguryeo Calvalry (Manchuconqueror's friend drew this!)

Another Goguryeo Calvalry

The General's Tomb (Now located in Dongbei)

[caocao74]

Nice collection of images Gubuk Janggoon

[Gubook Janggoon]

caocao74, on Jan 9 2005, 07:54 PM, said:

Nice collection of images Gubuk Janggoon

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks, I put them here in the back because the areas where they were most relavent didn't have enough memory to support them.

[Gubook Janggoon]

Goryeo and Joseon people

Goryeo

Gyeon Hwon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Gyeon Hwon
Korean Name
Revised Romanization Gyeonhwon
McCune-Reischauer Kyŏnhwŏn
Hangul 견훤
Hanja 甄萱


Gyeon Hwon (867?-936, reigned 900-935) was the king and founder of Hubaekje, one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea. Some records render his name as "Jinhwon" (진훤). He was also the progenitor of the Hwanggan Gyeon clan. Substantial accounts of his life are preserved in the Samguk Sagi, which presents a single narrative, and the Samguk Yusa, which presents excerpts about him from various sources.

Most accounts agree that Gyeon Hwon's father was Ajagae, a farmer of the Lee clan, and that he was born in what is today Gaeun-eup in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang province. His mother was from the Gwangju area. Agajae later led a local peasant revolt and declared himself a general.

Gyeon Hwon is said to have left home at 15 to join the Silla army, at which time he changed his family name from Lee to Gyeon. After becoming the commander of Silla forces in the Jeolla area, he marshalled local peasants to his cause and attacked the southwestern perimeter of Gyeongju, the Silla capital. That attack was beaten back, and he turned back to Jeolla where he seized the city of Gwangju in 892.

In 900, Gyeon Hwon declared himself the king of Hubaekje ("later Baekje") and established his capital at Jeonju. He swore to avenge King Uija, the last king of Baekje. From that time forth, his life largely coincides with the history of his short-lived kingdom. Sending an embassy to the Chinese kingdom of Wuyue, he was confirmed by the Wuyue court as a legitimate ruler.

Gyeon Hwon took numerous wives after becoming king, and had numerous children by them in addition to the eight sons and a daughter borne by his first wife. In 935, as his kingdom reeled from military defeats, he decided that his fourth son Geumgang should succeed him, rather than his firstborn son Singeom. Singeom, together with his brothers Yanggeom and Yonggeom, imprisoned Gyeon Hwon and killed Geumgang. Gyeon Hwon escaped from prison and fled to his old enemy Wanggeon in Goryeo, who welcomed him and provided him with land and slaves. At Gyeon Hwon's request, the following year he and Wanggeon led the massive Goryeo army which defeated Hubaekje at Seonsan.

Later in 936, Gyeon Hwon died of an inflamed tumor.


Joseon

Emperor Gojong of Korea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from Gojong)
Emperor Gojong
Korean Name
Revised Romanization Gojong Hwangje
McCune-Reischauer Kojong Hwangje
Hangul 고종 황제
Hanja 高宗皇帝

Gojong (1852 - 1919) was the 26th king and 1st emperor of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. Originally, Gojong's father, Regent Heungseon (Daewongun), ruled for him, but later, after Gojong had become an adult, Gojong ruled the country directly. It was during Daewongun's reign that the main palace at Gyeongbokgung was restored as the seat of the royalty.

Following the invasion of Korea by Chinese, Japanese, and Russian forces during the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) and Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), and the subsequent Japanese victories in both wars, Gojong was pressured to accept pro-Japanese advisors to the royal court by the Meiji Emperor of Japan. His domestic and foreign policies, however, proved to be successful in the face of the Japanese threat, mostly because they were cleverly directed by his brilliant wife, Queen Min (officially known as Empress Myeong-Song). Empress Myeong-Song used Russian and Chinese interests in Korea to defend her country from Japanese domination. Her domestic policies were also successful in industrializing Korea. However, due to the shift in the balance of power, the Japanese assassinated her and effectively ended any chance of Korea's remaining independent.

Gojong continued his late wife's policies to the end of his reign. He proclaimed the Korean Empire in 1897 in order to defend Korea against Japanese aggression. Following the Protectorate Treaty of 1905 between Korea and Japan, which stripped Korea of its rights as an independent nation, he sent representitives to the Hague Peace Convention of 1907 in order to tell the world of the crimes of Japanese imperialism in Korea. Although the Korean representatives were blocked by the Japanese delegates, they did not give up, and later held interviews with newspapers. As a result, an enraged Emperor Meiji forced Gojong to abdicate in favour of Gojong's son, Sunjong.



Queen Min of Joseon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Empress Myeongseong of Joseon (明成皇后, 1851-1895), more commonly known as Queen Min (閔妃), was the last empress of Korea. She is recognized by the Korean people as a heroine, equivalent to France's Joan of Arc.

Empress Myeongseong was the wife of Emperor Gojong, Emperor of the Joseon Dynasty of the Daehan Empire. During her life as empress, she strived diplomatically and politically to keep Korea independent of foreign influence. She is credited for introducing new Western technologies, such as trains, telephones, streetcars, and electrical lights. She also proved herself brilliant when handling foreign affairs, as shown when she summoned the help of Russia and the Qing Dynasty of China to block the Japanese from taking over Korea, which was within considerable influence of Tokyo's imperialistic ambitions.

The Japanese, Emperor Meiji in particular, viewed her as an obstacle. However, efforts to neutralize her or to remove her from Korea's government continuously failed due to Emperor Gojong's devotion. The Japanese resorted to sending ambassadors to Korea's royal court, but such efforts were eventually repelled, again by Empress Myeongseong. As a result, the Japanese minister to Korea, Miura Goro, faced with losing Korea to other foreign powers, hired assassins to invade the Korean imperial residence and kill the empress in 1895. They killed three women suspected of being Queen Min, and when they verified which was the Queen, they violated her body and then burned the corpse. These acts were witnessed by a Russian architect named Sabatin and other foreign officials, who protested heavily.

Emperor Gojong, enraged over the event, posthumously awarded his late wife the title Myeongseong (bright or shining star) and enshrined her in Jongmyo, Korea's state shrine. She is the only empress enshrined in Jongmyo; all other females are queens.

There is some uncertainty about the date of Queen Min's assassination. Most authorities view October 8, 1895 as the correct date; however, other sources cite the date as August 20, 1895.


Taejo of Joseon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from King Taejo of Joseon)
Taejo of Joseon
Korean Name
Revised Romanization Taejo
McCune-Reischauer T'aejo
Hangul 태조
Hanja 太祖

King Taejo of Joseon (original name Yi Seonggye, 이성계(李成桂) was the founder and the first king of Korea's Joseon Dynasty. His father Yi Jachun was a former Mongol official, but his ethnicity was Korean. Yi joined the Goryeo army and rose through the ranks, seizing the throne of Korea in 1392.

Cultural background

During the beginning of the eleventh century Mongol forces had advanced into China and the Korean peninsula, and by the year 1238 Goryeo was fully under Mongol's control and would remain so for the next full century. The Ming Dynasty in China had grown powerful during the 14th century, however, and began to beat back the Mongol armies, so that by the 1350s Goryeo had regained its independence, although Mongol remnants garrisoned a large number of troops in the north-east of Goryeo, effectively occupying part of the country.
[edit]

Military career

General Yi Seonggye had gained power and respect during the late 1370s and early 1380s by pushing Mongol remnants outside of the peninsula and also by repelling well-organized Japanese pirates in a series of successful engagements. Many at the court plotted to dethrone King U and replace him with General Yi. In 1388, General Yi was ordered to use his armies to invade Liaodong. But he made a momentous decision that would alter the course of Korean history. Knowing of the support he enjoyed both from high-ranking government officials and the general populace, he decided to return to the capital, Kaesong, and secure control of the government.
[edit]

Revolution

General Yi marched his army into the capital, defeated the forces loyal to the king (led by General Choi Yong) and removed the government, but did not ascend the throne right away. King Gongyang(공양왕; 恭讓王) and his family were sent into exile in 1392 (where they would later be secretly murdered), but the renowned scholar, poet and statesman Jeong Mong-ju(정몽주; 鄭夢周) faithfully supported the king, leading the opposition to Yi’s claim to the throne. Jeong was revered throughout Goryeo, even by Yi himself, but he was seen to be an obstacle and as such had to be removed. Yi's son, Yi Bang-won (later King Taejong), threw a party for him and afterward, on his way home, Jeong was murdered by five men on the Seonjukgyo Bridge(선죽교; 善竹橋) in Kaesong. This bridge has now become a national monument of North Korea, and a brown spot on one of the stones is said to be a bloodstain of his which turns red when it rains.

The 474-year-old Goryeo Dynasty ended with the exile of King Gongyang and the death of Jeong Mong-ju, and was followed by the Joseon Dynasty.

Yi Sun-sin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Yi Sun-sin
Korean Name
Revised Romanization I Sun-sin
McCune-Reischauer Yi Sun-shin
Hangul 이순신
Hanja 李舜臣

Yi Sun-sin (April 18, 1545 — December 16, 1598), also rendered as Yi Sun-shin or I Sunsin, was a Korean naval leader. As the Lord High Admiral of the Korean fleet under the Joseon Dynasty, Yi led the fight against the Japanese during their first invasion of Korea during April 1592 in the Seven-Year War. He turned back the enemy fleet of Japanese invaders with his innovative "turtle ships," and became to many Koreans a legendary national hero.

Early Life

Yi was born in Geoncheon Dong (Korean: 건천동; 乾川洞) in Seoul. His courtesy name was Deoksu (덕수; 德水) and his posthumous name was Chungmu or Chung Mu (충무; 忠武). In 1576 he passed the military civil service examination and was posted in the northern border region for the next 10 years. In 1591, he was posted to the naval command in Jeolla (전라도 (全羅道)).
[edit]

The Seven-Year War and the Japanese Invasions

The Korean admiral was responsible for defeat of Japanese invasions in 1592 and 1597. In 1592, Toyotomi Hideyoshi gave the order to invade Korea, planning to sweep through the peninsula and then conquer China. (See Seven-Year War) Hideyoshi was fully aware of the need to control the seas during the invasion. Having failed to hire two Portuguese galleons to help him, he increased the size of his own fleet to 700 vessels, assuming that the Koreans would fight hand-to-hand and be overwhelmed.

In fact the invasion force landed at Busan without meeting any Korean ships, and the Japanese forces began a lightning march north, reaching Seoul within twenty days on 2 May 1592. But the Korean navy was not idle. In May and June, in a series of actions, a small Korean fleet commanded by Yi Sun-sin destroyed several Japanese flotillas - in all perhaps 72 vessels were sunk by the end of June.
[edit]

Yi and the "Turtle Ships"

Yi designed revolutionary iron-roofed ships called Geobukseon, or "turtle ship". These were probably the first warships to use iron plates as defensive armour. About 33 metres long and 8 metres broad, their roofs were made of hexagonal metal plates, which made them impossible to board and also provided protection against gunfire.

They were armed with twelve gunports and twenty-two loopholes per side for small-arms, plus four more ports at each end, together with fire-pots and toxic smoke. Sometimes the turtle-ships came up close, just like a modern torpedo boat, and fired broadsides; sometimes they used their metal ram to hole the enemy, leaving the other warships to close in for the kill. Their armament outweighted that of the Japanese by about 40 to 1.

Turtle ships were first deployed at Sachun, where it helped destroy 13 enemy ships. Subsequently, Admiral Yi achieved tremendous victories in every battle he engaged. In the battles at Dangpo, Danghangpo he sank 20 and 100 Japanese ships respectively and comprehensively routed the inexperienced Japanese sailors. Then on 8 July, in a decisive battle, Admiral Yi destroyed the main enemy fleet in Hansan Bay, sinking 59 out of 73 warships; and on the following day he defeated a relief expedition sailing up from Japan.
[edit]

The Japanese Response

But Hideyoshi and his commanders learned fast. At Busan, the surviving Japanese warships took abroad some heavier guns and iron plates, and clustered beneath the harbour's defences including heavy guns. With an outnumbered and outgunned fleet, Yi refused to make the suicidal attack, that was a crucial part in him being demoted later in 1597. With his successes, he was appointed the Lord High Admiral and given general command of the entire naval forces of southern Korea in 1593. From then to 1597 there was a hiatus in the war but when it resumed, the Japanese again failed to win command of the sea. Yi was removed from his post after disputes with Admiral Won Gyun, who replaced Yi as Lord High Admiral (수군 통제사). Yi was reinstated after successes by the Japanese navy in July 1597 against Won Gyun, who was killed in battle at Chilcheonnyang. On September 16, 1597, he led 12 remnant ships of Won Gyun's fleet against 133 Japanese ships in the Myongnyang Straits. The Koreans sank 31 enemy ships and forced a Japanese retreat.

In November, the Japanese fleet was lured by Yi into a tide-race where the oar-driven turtle ships caused wholesale destruction. The Japanese never recovered from this blow: lacking naval support, their armies were unable to advance far from their base in Busan and the survivors were glad to return home in 1598. On November 19, 1598, Admiral Yi was shot during the final battle of the war when he attacked retreating Japanese remnants at Noryang. The Korean turtle ships did not go into action again after the Admiral's demise, a result of incompetent ministers that neglected the country's affairs and the Confucian view discouraging warfare.
[edit]

Yi's Legacy

Yi Sun-shin kept a careful record of daily events in a diary, and it is from these entries, along with the reports he sent to the throne during the war, that much about the man has been learned. These works have been published in English as Nanjung Ilgi: War Diary of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, and Imjin Jangcho: Admiral Yi Sun-sin's Memorials to Court. His posthumous title, Lord of Loyalty and Chivalry (Chungmu-gong, 충무공; 忠武公) is used in Korea's third highest military honor, the Cordon of Chungmu of the Order of Military Merit and Valour. Chungmuro (충무로; 忠武路)—a street in downtown Seoul—is also named after him. The city Chungmu, later renamed to Tongyeong, on southern coast of Korea is named in honour of his posthumous title and the site of his headquarters respectively. There is a prominent statue of Admiral Yi Sunsin in the middle of Sejongno in central Seoul. He reputedly never had a single ship lost under his command, while destroying around a thousand of the enemy. His skill was so highly viewed by the Japanese that he was the official deity of the Imperial Japanese Navy well into the early 1900's.

King Sejong the Great of Joseon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
King Sejong the Great
Korean Name
Revised Romanization Sejong Daewang
McCune-Reischauer Sejong Taewang
Hangul 세종대왕
Hanja 世宗大王
Birth Name
Revised Romanization/
McCune-Reischauer I Do
Hangul 이도
Hanja 李祹

King Sejong the Great (May 6, 1397 - May 18, 1450), born I Do, was the fourth ruler of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea from 1418 to 1450. He was also a skilled linguist under whose guidance the native Korean alphabet Hangul was created. In addition to Hangul, Sejong also invented a rain gauge, striking water clocks, and a sundial. Following the principles of Neo-Confucianism, Sejong was also a humanitarian who proclaimed that there must be three trials before a final judgment is reached, and he prohibited brutality in the punishment of criminals, such as flogging.

Sejong was the third son of King Taejong (태종; 太宗) (Yi Bangwon). When he was ten, he became Grand Prince Chungnyeong (충녕대군 ; 忠寧大君) and married a daughter of Sim On (심온 ; 沈溫) of Cheongsong (청송 ; 青松), commonly known as Sim-ssi (심씨 ; 沈氏), who later was given the title Princess-Consort Soheon (소헌왕비 ; 昭憲王妃). Sejong established the Hall of Worthies (집현전 ; 集賢殿 ; Jiphyeonjeon) in 1420 in the royal palace, Sejong gathered intellectuals from around Korea. The scholars of the Hall of Worthies documented history, drafted documents and compiled books on various topics.

In addition to being a linguist and an inventor, Sejong was also a writer. He composed Yongbi Eocheon Ga ("Songs of Flying Dragons", 1445), Seokbo Sangjeol ("Episodes from the Life of Buddha", July 1447), Worin Cheon-gang Jigok ("Songs of the Moon Shining on a Thousand Rivers", July 1447), and the reference Dongguk Jeong-un ("Dictionary of Proper Sino-Korean Pronunciation", September 1447).

Sejong died at the age of 52 and was buried at the Yeong Mausoleum (영릉 ; 英陵). His successor was his first son, Munjong.

Sejongno (a street) and the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts – both located in central Seoul – are named after King Sejong, and he is depicted on the South Korean 10,000-Won note.

[Gubook Janggoon]

More pictures

Old stuff..

Shilla belt buckle

Metal stuffs

Pottery Shilla

Koguryo Wall Mural

Koguryo Crown (I think)

Gold stuff Baekje (I think)

Armor Gaya

Gaya Crown

Shilla Gold (I think)

[Gubook Janggoon]

Helmet Gaya

Shilla Tomb

Shilla Gold stuffs





Shilla Pottery

Stuff...dunno from where...

Buddha...koryo I think

[Gubook Janggoon]

OK..parade of stuff. I dunno what period or what dynasty...




I think this is the seal of Joseon

Old stuff

My favorite Koryo Celadon

More Koryo Celadon

Koguryo Armor

[Gubook Janggoon]

Kids practicing Taekkyon

Gisaeng

Incense burner Baekje

Namdaemun Pictures (Seoul)

]
Geobukson Replica (Turtle ship)

The rest are from Shilla
Bulguksa Temple www.davejenkins.com

Cheomseongdae Oberbvatory

Emille Bell

[Gubook Janggoon]

Joseon in the eyes of the British. 1890's

*From Korea Times

[caocao74]

Gubuk Janggoon, on Feb 8 2005, 03:37 PM, said:

Joseon in the eyes of the British.  1890's

Does the Korean Times give the original artist, or the journal it appeared in?

Also, did the KT comment upon the illustrations at all? Recently the KT (as well as Chosun Ilbo &c) criticised the Japanese photographs published as they claimed that they made the Korean people of the time appear primitive.

[Gubook Janggoon]

I think my parents threw out the paper...


If I remember correctly it was the Illustrated London Times...or something to that extent...a bit broad..I know..sorry...

There didn't seem to be any negative connotations to the article..although I just briefly skimmed it...as I'm not the most proficient reader in Korean...


I've seen similar drawings in Korea and her Neighbours by Isabella Bird...another British author I believe.

[caocao74]

Gubuk Janggoon, on Feb 9 2005, 09:18 AM, said:

I think my parents threw out the paper...
If I remember correctly it was the Illustrated London Times...
There didn't seem to be any negative connotations to the article..although I just briefly skimmed it...as I'm not the most proficient reader in Korean...

The Illustrated London Times would seem about right for the style and time.

But if it was in the KT, it wouldn't be in Korean (it's an English-language newspaper) . At least from the Hangul under the image, there's nothing of an opinion.

[Gubook Janggoon]

Hmm...it said Hangook Ilbo (In Hangul)...and the English website always says "The Korea Times"...so I supposed....