Letters From Joseon

John Mahelm Berry Sill's role as the American Minister to Korea (1894-1897) is one of controversy. He has been described as weak, ineffective, and reluctant by some and as independent, proactive, and alert by others, depending on the researcher. He served during an extremely turbulent period of Korean history, a span of time that encompassed the Sino-Japanese War, the Gabo Reforms, the murder of the Korean queen, and King Gojong's subsequent refuge in the Russian legation. While this book does utilize some diplomatic despatches, it generally relies upon the personal correspondences between the Sills in Korea and their family in the United States. These letters provide a candid view of life in not only the American community in Seoul, but also in the Russian legation, where King Gojong and the crown prince sought refuge following the murder of Queen Min. The letters also give evidence of the rumors and speculation that plagued the daily lives of not only the Western community in Seoul but the Korean community as well.

By expanding the definition of "epistle" to include any writing that addresses the intended receiver directly, JaHyun Kim Haboush introduces readers to the rich epistolary practice of Chos?n Korea. The Chos?n dynasty (1392-1910) produced an abundance of epistles, writings that mirror the genres of neighboring countries (especially China) while retaining their own specific historical trajectory. Written in both literary Chinese and vernacular Korean, the writings collected here range from royal public edicts to private letters, a fascinating array that blurs the line between classical and everyday language and the divisions between men and women. Haboush's selections also recast the relationship between epistolography and the concept of public and private space. Haboush groups her epistles according to where they were written and read: public letters, letters to colleagues and friends, social letters, and family letters. Then she arranges them according to occasion: letters on leaving home, deathbed letters, letters of fiction, and letters to the dead. She examines the mechanics of epistles, their communicative space, and their cultural and political meaning. With its wholly unique collection of materials, Epistolary Korea produces more than a vivid chronicle of pre- and early modern Korean life. It breaks new ground in establishing the terms of a distinct, non-European form of epistolography.

Analysing a series of narratives that described women who transformed the worlds they lived in, this book introduces students and scholars to the lives of the women of Joseon Korea 1550-1700. Exploring their interactions both at home and abroad, this book shows how the agency of these women reached far across the globe The narratives explored here appeared in a wide range of written, visual and material forms, from woodcuts and printed texts, letters, journals, and chronicles to inscriptions on monuments, and were produced by Joseon’s elite officials, grieving families, Japanese civic administrators, Jesuit missionaries, local historians of the Japanese ceramic industry, and men of the Dutch East India Company. The women whose voices, lives, and actions were presented in these texts lived during a time when Joseon Korea was undergoing substantial social, political, and cultural changes. Their works described women’s capacity to transform, in ways large and small, themselves, their families, and society around them. Interest in such women was not limited to a readership within the kingdom alone in this period but was reported across transnational networks to a global audience, from Japan to Europe, carrying messages about Korean women’s agency far and wide. Encounter, Transformation, and Agency in a Connected World: Narratives of Korean Women, 1550-1700 is essential reading for students and scholars interested in the history of Joseon Korea and Asia and the history of women in the early modern period more broadly.

Toegye and Gobong Write Letters is a unique look into the lives of two prominent Confucius scholars. This special edition of their letters highlights their personal struggles as civil servants and scholars. Set in the backdrop of the Four Seven debate, the greatest philosophical debate in Korean neo-Confucianism, these poignant letters have been carefully edited to limit the scholarly discussions making them more accessible to the Confucian neophyte. The touching, often sentimental letters beautifully portrays the relationship between two men who transcend social trappings and a strict hierarchical structure to freely express their fears, ambitions, and trepidations. Although written in the 16th century, these letters come alive and strike a chord with modern readers who unquestionably face the same dilemmas, the same paradoxical questions regarding moral behavior and civic duty.

Your key to the South Korean city’s neighborhoods, green spaces, and urban design, as well as its history, museums, pop culture, shopping, and more. From ancient royal palaces and Korean traditional houses to all-night markets, N Seoul Tower, and the club scene, no city combines the ancient and the contemporary quite like Seoul. Local experts weigh in on one of the world’s most dynamic cities, including contributions from Robert Neff, Tracey Stark, Daniel Gray, Kim Young-sook, Joel Levin, Michael J. Meyers, and Mary Crowe. A comedian details the five things you must bring to Korea, a food writer picks five favorite restaurants, and a prominent meteorologist provides the low-down on Seoul’s climate. You’ll also find insider takes on local mountains and ghosts, as well as movies, tea houses, night spots, the economy, cultural treasures, essential reads, Buddhist shrines, and Seoul’s amazing postwar evolution. From the DMZ, the Han River, and Cheonggyecheon Stream to navigating local dining, linguistics, and cultural practices, this completely updated reference will become your go-to book on the “Land of the Morning Calm.”

Remember the fathers from Chosun Dynasty who wrote letters out of love and worry for their children. The gentlemen from Chosun such as Lee Hwang, Yoo Sung-ryong and Park Ji-won - they were "fathers" before they were scholars, officers and writers. Through the letters to their sons, we aim to explore their life style and the value systems, including education methods, studying skills and attitudes towards others. We can also learn the distinctive personalities of the fathers who taught their children according to their personalities, strengths and weaknesses. Who could possible know a person better than his or her parents? We will read the letters of the great men from Chosun, who were "fathers" before they were scholars, officers and writers. What kind of letter did Lee Hwang (Toegye, 1501-1570), scholar and civil servant from the mid-Chosun era, send to his son who had lost confidence and have given up the state exam? A writer from the mid-Chosun era, Baek Kwang-hun (Okbong, 1537-1582) was relieved to find out his two sons safely entered into the exam station, but still expressed his nervousness in his letters. The father who lived in Seoul alone, working as one low officer to another, worries more and more about his wife at home and the unreliable children. Yoo Sung-ryong (Seoae, 1542-1607), a civil servant in the mid-Chosun era, writes about his education experience for his children who had lost the time to study due to household problems and wars. He is sorry about the lost time when every second is precious for young people and kindly teaches his children about studying with curiosity and preciseness. Park Ji-won (Yonam, 1737-1805), a writer from the lat Chosun period, expresses his joy about his newborn grandson by writing that he can almost hear the baby's cry from the paper. He also talks about how to take care of the sick daughter-in-law after childbirth. Ahn Jung-bok (Sunam, 1712-1805), a scholar in the late Chosun period, writes a letter to his 10-year-old young son who is on his way to the bride's house ty marry, worrying that he might make mistakes. Park Je-ga (Chojung, 1750-1805), a civil servant during the late Chosun period, sends letters to his son about every detail of his exile life. Even within the complicated situation, the love and longing for his family can be easily traced in the letters. The letter he first sent to his three sons as soon as he arrived at the exile place, starts with "Don't worry". Kim Jung-hee (Chusa, 1786-1856), a scholar and artist from the late Chosun era, does not lose his interest in objects such as how to write and draw and telling the story of making his own stuffs even in letters to his son. He delivers the heart and advice, as a father proud of a son who asks for advice on writing. Kang Se-hwang (Pyoam, 1713-1791), a civil servant and artist of the late Chosun period, writes a letter to his son about the conversations he had shared with his companions and sons and advice bout his memorial service after death. Lee Sik (Taekdang, 1584-1647), a civil servant from the mid-Chosun era, acknowledges the worries of his son regarding the health of the father and soothes him to stop worrying and take care of himself instead. Also, he sends his love by sharing the secrets to accept poverty and to grow minds in an attempt to calm him and guide him to dream big. As a scholar and civil servant during the late Chosun era, Park Se-dang (Seogye, 1629-1703) is proud that his son is trying to read a history book and further writes a letter to teach him how to read history books. Let's listen to the father's voice, reminding his son that reading is "to move the letters on the pile of papers directly into the heart". Lee Hwang leaves a message to his nearly 30-year-old son who is taking off to take the state exam, about how to study and how to behave around friends. He expresses his feelings of not wanting his son to be left out from others because of lacking any sense by just being older than his colleagues. The father who lived in silence far away writes a letter before the son's wedding, imagining the whole family getting together at home. Also, the father who didn't hid his proudness when his son was praised by many teachers including Zhuangzi, reminds the son that no one stays young forever to emphasize doing one's best at everything. The father who excitingly welcomed a grandchild at the age of 60 scolds the son for not letting him know how the baby looks like, through his letter. He also shows that he is slightly hurt of not hearing from the son even after sending the meat and food prepared by himself. The father who was trapped inside Namhansansung during the Manchu war of 1636 communicated with his brothers and children through letters. As his wife grew sick due to worrying and his son became extremely sensitive at any kind of rumors related to the father, he writes about his worries and requests in his letters.

This book examines the complex relations between Joseon Korea (1392–1910) and Ming/Qing China in history, and reveals their contemporary implications for the nature of a China-dominated order in East Asia and the relations between China and the middle powers in the region. Instead of relying on the works that offer over-generalized conclusions based on information drawn from secondary sources, this book provides a much more nuanced account of the Koreans’ experience of managing their relations with the great powers by analyzing the first-hand evidence documented by the Joseon historiographers related to the major events in Joseon–Ming relations, Joseon’s response to power transition from Ming to Qing, and Joseon–Qing relations. In East Asia today where the middle powers are facing the rise of China and a trilateral dilemma as a result of the Sino–US rivalry in the region, what history can tell us is of significant value to scholars, policy advisers, and policymakers.