HISTORY. The beginnings of Korean history are associated with Ki-tse (q.v.), who is said to have founded a nation here some time after B.C. 1122. In u.c. 105' the country was annexed to the Chinese Empire. Soon after the Christian Era, it was divided among three petty principali ties called the San Ilan. About 960 of them, called KQri or Ko•yii, became paramount and maintained its independence during a bril liant period of progress in which the govern mental machinery was modeled after that of China. The Six Boards were introduced, and the country was divided into eight do or prov inces. This was an age of flourishing art, and Buddhism attained its greatest development and power. In 1392, however, a palace revolution took place, which resulted in the overthrow of Buddhism, the banishing of the priests, and the establishment of the present dynasty. The an cient name of Ch(sen or Chosen (in Chinese ('hao-sien or 'morning freshness') was revived, and Han-yang became the Seoul or 'capital.' In 1592 Hideyoshi (q.v.), the Japanese Regent. sent a large invading army into Korea as a first step to the conquest of China. His armies overran the country as far north as Pirm-yang and Won san, but on the arrival of Chinese assistance Ilideyoshi's troops were gradually driven south ward. and in 1597 they were recalled. Japan, however, retained Fusan in the south as a trad ing station. Hardly had Korea recovered from the effects of this Japanese irruption when, in 1627, the Manchus appeared and placed the coun try under vassalage, and from that date until 1S94 a tribute-bearing mission annually visited Peking. In 1564 the King (posthumously known as Ch'yel-chyong..) died childless without having named a successor. The present Emperor, Yi Hevi. then a child of twelve, was chosen, and his father appointed Tai Wen Nun as Regent. For nine years he ruled with a rod of iron, persecuted the Christians. (leading to a French expedition in 1566, which accomplished nothing), and rigor ously enforced the policy of exclusiveness,and the doctrine of 'Korea for the Koreans,' In 1571 a 'United States expedition, sent to inquire into the fate of a shipwrecked e•ew, was equally fruit less. It fell to the lot of the Japanese to be the first to make a treaty of friendship and inter course with Korea. The ports of Minsan and Fusan were opened in 1576 to their trade. and a third. Chemulpo, in 1550. In 1552 Commodore secured a treaty of friend-hip between the 'United States and Korea. This was followed in 1553 by treaties with Great Britain and Ger many. in 1554 with Italy and Russia. in 1356 with France. in 1592 with Austria. and in 1597 with China.
Meanwhile there was much conflict in Korea between the Conservatives and the 'Civilization Party,' but the latter triumphed. In 1550 a Korean embassy visited Japan. and another visited the 'United States in 1553 to exchange ratifications of the treaty. From this time forth Korea was open to foreign trade and Western civilization.
Independence was brought about by the Chino Japanese X)ar in 1894-95, the ostensible cause of which lay in the dispatching of troops by the Chinese Government to assist in suppressing an uprising of peasants, without first notifying Ja pan in accordance with an agreement between Li Hung Chang and the Marquis Ito. Just at this time the Government of Japan was in great straits in dealing with a hostile Parliament and public, and war with China seemed the best way to save itself. _Active hostile operations were at once begun in Korea, though war was not declared until August 1, 1894. The Chinese army was defeated at Ping yang with great loss September Ifith, and on the following day was fought the great naval battle off the Yalu River, which thoroughly crippled China's fleet. From this date forward the progress of the Japanese forces was a nearly unbroken series of victories. Port Arthur and Ta-lieu-wan having fallen into their hands, they crossed to Shan-tung and took Wei hai-wei. Negotiations for peace were at once be gun by the Chinese. The Korean King declared in favor of independence January 8, 1895, and the 'Chinese gate' at Seoul was destroyed with im posing ceremonies. The Treaty of Shimonoseki followed, confirming this, amid Korea entered on a new career with Japan, not China, as a model.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Ballet, Histoire de l'eglisc de Bibliography. Ballet, Histoire de l'eglisc de Coree (Paris. 1874) ; Oppert, A Forbidden Land (London, 1880) ; Griffis, Corea, Without and "Within (London, 1885) ; Les Corecns ( Paris, 1888 ) ; Lowell, Ch °son, the Land of the Mor»ing Calm (Boston. 1836) ; Caries, Life in Core• (London, 188S) ; Griffis, ('orea, the Hermit Nation. (3d ed., New York. 1889) ; Rocklmill, "Korea in Its Relations with China," in Journal of the American Oriental Society (New Haven, 1889) ; Boss, history of Corea (London. 1891) ; Gilmore. Korea from Its Capital (Philndelphia, 1893) ; Curzon, Problems of the Far EGO (Lon don, 1894) ; Cavendish and Goold-Adams, Korea (London, 1394) ; Lando•, Corea or Cho-sen, the Land.of the Morning Calm (New York, 1895) ; Norman, People and. Polities of the Far East ( Lon don,1896) ; Hamy, Documents sur Panthropologie de la Cone (Paris, 1896) ; Pogio.Korea (Vienna, 189('i) ; Wilkinson, The Korean Goren/Wen t (Shanghai, 1306) ; Brandt, astasiatisehe Fragen (Leipzig, 1897) : Lagiff•rie, La. Coree, indepen (tante, russe ou japonaisc (Paris. 1898) ; Bishop, Korea and Her Neighbors (New York.1898) ; Hul bert, "Korea's Geographical Significance," in American Geographical Society Journal, vol. v. (New York, 1900) ; Allen, "The History of Korea," in Korea Review, vol. i. (Seoul. Korea, 1901) ; Walter, Korea, (ust und jetzt (Hamburg, 1902) ; Braecke, "La Corfu, sa situation 6co nomique et ses richesses minieres." in Recur Uni verselle des Mines, dr la Metallurgic, ser. 3. vol. lix. (Liege. 1902) ; and the Korean Repository (Seoul, 1893-98).