important terms his 369

Yi Sŏnggye (King T’aejo)

founder of Korea's choseon Dynasty, establishing it in 1392 by overthrowing the Goryeo dynasty, shifting the state ideology to Neo-Confucianism, moving the capital to Hanseong (Seoul), and implementing reforms that shaped Korean governance for centuries. A renowned military general, he rose to power through victories against Japanese pirates and Mongol remnants, ultimately establishing a new, stable state after a period of turmoil. 

King Sejong

He ruled from 1418 to his death in 1450. He is widely regarded as the greatest king in Korean history, and is remembered for the creation of Hangul,

Literati purges

a series of brutal political conflicts in the late 15th and 16th centuries during Korea's Joseon Dynasty, where rival political factions, primarily the established Hungu and the rising Sarim scholar-officials, eliminated each other through accusations, executions, and exile, stemming from ideological clashes, power struggles, and personal grudges, with the most famous being the four major purges (Muo, Gapja, Gimyo, Eulsa)

Hŏ Nansŏrhŏn

was a Korean painter and poet of the mid-Joseon dynasty. She was the younger sister of Hŏ Pong, a politician and political writer, and elder sister to Hŏ Kyun, a prominent writer of the time and credited as the author of The Tale of Hong Gildong

Yi Sunsin

was a Korean admiral and military general known for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin War in the Joseon period. Yi's courtesy name was Yŏhae, and he was posthumously honored with the title Lord of Loyal Valor.

Hendrik Hamel

was a Dutch sailor. He provided the first Western account of Korea. Little is known of Hamel's early life and life after his journey to Korea. He was born in the Netherlands in 1630, and sailed to the Dutch East Indies in 1650.

King Yŏngjo

(Korean: 영조; Hanja: 英祖; 31 October 1694 – 22 April 1776), personal name Yi Geum (이금; 李昑), was the 21st monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea.

He implemented the “Equalized Tax Law” (균역법, Gyunyeokbeop) in 1750.

• Reduced military service taxes on commoners

• Replaced them with a more efficient tax structure, easing the burden on poor farmers
  This is considered one of the most important economic reforms in Joseon history.

Sirhak

(Korean: “Practical Learning”), school of thought that came into existence in the midst of the chaotic conditions of 18th-century Korea, dedicated to a practical approach to statecraft, instead of the blind and uncritical following of Confucian teachings