New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-18
INSURRECTION IN COREA.

BELONGING TO THE ANTI-FoREIGN PARTY.
LONDON, Aug LITTLE PdH Mall Gazette says
that private kilograms received in London say that
the troubles in Corea have eliminated in q general
nsurrection. and that the King and Queen have been
assassnated. TheJapanese legatioDwas attacked by
natives belonging to the anti-foregn party.
japanese men-of-war have been dispatched to
Seoul River.
dispatch to the Press Association says that the
report OF revolution in COrea is officially confirmed
japanese military officer in the Corean service is
among the killed.
COREA AND HER FOREIGN RELATIONS.
Corea is a kingdom of Eastern Asia the greater
part of which occupies peninsula which stretches
south from the northern part of the Chinese En-
pire. 1t is bounded on the north by Manchuria, on
the east by the Sea of Japan the south by the
Straits of Corea, and on the west by the Yellow
Sea- and Its is about 10000 square miles. The
country is eminently mountainous. the principal
chain extending north and south through the penn-
sula, and it Is well supplied with rivers. The Gil
mate is rigorous IN winter but in the southern part
IN summer all the fruits of central Europe grow
readily. The country is supplied with variety Of
minerals. but they are almost entirely neglected
The kingdom is divided into eight provinces. The
King, though nOmnaly a vassal of the Chinese
Empire, at least until tue recent treaty with the
United States by Commodore Shufeldt modihed
this dependence, is absolute within his own do
mnions, and is the subject of almost divine honors
it being sacrlege to touch his person. 1t Is need
less to observe that this awful reverence must
have been rudey dropped. The Govern
ment is practically in the hands of the
three principal Ministers of the KING the eight
provinces are administered by Governors. The
four principal fortified towns under the author
itv of military commanders. Every indIyldual
capable of bearing arms is nominally in the army,
but only small proportion are under discipline.
rude postal system is maintained on the principal
highways, and regularly established courts admin
ster what passes for justice.
The language belongs to the 1uranlan
family, but the educated classes speak
Chinese with pronunciation unintelligibie
TO the inhabitants OF the Empire. The estaDilshen
relig igious creed at the present time IS Confuclan,
ism, but the official religion between the loutI anu
the fourteenth centuries was Buddhism which stlll
has many adherents.
Women occupy a low position in Corea, though
the family relation is held Ill strict reverence anu
flial petv in the IN ghest estimation. The industrial
arts are only slightly developed except Iii one nne
the manufacture of paper, which hes been brought
TO great perfection. .,
The most striking fact IN relation to COrea Is the
extraordinary excluslyeness which 1t had main
Iained toward ali other countries until Commodore
Shufeldt last spring concluded the treaty WIN tne
United states by winch a number OF poTIs are
opened to citizens Of this country, general friend
ship is declared between the two nations, and ctl-
zens of eacn entitled to respect and protection
in the other. It is probable that the antipathy ON
the part of Coreans to foreigners is the cause of the
revolution and assassination of their King and
Queen japanese traders have had for several years
the privilege of selling and buying goods in three
Corcan ports, and the hostility of the natives to
foreigner, mas been increased by this intercourse
Ignateif obtained at one time cesson OF portion
OF this territory to Russia and the Chinese and
Japanese have been anxious to open the ports u tne
Peninsula foreign nations, IN order to prevent Lne
absorption of the couutry by that Power The
Coreans have been anxious TO be rid OF foreign in
luences of all kinds. They even prosecuted the
converts of the Jesuit missionaries sixteen years
| ago and massacred uany thousands of them on the
ground that Europeans were acquiring too great In
| tluence III the Peninsula