The morning news., 1894-08-17
ODD FOLKS IN COREA.
They Have Queer Customs, UnbTOken
For Generations.
Women Held in Light Esteem-Hos-
tile to Encroachments by Foreigners
and Bitterly Resentful of ANY At
tempt at Making a Change.
From the New,York Advertiser.

Japan ana emma, some OF the many queer
traits of the islanders are gradually find
ing their way into print. No other peo-
pie, not even>the Chinese, have so ieal-
ously excluded foreigners from their do
main, and even to-day, when commerce
has to some extent unbarred the doors,
the encroachments of the 'barbarians"
are viewed with disfavor. An odder
people never lived.
the Corean king is known as Hap-mun.
As title it is similar to that of Pharaoh,
Mikado or the Sublime Porte. The apph-
cation of this word to any other person or
Official in Corea, high or low, except the
sovereign, is strictly prohibited. Hap"
is the mark of sovereignty. The Hap
nun has peculiar faith in rice as a
saving power for eternity. At his death
three cups of it are set out in his house
holds. But no other person in the realm
may avail himself at death of this cere-
mony.
The Hap-mun has dread fear of iron.
It is high treason to touch his august
body with il. AS illustrating the extent to
which this superstition goes history tells
OF King Cheug Kong, who in 1900 was af-
hlcted with fatal abscess. The life of
the Hap-mun could be saved only by
lancipg the abscess, but rather than let
the iron weapon touch his royal flesh he
refused to let the operation be per-
formed and preferably died. Neither
must the ignoble person of a subject
touch the royal person, but if perchance
such contact should happen, the subject
is doomed ever after to wear red cord
This law, however, does not apply to the
royal harem, in. which there are several
hundred beautiful Corean women, pre-
sided over by eunuchs.
1t is crime for any subject to drink
from golden cup. Only the king may
do so. The king, through a vassal, is an
absolute monarch over his own people.
He has the power of life and death over
the noblest in the land, the signs of which
are the ak, the saber and the trident.
These with a huge red umbrella and q
violent fan are borne before him whenever
he walks forth from the palace.
Every horsemar that passes the palace
must dismount. and visitors, when ush-
cred into the royal presence, must fall
pFostrate themselves. If the king hap
pens to be in his minority the Queen re-
gent is allowed to discuss state affairs
with the ministerial council, but she
must be excluded from their view by
heavy curtain. Beeves must not be
slaughtered for three months when rain
is required. 1t is royal custom for the
y
but worthy woman over 50, and the king
shows the same favor to old men of the
same condition. AT the birth of the first
royal prince criminals are pardoned and
the nation holds general festivity. But
these royal princes mnst have nothing to
do with politics. Such interference is
treason.
just at sunset a curfew bell is struck,
after which male citizens must not be
seen on the streets. They are even pre-
vented from visiting their neighbors. The
next person to the king in authority is
the chenkun or the foundation stone
| minister" ;" During the minority or imbe-
cility of the king the minister is king de-
| faCto. ....-...,...
The law dictates everything, even as
TO what persons shall wear and on what
kind of chairs they shall sit. The rider
who is slow about dismounting his horse
on the approach of dignitary is arrested
beaten and mulcted. The same punish
ment is meted for crossing a magisterial
procession. If farmer wants to kill his
OK, he obtains permission from the mag
istrate, VINO receives the hide as his ex-
acted recompense. Sometimes the over
reaching magistrate is brought to Justice.
eXlled or put to death. Formerly the
Culpable official was boiled in oil
Torture is freely employed in judicial
proceedings. The victim may have the
bones of his legs dislocated or bent, his
calves torn or crushed by blows of
heavy stick, the flesh of his thighs cut
through by the continuous friction of a
heavy cord, or his body suspended for a
long time by the arms. Decapitation is
the usual mode of execution. Serfdom is
peculiar institution of Corea. This diff
fers somewhat in kind from slavery. It
grew out of the old custom of making
serfs OF criminals, and their families.
With this nucleus, debt, famine capture
in war and voluntary surrender increased
the number OF this class. A free man
may marry female serf. The male
children by this marriage are free, the
female offsprings belong to the master or
mother and may. be sold. OF late years,
however, serfdJm has been on the de-
cline. In some provinces it has ceased to
exist
The Coreans have gradually been i'm
proving their condition, but in a country
where might is right progress is slow.
The chief agencies in accomplishing their
amelloratlon are union and organil alton.
The spirit of association is strong even in
Corea. Trades unions are numerous and
include all classes that have trade or
business IN common. Guilds are common,
though taxed by the government.
Women hold a very low position in
Corea. They are hardly recognized by
LIG law uuleSS IL ne 10 DQQlSn them.
They have no social influence. They live
in state of pupilage all their lives Mar
riage is only an affair of etiquette. The
engagement is made by the heads of the
families. II is only when they meet on
the marriage platform and greet each
other as man and wife that the bride and
bridegroom first see each other. After
marriage there is little comradeship be-
tween the pair. Among the nobility the
second marriage Of a widow is repugnaut,
and the offspring of such a union is
branded as Legitimate. Polygamy is not
permitted, although concu binage is a
recognized ins tuition The Coreaus have
one commendable vlrtue-love of their
offspring
In the fourteenth century the religion
Of Confucius supplanted that OF Buddh-
ism. In its main features the Confucian-
ism of Corel is identical with that OF
China, but ii is intermingled with numer-
Gus superstitious Sacrifices of pigs
sheep and goats are offered to the sky
deity, Siaug-tiei. The chief object Of
these sacrifices is TO prevent or to obtain
ruin, aud TO remove epidemic diseases
There is another god. the patron of the
kingdom, named Sia-tsik His temple is
in the capital, and is the most sacred of
all.
Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is getting to
be a gigantic bee hive said A. r. Lewis to
the Cincinnati EnQuirer The last time I