Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-08-10
KING AND CROWN PRINCE OF KOREA.

-.rI- AlI0 AMI CfOWN FRlNCE OE kOHEA. -a-
der of certain French missionaries, Korea
was cast off by the Celestials and thence
forth considered herself an independent
state. Both Japan and China have as
sumed to treat her as such ever since,
but both have kept a military force on
the peninsula constantly, Japan's being
the stronger. Japan's Korean interests are
indeed much greater than those of any or
all other nations, her tradesmen there To-
Gated outnumbering other foreigners many
times.
The government of Korea is an absolute
monarchy; but, theoretically, official posi-
tions are open to all who can pass the
civil service examinations. This system
is borrowed from the Chinese, and, as in
the Flowery Kingdom, has become very
corrupt, nearly all the appointments being
controlled by the powerful Min family,
which is in sympathy with the Chinese
and whose head is minister Of war. It
was due to official tyranny that an upris-
ing was headed some time ago by Kim Ok
KUN. When this insurrection was put
down, the leader fled to Japan for protec-
ton and became a Japanese citizen. In
March last he foolishly went to Shanghai,
where he, his father, wife, daughter and
as many otf IT relatives, even to the fourth,
remove, as could be found, were murdered
by emissaries of the Minis. Then his body
was sent to Korea, where it was horribly
mutilated.
This angered the Japanese, who were
considering in parliament what to do,
when there was a new revolt in Korea,
and Kim Pang Kun, the younger brother
OF the murdered man, who had been re-
leased from prison by stealth, headed the
insurrection. This gave the Korean king
a great fright, and he, disliking the Japa-
nese because of their commercial SUI
premacy and friendliness to the dead Kim
Ok KUN, sent forthwith to China for aid.
Japan lost no time, on hearing of this, in
sending troops of her own to Korea, and
now the Japs and Chinks are getting ready
to fight on the soil of the peninsula. In
the meantime Russia, the old time friend
of the United States, whose government
would nightly like to extend it's trans
continental railroad down the Korean pen
insula, is inclined to favor the Japs. Mat
tiers are still further complicated by tho
fact that some time ago Japan asked China
to join In an attempt to reform Korea's
official end fiscal system, thus rendering
insurrections less likely and increasing the
security of foreigners in Korea. Tho Chi
nese declined. Briefly stated, this was the
situation when Secretary Gresham sent his
now famous deprecatory dispatch to the
Japanese government.
There are practically no forests in Ko-
rea, and, as there is also no coal, fuel Of all.
sorts is high, and planks and timber have.
to be imported, mostly from Japan, as in
deed do all sorts Of building material ex-
cept stone. There is plenty of good brick
clay in Korea, but it is never burned into
brick, because of this lack of fuel. Fires
for heating and cooking are made from
dried straw, weeds, etc. The soil is fertile,
however, and doubtless in the distant past
there We're trees in plenty, for they still
survive where the priests nave protected
them in the neighborhoods Of their tenn
Piles.
Seoul, the capital, is a walled city of
300, 900 souls, located in the center Of the
peninsula. Its people are generally power