The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-09-09
CORRUPTION IN COREA.
VIRTUoUs EDICTS, OFFICIAL ROE
Berry, RRIBERT, AND CRUELTY.


Inaueutini ORender-Jspsness Intrigues
-Revoits Against Lsesi Ruiera.
On my arrival in Corea I found IL a difncult
matter TO verify At least some Of the many
astounding stories Of corruption which l had
heard In China and Japan regarding the land Of
the morning dawn. Coreans generally distrust
foreigners. IL Ia almost impossible TO obtain
any information concerning them, and, II given
at all, It is not TO be relied upon. During my
freoucnt conversation with Coreans Of all
classes I did not once succeed in getting at the
facts | wanted. AT last I learned that the de-
crees and measures OF the Government were
chronicled in a daily gazette, the only paper
published In Corea. In this I hoped to fnd the
desired material.
For q trining sum ! obtained a number Of cop
les published this year. A Corean was soon
found who. for a moderate recompense, would
translate the contents into his own peculiar
English, but IL was good enough to give me q
better insight into Corean affairs than all the
books published, most OF which are not much
more than TRANSACTIONS of or extracts from tho
works of French missionaries. faithfully re-
peating the errors chronicled In these reports. A
good book on Corca still remains to be written.
The COrcdn Government Gizctte must not be
imagined as n printed sheet in the style Of our
newspapers. Nor Is II anything like the ia
nous Picking Gazette, the oldest newspaper Of
the universe. The latter, copies Of which l OBJ
tained In China, is a small pamphlet In yellow
paper covers, containing from twenty 10 thirty
pages. In this pamphlet all Government acts
and court matters are chronicled in Chinese
writing; a small army OF Chinese scribes make
the required large number OF copies every day.
and special messengers carry them TO the most
distant provinces Of the empire. There IL also q
printed edition, subscribed for by minor officials.
The Corcdn Guzette Is of far more modest pro-
portions a sheet OF common writing paper
about one loot wlue ana n halt ioot long, con-
lam a d J, 'r mn,,o en" ny,,on Va ~. CoroaD
IiheS u iea"i"s ni"t.ei vince" az Az Noi'""
The first COPY I had translated for me was
that Of July s. and in It | found the very best
eonaPmation Of the miserable state Of affairs in
this cursed country. Nobody else but the King
himself is the author of the following proclama-
ton, certainly one Of the most curious docu-
"u1.s VI ne nlS'oiV u ). II ~ ea,s.
Day ana night all my EFFORTS are uireoVeo 70
the welfare of my people and my country, but l
wish to do still more. Everywhere i see nothing
but decline; the Government resources are ex-
7 am blamed. because I have not understood 10
to,inv, in Tho toots,sns ., NV snns.,ors Th.
respect for the laws Of the country has vanished,
and they are being trlaed with. Neither re.
wards nor punishments are of any avail; lying
and treachcry are to be found everywhere There
is no order in the finances. no discipline in the
army Inc onhcians arc Incapso'e' everything
,hs, ,h0n o,.U mS 3D.. Sm, msnm nr ,ha
hiabo.t b,va .,na, a,r,n rano,,,x. ,,sr
negligent and ipdulrent regarding the wrong.
doings OF their subordinatos; they are
u"n,sn,o, ,,,,, ,Sn na"oo ,o,., my w
less OF the happenings OF the morrow. How
can the state be preserved under these circum-
stances? am ashamed and grieved beyond
measure. Without radical reforms and ener-
getic measures u better state of affairs is impos-
with command them TO consult the Ministers Of
Civii Service and OF Finance. as well as tho army
Generals. regarding the best means to accom-
pIish this, and to report the result to me. Moth
I prsss ssIu'a those Ss h %Sose t dSIg II mf Is to not speSi. 'SS pt
Who do not speak, take a heavy RESPONSIBILITY
listen. the blame is to fall upon me. TAKE this
well TO your hearts. ! do not wish to address you
Ifter reading This curious edict all doubt, a.
TO the real state Of affairs in Corea win certainly
s 81 d1iispss ut one IL e assSrief heb ibe sympstRiz II 2 W nn55
with the poor King, provided his enunciations
mating the King himself. To mention only one;
His Majesty possesses the exclusive privilege of
raising and selling ginseng" the well-known
medical herb. Last year he sold the monopoly
Of the foreign ginseng trade for a large sum to 4
ward a large chinese vessel GIIed with ginseng
entered tho port OF Shanghai under suspicious
cabled to those OF Seoul for Information. The
Collector OF the latter city called immediately
AT the Foreign once. hut. 10 mis- great snrnrise
he was requested to keep the whole matter
quiet, this being a private deal OF the King
Another copy OF the Government fsGz,tt,
dated July 8, Contains the following ROYAL edIct:
81. The magistrate OF Tchow, Cho Mansnne.
has been guilty of unheard-of extortions and on,
preston Of this people. He has been removed
from office and taken to seoul. Cho Mansbng
Is 10 receive thirty strokes on his shins and IN hs
exiled 10 n distant and desolate island. The
house assigned for his abode is to be enclosed
with q hedge of thorns.
so. The Council OF State received A report
from the Governor OF KyonUsando. according 10
which the Project OF KimhaI has been effort
ing over four millions cash from the people. al
though he has been in office only three month";
The people reyolted and drove him away"
Upon receipt OF This report the King said,
THE welfare OF the people Is the welfare of the
State, III this would be kent in mind such on
preston OF my subjects could not hnDDen. The
Governor OF Kyongsando will punish This faith. |
less official with thirty strokes on Ms shins and
- ""e