The Joseon Kingdom (1857)

The Joseon Kingdom is a kingdom founded in 1392 in the Korean peninsula. It was the second nation to fully unite the peninsula, and lasted for around 500 years. King Gojong announces the Korean Empire in 1897 historically, but is annexed by force by Japan in 1910.

## Geography

The Joseon Kingdom is located and covers the entire Korean peninsula. By the territorial conquests by King Sejong, the borders along the Tumen River were established and still remain to this day. They are bordered to the North by the Qing, including them across the Yellow Sea to the West. Across the East Sea is the Tokugawa Shogunate. They control 3 notable 'islands' far from their perimeter, Jeju Island, Ulleung Island and the Isles of Dokdo. To the far north along the Okhotsk Sea is the Russian Empire's Far East regions.

## History

The Joseon Kingdom is an old nation, founded more than 450 years ago. Many achievements shone the nation brightly, but ever since the Invasions of Japan the nation only seems to droop downwards. Now the nation is in what is called the "Late Joseon Period", characterized by its slow, deteriorating downfall. While the nation had established two centuries of external peace since the Manchu invasions, countless droughts and floods, and the rise of taxes lead to several rebellions among the peasants.

The Joseon Kingdom in 1857 is going through several hardships. What is named the "shedding politics", or the "Sedo" government was bleeding the nation in corruption as two consort families lobbied with the throne, at the price of the people's prosperity. Joseon's situation is dire, and is only a foreshadow of what once was. By the time of 1857, the Joseon Kingdom wasn't in grave danger, however the actions taken by leaders in the following years lead to its danger.

### Historical Future

In the near future, Joseon suffers several uprisings only quelled by brutal force. The corruption only becomes worse, and the introduced Christianity was brutally oppressed. Despite the radical actions of Heungseon to close all foreign relations, the Kingdom fell into foreign influence, and was annexed by Japan after a few decades of self-declaration as an Empire.

## Government

The Joseon Kingdom is an absolute monarchy built based on Confucian ideals, and has a unique system of government. The Uijeongbu(의정부), or the State of Council was the highest organ of government and consisted of three officials. They decided key problems of the state and advising the king, while the actual governing was left to the Yukjo(육조), or the Six Ministries.

### Politics

Currently Joseon is overrun by the Shedding government and is controlled by two consort families, the Andong Kim and the Pungyang Jo. This has lead to great amounts of corruption within the nation's government and has prevented it from making important, beneficial decisions.

## Foreign Relations

Relations have greatly deteriorated with the Chinese ever since the Machu invasions. Relations also have been cold with the neighboring Japanese, and news of Western powers are only now coming into the Koreans. A tributary relationship was established with the Qing ever since the Manchu invasion, but this has deteriorated and been distorted to the point it is nearly meaningless. [citation needed, probably not true]

## Economy, Industry and Technology

The Josoen industry and economy is entirely based on agriculture. The Confucian nature of viewing the arts and crafts as low classes has forced Joseon to adopt a less self-dependent economic system, and technological advancement has not seen light for a while. King Yeongjo and Jeongjo brought on a somewhat Renaissance of the days of early Joseon and King Sejong, but this did not last long as the nation fell into a generally downward spiral.

### Industrialization

Compared to the slowly industrializing Japan, Joseon has no economic basis to support industrialization, or the social acceptance. The nature of Confucianism emphasizes modesty and simplicity, and has forced the Joseon society to be closed. Without a reform that would flip the nation 180 degrees, it is near impossible for Joseon to industrialize like the western powers.

## Military

The Joseon military was greatly hindered after the invasions. Currently they are mainly used on quelling rebellions, and have not been trained for warfare for over than 2 centuries. Like many other aspects of the nation, the military of Joseon is lacking in quality, but the small size and population of the nation itself restricts its army by size.

### Navy

The Joseon navy saw its height in the Imjin Wars. After many of Joseon's ships were destroyed during the war, the key symbol of the Kingdom, the Geobukseon was not popularized, and warships were never greatly developed. The Joseon seafairing never took purpose outside of navigating close waters, and acting as either convoys for marines, or as defensive purposes at most.

## Culture

Joseon culture is greatly shaped by Confucian ideas, and is unique in the East Asian world where it is the only nation that fully accepted both its tenets for heightening the ruler, and restricting it.

### Confucianism

From the early days in Joseon, the designers of the nation put in mind the key ideas of Confucianism, harmony. They proposed a government form where the ruler and the ruled would have harmony, and consist the realm together. Confucianism and its tenets about life outside the court only took on the public after countless purges of the Sarim, the Confucian factions that were strengthened during Seonjong's reign. The tenets and ideals of harmony, modesty and simplicity shaped many directions of Korean culture, for example the white vase. However this proved to be weak against an ever changing world, where a nation would need to throw off its shackles to embrace change and the wave of industrialization.

### Revolts

During the late Joseon period, many uprisings and unrests were spread around the nation. The revolt of Hong Gyeong Re was brutally quelled in 1812, and ever since then the government was directly fighting their people revolting for lower taxes or better treatment. This attitude of hatred towards the government began to spread to the common man like wildfire as corruption only increased with the birth of the shedding politics. This became the starting point for several rebellions during the 1860s.

## Ingame

Within the game, the situation of Joseon is a backwater nation squeezed between several powerful nations that are grasping for more. Many important decisions decide the fate of Joseon, whether it will degrade into a colony of Japan or any other foreign power like in our history, or if it will stand as a paragon of independence like Thailand or Ethiopia, or if it will itself become a regional, and soon global power.

### General Situation

Joseon has lacking technology, industry, military and a corrupt government. It is required for a player to fully grasp the ways to escape such dire situations in order for any player to escape a terrible situation like Joseon's. However Joseon isn't facing a direct conflict like Qing or the Sepoy States, in fact in real history they resist foreign invasions and raids. It is certainly possible for a player to turn Joseon into a regional power by the end of the Era with clever manipulation, and intuitive selections.

#### Military

The military of Joseon is mainly composed of either obsolete troops like Korean pikemen or arquebuses. Korean artillery is either composed of normal cannons, or Hwachas, a special anti-personnel weapon used for centuries to defend the peninsula.

#### Laws

Joseon has heavy restrictions laws-wise and requires many reforms to elevate itself to the level of western powers.

#### Industry

Joseon starts with a few factories, and has the agricultural modifier. This makes the production of modern equipment very difficult, as it does for any pre-industrialisation state.

### Major Events

No large events happen in Joseon until the next timestamp, A House Divided.

### Focus Tree

The focus tree of Joseon is implemented, but a rework of the focus tree is planned.