Joseon

Greetings, noble visitor! I am *Wangsejabin* (royal princess successor, or crown princess) Ryu Aing-ran, and I welcome you to my homeland, the beautiful **Kingom of Joseon**. I will be your guide for this tour of Joseon, teaching you about our history, government, economy, and culture.

For those of you who know nothing about us, we are a kingdom located on the northern end of the Encircled Sea, on an archipelago attached to the continent of Akaina. We share a small land border with the country of Aukustia, but also close (by ship) to the countries of Ji, Prem-Bol, and Fusou.

## History

My illustrious ancestor Ryu Ji-hoon was the legendary founder of the Kingdom of Joseon. Of course, our current scholars now harbor some suspicions that Ryu Ji-hoon probably wasn't an actual historical figure, or perhaps he was real but his accomplishments are... somewhat self-reported. Regardless, his name has been attached to the Ryu Dynasty, which has ruled Joseon for over a millennia. My ancestral line has had a few diagonals here and there, as most royal houses do.

About a thousand years ago, a group of people emigrated across the western straits from Zamoroziet. We allowed them to settle in Joseon, where they started to call themselves the Aukustians. Over time, they started trying to take over, and gained some territory from us.

In the 1400s, Joseon reconquered the entire area.  In the 1500s, the Aukustians revolted and conquered the entire area.  In the 1600s, the ethnic Joseon rose up and liberated large swaths of their territory.  In the early 1700s, the Aukustians once again gained predominance.  In the late 1700s, Joseon solidified their control on the archipelago, while Aukustia solidified their control in much of the mainland.  In the 1800s, Joseon hoped for peace, but the Aukustians wanted to eject us from our land entirely. My great-grandfather, Ryu Tae-joon the Great, was able to start restoring Joseon's status - modernizing the legal code, bringing education to the masses, and improving trade and technology.

Threatened by the potential of Joseon's resurgence, Aukustua launched the Kangwon War, which lasted from 1885 until 1892.  I was just a little girl during those dark years, and I remember struggling to understand the terrible events. At sea, our navy triumphed gloriously to defeat the Aukustian Navy at the naval Battle of Danghangpo in 1890. But on land, our battles did not go quite as well.  In 1892, both of our countries were exhausted.  Joseon lost many men in the land battles, but the Aukustians had lost their entire navy and were blockaded.  In the final peace treaty, we lost the province of Kangwon, which was a terrible blow to Joseon. My grandfather, Ryu Ji-chang, took the responsibility for the defeat, and abdicated in favor of my father, who has ruled our country since 1892.

Both sides know the peace cannot last.  Aukustia struggles to control the Kangwon Province (which they call Moshka Province), since there are many ethnic Joseon in these occupied territories.  In Joseon, however, we struggle to deal with the possibility of defending our remaining territory, and hope someday to counterattack and liberate those trapped in Aukustia.

## Geography

### Biodiversity

We have fuzzy domestic yaks that are fuzzy and make some very soft wool.

Our national tree is a type of spruce, mostly found in Joseon, Aukustia and some other northern countries. Even though it is an evergreen tree it is also a hardwood, and can easily be polished smooth and survives salt water pretty well. It is our national tree.

We also have the domestic silk moth, which we use to make silk.

## Government and Politics

### Overview

Joseon is ruled by my beneficent and enlightened father, Ryu Seo-jo (b.1862). After my grandfather Ji-chang abdicated, my father was selected to ascend to the throne, as he already had a reputation as a reformer, possessed of noble characteristics and great wisdom, despite his relative youth.

Although Joseon has long been an absolute monarchy - where the king's word was not only absolute but also semi-divine - in recent generations we have adopted the more pragmatic and egalitarian policies of some of our foreign trading partners. In the beginning, my great-grandfather Tae-joon the Great established a council of the noble lords, and also raised up a generation of common-born advisors, governors, and overseers. This system has slowly grown into a true parliament, composed of two separate but equal bodies. The **Council of Counts** is composed of the representatives Joseon's seventeen noble houses, and thinks it has all of the power. However, the **National Assembly** isn't exactly toothless either, and their fifty-one representatives are responsible for speaking on behalf of the commoners.

Our system, of course, is still evolving. My father still possesses extremely formidable powers of government. Culturally, the king is still believed (particularly by the peasantry) to be semi-divine, possessing the Authority of Heaven to rule the people.

#### Monarchy

If you want to read more about the noble titles, I suggest you begin with the article Joseon Royal and Noble Titles.

My father Seo-jo reigns as the king (*wang*) of Joseon. By ancient tradition, he is identified by the peasantry as semi-divine, descended from one of the gods of the land. This belief still remains intact even as new religion slowly supplants the old.

Father's rule is aided by my royal mother, *wangbi* (queen) Ryu Shin-hye (b.1865), the eldest daughter of one of Joseon's great noble lords (specifically, Won Ji-kyung, the *Gungong* or "Duke" of Yonan).

I, Ryu Aing-ran (b.1884) also have a role in the government of Joseon. Although Joseon always gives precedence to the king's sons by his queen consort, I was the firstborn of three daughters. My parents have not entirely abandoned the hope of a late-born son, but in 1900 I was named *Royal Princess Successor* to my father, establishing me as the heir to the throne. This is, of course, not entirely a unique situation in Joseon's history, but it is somewhat rare. In our ancient history, my best hope would be to marry a competent warlord and get to work producing a male heir; but in these more enlightened times, I have sufficient reason to believe that I can rule as monarch in my own right for a considerable period of time. That is perhaps for the best, since Joseon currently lacks a sufficiently eligible warlord.

I have two younger sisters: **Hae-yeon** (b.1887) and **Mi-do** (b.1890). Additionally, I have two half-brothers (**Tae-sung**, b.1884 and **Jae-hyun**, b.1890) and a half-sister (**Hyun-joo**, b.1888) from my father's concubines. My half-brothers are not eligible for the throne due to our laws, but nonetheless remain a part of our royal family, with certain rights and obligations. I am particularly close to Tae-sung, who has recently returned from studying abroad, and is engaged to be married to my good friend Kim Mi-na.

My grandfather, Ryu Ji-chang, is still alive, although he abdicated in 1892 after the end of the Kangwon War. He felt he had some responsibility for the losses we suffered, and chose to adbicate so that the wrath of the people could be focused solely on him, while my father would receive their support without any residue of blame. This is entirely unfair to my grandfather, who made every effort for victory. It is perhaps true that he was more autocratic and less wise than his father Tae-joon (who is universally lauded for his enlightened wisdom) and less progressive than my father; but the early years of his rule were highly successful and worthy of note. I pray regularly that someday the historians may look upon him as kindly as I believe he deserves. Of course, I am his thorough partisan, for he was quite active in teaching me law, and history, and culture in my formative years, when my father was often crushed under the load of his state duties.

## Foreign Relations and Military

### Jisang-gun (Joseon Army)

The Jisang-gun (or the Joseon Army) has had a rough time of it in the last few decades. In the Kangwon War, they managed to avoid absolute defeat at the hands of the barbaric Aukustian Army, but they were terribly battered. My father has invested significantly in rebuilding the Army, so that when the Aukustians come again, it shall be ready for all contingencies.

### Wangsil Haegun (Joseon Navy)

The Wangsil Haegun (or the Joseon Royal Navy, as foreigners often refer to it), is the illustrious and victorious naval branch of our military. They have a history of victory despite innumerable wars and battles - primarily against Aukustia, but also against others who would intrude upon our sovereignty.

### Jeonjaeng Pungseon Haegun (War Balloon Navy)

The Jeonjaeng Pungseon Haegun (or War Balloon Navy) was created in 1886 during the Kangwon War to provide aerial spotting of enemy movements. It became its own branch in 1900. They have a small number of observation balloons and in 1905, are trying to acquire an airship.

## Demographics

### Cities

I live in the capital city of Joseon, called Wonsan. This city is indisputably our largest metropolis, being twice as large as the next-closest city. Wonsan is located on the coast, and serves as a crucial port on the Encircled Sea.

### Religion

#### Sindo

Until the 1600s Joseon's people followed shamanistic religions called Sindo, with worship of gods, ancestors, and nature spirits. Sindo is both very simple and quite complicated, with the idea that there are spirits living all around us in the world - in the rivers, in the mountains, the ocean - and can be both benificient or malevolent. The gods of Sindo are largely absent, although as I noted earlier the king is viewed as the descendent of one particularly thoughtful divinity. And finally, our ancestors receive reverence (but not technically *worship*... technically...) from their descendents, in turn bequeathing wisdom, protection, and good fortune on us.

A large number of Sindo shrines remain around Joseon (and some remain in territory we've lost to the Aukustians, who desecrate them or use them for their own pagan worship). Among my many titles and official duties, I serve as the shrine maiden for two of the largest Sindo shrines (Odongdo Shrine and Baegyado Shrine). This means I spend roughly one day a year overseeing various rituals at the two shrines.

#### Gidoggyo

Sindo was largely unchallenged until the mid 1600s, when missionaries of the monotheistic Theophanite church arrived.  The converts became known locally as Gidoggyoin, and their religion called Gidoggyo.  To the immense frustration of the missionaries, we incorpirated many elements of Sindo into the religion of Gidoggyo. We agree on the most crucial of topics, but many things that we believe are flatly viewed as *wrong* by theologians. This is not to say that there are no believers in Joseon who follow *pure* Theophanite religion. There's an entire theological college less than a mile from the royal palace. But the peasantry, by and large, are so poorly educated that they can often draw no real distinction between the practices they followed in Sindo and the practices of 'proper' Gidoggyo.

In the 1800s, my great-grandfather Ryu Tae-joon the Great became the first Joseon king to declare his support for Gidoggyo and it was the religion he ordered taught to his children. Having read some of his letters, I can guarantee to you that this was *entirely* a political move on his part. The peasantry increasingly believed in Gidoggyo anyway, and claiming similar religion gave him a slight diplomatic edge when dealing with certain key countries such as Firocchio and Liotain. Gidoggyo has a larger base of practitioners in the archipelago, which increasingly became the stronghold of Joseon's populace.

Additionally, Gidoggyo has acquired a very interesting nationalistic edge. The pagan Aukustians have developed something of a fixation about Gidoggyo (and the Theophanite religions in general) and persecute any who believe in it, viewing it as a threat to their own society. My father sometimes rants that Aukustia let the religion get loose in their country, we'd have lasting peace with them in ten years, since it would civilize their most barbaric practices. In any case, we probably have the subconscious belief that any religion viewed as 'too dangerous' for our enemies deserves our fervent encouragement.

I myself - as is considered proper for my family - have been educated primarily as a Gidoggyoin practitioner. And yet, if you will recall my discussion of Sindo, you may remember that I serve as a shrine maiden for two of the nation's most inportant Sindo shrines. This sort of thing happens. If I had to guess, probably sixty to seventy percent of the peasantry *probably* hold more beliefs from Gidoggyo than Sindo. Whereas thirty to forty percent of the peasants identify more as Sindo than Gidoggyo. A tiny minority on both ends of the spectrum hold to the *old ways* (or espouse *correct theology*), but that huge majority in the middle sees absolutely no irony in this mix of religions. I spend a lot of time reflecting on this, of course; but I should hasten to add that I am far better educated on the distinctions of the two religions than my average subjects.

## Culture

### Other

So I noticed you raise your eyebrows earlier when I mentioned that my father had concubines. I know that in your homeland such things are sniffed at disdainfully. *"Tut-tut, at least we're not barbarians like that!*" The truth of the matter is that concubines, and the semi-related kisaeng, is going very rapidly out of style in Joseon for a variety of reasons. Concubines are not slaves, but rather just 'extra' wives whose children don't receive official titles with their inheritance. My father will be the last king of Joseon to have concubines, since the practice was finally outlawed in 1898. Prior to that, it was culturally expected for nobility (and kings in particular) to have a number of concubines. Prior to the breakdown of Joseon's caste system (which, I regret to report, is not *entirely* dead), you could only have an official marriage to someone in the same caste. A royal or noble officially married in the same caste, but they could have a concubine from whatever class they wanted.

The *kisaeng* are somewhat related. They were girls of very low or even outcaste status who were trained to be entertainers - and before your mind goes *there*, I'll note that's usually defined as singing, poetry recitation, dance, polite conversation, and many other things. At various points in history, physical intimacy was expected, but at other times it was viewed as improper behavior for a client to demand intimacy from a kisaeng.

But as I said, these traditions are rapidly disappearing. The kisaeng were unofficially disbanded in 1886 during the Kangwon War and the system dismantled over time. After 1898, taking concubines was officially outlawed, although the law mandates that all of the existing relationships are not to be tampered with. This will result of course in both systems eventually dying as the generations turn.