MAJOR MODELS THAT INFLUENCED THE EARLY-MODERN POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT OF KOREA IN THE LATE-NINETEENTH CENTURY
This research examines the major models that influenced the early-modern political development in Korea in the late-nineteenth century. This examination identifies the model that exerted the greatest influence, and an attempt is made to establish reasons why this model proved to be the most influential.
The thesis of this research is that three major models exerted the greatest influence on the political development of Korea in the late-nineteenth century, and that these three models were the Chinese model, the Japanese model and the American model. This thesis is extended to hold that the Japanese model exerted the greatest influence on political development in Korea in the late-nineteenth century, and that the reasons why the Japanese model prevailed among the Koreans were a combination of distrust of the West, disillusion with the Chinese, and an affinity with much of the Japanese philosophy of the day in spite of an antagonism bordering on disgust with the behavior of Japanese leaders.
In the nineteenth century, Korea was near the end of a period in which the country had been dominated by China. Although Korea was an independent country with a unique culture, the Korean social elite were educated in China, and Korea was governed in accordance with Chinese values. Korea deferred to China in most important decisions (Lone & McCormack, 1993).
Korean leaders, however, were cognizant of the fact that the preeminent position of China was being transformed by the military and commercial invaders from the Western nations. The Opium War between China and the United Kingdom earlier in the nineteenth century (1839-1842) caused the Korean leaders to exert strong efforts to keep both Westerners and Western influences out of the country (Lone & McCormack, 1993).
The experience of the Japanese in having their cultural an...