Pages 43-53 – Yang-won Cho – ‘Chosŏn Literati’s Perceptions of the West in the Early 19th Century as Reflected in Kim Kyongson’s Yŏnwŏn chikji’

The 19th century was a period that saw the growing encroachment of the Western powers in Asia, their eastward expansion characterized by attempts to use their influence to force Asian nations to open their doors. While Chosŏn faced numerous internal challenges, the Qing dynasty, then the most powerful Asian nation, found itself confronted with severe economic difficulties occasioned by the unfair ...