Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms, Volume 17

Korea

original: "朝鮮" (Chao-xian/Joseon). The name literally translates to "Morning Radiance" or "Land of the Morning Calm."

Korea was originally the land enfeoffed to Jizi A semi-legendary royal from the Chinese Shang Dynasty who is traditionally credited with bringing civilization to the Korean peninsula.. During the Qin Dynasty, it fell within the outer borders of the Liaodong region. Later, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty conquered Korea and organized the territory into the four commanderies of Zhenfan, Lintun, Lelang, and Xuantu.

Towards the end of the Han Dynasty, the region was occupied by Gongsun Du A warlord who established a semi-independent state in Liaodong.. At the close of the Yongjia era of the Jin Dynasty roughly 313 CE, the territory fell under the control of the Kingdom of Goryeo referred to here as Gaoli.

During the Tang Dynasty, imperial forces captured Pyongyang and established the Andong Protectorate-General A military administrative office used by the Tang to manage frontier regions. The center of the kingdom subsequently shifted eastward, located over a thousand li A traditional unit of distance; 1,000 li is approximately 500 kilometers southeast of the Yalu River.

During the time of the Later Tang in the Five Dynasties period 923–937 CE, Wang Jian The founder of the Goryeo Dynasty expanded the territory significantly, unifying the former lands of Silla and Baekje into a single state. He moved the capital to Songak modern-day Kaesong and designated Pyongyang as the "Western Capital." During the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty 1264–1294 CE, the Western Capital was brought under the direct administration of the Mongol Empire, which established the Dongning Route General Administration there.

At the beginning of the Hongwu era of our current Dynasty the Ming Dynasty, starting in 1368 CE, the ruler Wang Zhuan King Gongmin of Goryeo sent a memorial to the Emperor to offer his congratulations on the Imperial succession. He was initially enfeoffed as the King of Goryeo, but the kingdom’s name was later changed to Joseon.

The kingdom is divided into eight provinces:

• The Central Province is called Gyeonggi.
• The Eastern Province is called Gangwon; this was originally the land of the Yemaek people.
• The Western Province is called Hwanghae; this is the old territory of Ancient Joseon and the Mahan confederacy.
• The Southern Province is called Jeolla, which was originally the land of the Byeonhan.
• The Southeastern Province is called Gyeongsang, formerly the land of the Jinhan.
• The Southwestern Province is called Chungcheong, which, like the west, falls within the ancient territory of the Mahan.
• The Northeastern Province is called Hamgyeong...