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| IV. LIFE IN KORYO |
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| 3. International Activities of the Koryo
People |
| (1) Exchanges with Song |
Koryo and Song established friendly relations for a
long time. Koryo enforced pro-Song policies in order to
import advanced culture from Song, and Song wished to
join with Koryo in order to confront the threat from the
northern tribes, so exchanges were active.
Koryo began exchanges with Song under the reign of King
Kwangjong, and later, many missions visited Song, dispatching
large numbers of students and monks. Merchants also traveled
to Song frequently. Kim Haeng-song and Ch'oe Han, students
from Koryo, studied in Guozijian and Koryo's monk, Uich'on,
studied Buddhist doctrines in Song and brought back many
Buddhist books.
Before this, in the earlier stages of Koryo, Uit'ong and
Ch'egwan sailed to China and engaged in many activities.
Uit'ong became founder of the Ch'ontae-jong sect in Song
and Ch'egwan arranged the fundamental creed of Ch'ontae-jong
in the famous book entitled "The Creed of Ch'ontaesa".
Many Chinese subjects were naturalized as citizens of
Koryo and engaged in activities in Koryo. Many were apt
writers and became government officials in Koryo. Ssang
Ki (Shuangji) during the reign of Kwangjong and Zhouzhu
under the reign of King Mokjong are examples of such personages.
The Song envoy, Xujing, wrote "A Pictorial of Koryo" introducing
the things of Koryo to China and praising the celadon
porcelains of Koryo as world masterpieces.
Trade was active between Koryo and Song; Koryo exported
gold, silver, ginseng, mats woven with flower designs
and works inlaid with mother of pearl and imported brocades,
medicines and books from Song.
Song porcelains influenced the development of the celadon
porcelain in Koryo, and the Taesong-ak of Song became
the court music of Koryo. |
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| (2) Exchanges with Qidan and Nuzhen |
From the first stages after its founding, Koryo enforced
a policy to march northward in order to recover the territories
of old Koguryo. Thus, Koryo often clashed with the kingdom
of Qidan which destroyed Parhae and ruled over Manchuria.
Thus, exchanges between Koryo and Qidan were not active.
Koryo exported grains and stationary and imported silver
and fur from Qidan.
After the destruction of Parhae, the Mohe tribe lived
in scattered groups throughout Manchuria as well as in
the northern frontiers of Koryo. Some of them referred
to Koryo as their parent country and offered gifts to
Koryo as tribute. In the 12th century, Nuzhen became a
powerful nation and founded the unified kingdom of Jin,
and Koryo was subject to the threats of them.
For this reason, trade between Koryo and Nuzhen began,
but not actively. Koryo imported silver, fur and horses
from Nuzhen and exported farm implements and grains. |
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| (3) Contacts with Islam |
The islands of the Saracen Empire in southwest Asia
engaged in active trade with China, and the Arabian merchants
of the Saracen Empire carried on commerce with Shilla
by sailing to Ulsan via China.
During the Koryo dynasty, large groups of Arabian merchants
arrived at Pyongnan Island to engage in trade. Pyongnan
Island prospered as an international trading port at the
mouth of the Yesong River where Song and Arabian merchants
brought mercury, spices and corals, and Koryo gave them
gold and brocades in exchange. Through their visits, Koryo
became known to the West and that is how Korea got its
Western name. |
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| (4) Exchanges with Yuan |
In the 13th century, relations between Koryo and Yuan
became closer, and they engaged in active cultural exchanges
up to the mid-14th century. Visitors coming and going
did not cease for 80 years and customs were exchanged.
Among the upper class of Koryo, Mongolian was spoken and
Mongolian customs were practiced as the cultures of the
two countries were mutually exchanged. Marriages were
often contracted between the royal families of the two
countries and a Koryo woman from the Ki family became
Empress to King Shundi of Yuan.
King Ch'ungson of Koryo built Man'gwon-dang (Hall of Ten
Thousand Books) in Yenching to facilitate scholarly exchanges
between the two. Koryo's Yi Che-hyon and Yuan's Chao Meng-pu
made their scholastic debutes in the Man'gwon-dang.
Later, many writers of Koryo often visited Yuan and exchanged
their customs.
At that time, Yuan was a world empire and imported cultures
from various countries. As a result, Koryo was able to
import Saracen culture through Yuan, and the Saracen developments
in science and technology, astronomy, mathematics and
medicines were influencial in bringing about similiar
developments in Koryo. For example, the astronomical observatory
"Soun'gwan" was built, and observation equipment used
for the study of astronomy was improved, while the Yuan
almanac "Shuigkili" was imported. Metaphysics was introduced
from Yuan and the scholars of metaphysics propelled many
social and cultural reforms. The skills of gunpowder manufacturing
and cotton cultivation were also imported from Yuan.
In these ways, the Koryo-Yuan exchanges gave rise to the
development of much of the culture in Koryo. |
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| (5) Exchanges with Japan and the Southeastern Islands |
Between the 9th and 12th centuries, diplomatic relations
with Japan had been severed, but with the weakening of
the Japanese legal system, local Japanese military officials
began to grow in power and the Daimyo's or local lords'
post-military forces expanded their power in the west.
Thus traders of western Japan and Tazaifu actively engaged
in relations with Koryo. Japanese envoys and merchants
brought sulphur and mercury to Koryo while Koryo sent
them the Taejanggyong, books and ceramics to be used for
tea ceremonies.
In the latter period of Koryo, relations with Japan deteriorated.
The expedition of Koryo-Yuan allied forces to Japan failed
and the repeated invasions and attacks by Japanese pirates
meant huge losses for Koryo. Pak Wi, during the reign
of King Ch'ang, once attacked Tsushima, one of the island
posts of Japanese pirates and overturned the pirate forces
in 1389.
In the last days of Koryo, the Loochoos and Thailand of
southeast Asia sent envoys to Koryo to offer their native
products, and Koryo returned the gesture by also sending
them gifts. In this way, there were some exchanges with
the Loochoos and Thailand. |
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