Transactions of the Korea Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Volume 1 by Royal Asiatic SocietyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a gem! A reprinting of the first-ever issue of Transactions. I got this at the RASK offices in Seoul. The first two essays concern the Chinese influence (one emphasizing that it is large, and the other rebutting saying it isn't so), and then there is some commentary, and an essay on the Buddha of Eun-jin.
What is fascinating is that these discussions are taking place during the Chosun dynasty, so we get to see a foreigners' (quite well-informed, imho) view of Korea prior to any Japanese colonization, North-South division, etc..
An oddity: This claims King Se-jo (not Sejong) had metal types cast and developed a new alphabet (Hangul), and that it happened in 1406, so before Sejong's reign. This can't be right, can it?
Some of my notes:
The author says he met people who still cut off their fingers (and fed the blood to their parents??) to show their filial piety.
The Qing dynasty apparently wasn't respected in Korea during the Chosun dynasty, since they were Manchus.
Korean native histories are almost impossible to find at this time. Almost all history in school and elsewhere deals solely with China (sort of like Taiwan now maybe??)
There is still native contempt for Hangul script. I guess it really was revived only after the Japanese occupation.
A list of the most important Korean holidays are Samyungil, Hansik, Tano, and Chinese Harvest Home festival (Chuseok??)
文獻通考 is almost the only Chinese authority on Korea from back then.
This claims King Sejo (世祖， not Sejong) had metal types cast and developed a new alphabet (Hangul), and that it happened in 1406, so before Sejong's reign. This can't be right, can it?
It says "The green cloak worn by women as a veil over their heads" is not Chinese but Korean. What is this??
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