Beliefs, Social Structures, and Practices

The Choson Dynasty, also known as the Yi Dynasty, has long been celebrated for its artistic,
scientific and intellectual achievements, including the 1443 invention of the Korean alphabet
(han'gul) by the greatest of all Choson kings, King Sejong. The Choson Dynasty, which means
the kingdom of morning serenity, is one of modern history's longest dynastic rules, lasting over
500 years. This achievement is even more impressive in light of Korea’s strategic and, some
might say, precarious geopolitical location at the center of the East Asian corridor.
How did Korea achieve such political stability? What social forces were at work? The
Choson Dynasty adopted Confucianism as its state religion and developed concomitant social
structures, ultimately establishing cultural values, which supported continuous dynastic rule.
These cultural values of the Choson Dynasty, centerpieces to the Ch'unhyang story, still
resonant in contemporary Korean life. The idea of an interdependent, collective self rather than
an independent, autonomous self, of role dedication rather than self-fulfillment, and the
privileging of harmony and order rather over justice or progress are all typically Confucian
cultural values that have carried over from the Choson era into the present.
Choson Dynasty officially began in 1392 when Yi Songgye, an army general, was declared
king, following his successful coup against the Koryo government. With the support of Neo-
Confucian scholar-officials, he and the twenty-six Yi kings that followed him adopted and
enforced the principles of Confucianism, a belief system founded by the Chinese philosopher
Confucius, as the for guide their actions as well as virtually every citizen of their dynasty.
Confucius taught that men of wisdom and virtue, chosen for their knowledge and moral
quality, should lead the government. They were to rule, not by force or law, but by example. This
theory of government was an ideal held for centuries by many countries of East Asia; the
application of the theory, however, was less than ideal. Korean rulers during the Chosen reign
established social structures and institutions to enforce Confucian ideology and practice.
King T’aejo (Yi Songgye) instituted the Chinese examination system to recruit wise and
moral men into government. Men that could demonstrate through rigorous examination that they
understood proper governance, classic literature, and morality, as it was taught in the sacred
books of Confucian philosophy, were appointed to government positions. Once in place, they
were expected to lead by moral example.
 

1. The Koreans’ cultural values focus on interdependent, collective self rather than an
independent, autonomous self, of role dedication rather than self-fulfillment. From this, I
personally like / dislike the Koreans’ cultural values because
____________________________.
 
2. The psyche (human spirit) and temperament (prevailing or dominant quality of mind that
characterizes someone) of the Koreans that I really like are
___________________________________________________.
 
3. I want to ___________ in Korea because __________________.
 
4. Koreans must be ___________________ as a people because __________________
_________________________________.
 
5. The kind of literature that Koreans have must be _____________ because _________
_____________________________.
 
 The Tale of the Woodcutter and the Tiger
 

K orean folklore recalls the tale of a woodcutter who encounters a tiger in the woods.
Fearing that he would soon be the tiger’s dinner, he exclaimed: “You must be my long lost
brother! Our mother cried for you when you left home. She had dinner ready for you every
night, waiting for your return. Sadly, out mother has just passed away. How happy she would
have been had she known you are alive and well!” The woodcutter took out his handkerchief
and pretended to wipe at his eyes. The tiger turned away, as tears fell down his cheeks, leaving
the woodcutter unharmed.
Every year thereafter, on Chesa, the memorial day of the woodcutter’s mother’s death, an
offering appeared on her grave - sometimes a peasant, or even his mother’s favorite mountain
berries. The woodcutter did not know where these offerings came from.
One year, the woodcutter noticed that the customary offering had not been placed on his
mother’s grave, and he wondered what had happened. Out from the bush, three baby tigers
appeared, carrying offerings. They approached the woodcutter and cried: “You must be our
uncle! Mother tiger is gone now, and we know how important it is for her to honor grandmother
by bringing an offering to her Chesa table beside her grave. We are here to bring offerings for
our grandmother in loving memory of our mother.” The woodcutter noticed that his face had
turned suddenly warm and realized that it was his own tears streaming down his cheeks.
http://www.instrok.org/instrok/t_story.html
 

Tales capture and reflect fundamental cultural values of Korean society and its people, such
as the transformation of potential conflict into opportunity through the use of intelligence and the
power of injong (human feeling). No one misses the importance of children’s devotion to their
parents, even after their death. In addition to the Confucian emphasis on filial piety, the tale
conveys how interlinked one is to past, present and future generations of family and how
bonded one is to family by a sense of duty and shared destiny. The Buddhist notion, adopted
by many Koreans, of equality among all living things is also portrayed in the sibling relationship
of the woodcutter and tiger.
Now, that you have read the selection, find another reading partner and by pairs, write what
is asked for in the Literary Elements Advance Organizer. Choose one element and use it as a
basis for answering the questions below. Continue the interactive discussion until you get
clarified with the Korean way of using their cultural values in coping with the challenges of
modernity.