Although Japan had seemingly won influence over Korea as a war prize from the Chinese, Joseon itself was still an independent state. Because of the actions of one inexperienced Japanese diplomat, that independence was about to be asserted in an undeniable way.
Mounting tensions over the future of Korea turned violent after the end of the Donghak Rebellion, resulting in a war between Japan and China.
By the mid-1800s, the Joseon Kingdom had become an isolated polity which was famously hostile to unwelcome visitors. Nevertheless, imperial powers vied to force the nation to open to international trade, offer paths toward modernization, and jealously eyed the strategic and economic value of Korea’s many ports.
Throughout the 1700s, after a series of political purges and national instability, the Joseon kingdom experienced a cultural flowering.
The Kings of Joseon were faced with many difficult decisions throughout the 1600s as their nation faced Manchurian invasion, internal military coups, and a tumultuously factional political class.
After a few years of uneasy ceasefire, the fighting resumes between the Japanese and the Koreans and their Ming allies. After a massive setback when the new-and-improved Japanese Navy nearly annihilates the Korean fleet at Chilcheollyang, Admiral Yi Sun-sin would once more bring his martial prowess to bear against his foes on the high seas with stunning results.
The Imjin War takes on a new dimension as fully-equipped armies from the Ming Dynasty arrive to take on the Japanese invasion. What began as an easy conquest for Toyotomi Hideyoshi soon became an intractable quagmire and gradually settled into a stalemate.
As the 1592 invasion of Korea continued, the Japanese armies enjoyed a rapid sequence of victories on land, dominating the peninsula in sieges and battles. Their quick success would soon become a liability, however, when the superior Joseon Navy started sinking supply ships and overcoming Japanese battle fleets.
In 1592, the armies of Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded Korea, engaging in wanton slaughter, merciless plundering, and surprisingly rapid success. Because the Joseon Kingdom was almost completely unprepared for this incursion, they would need to rely on the aid of Ming China to win back control of the peninsula.
In spite of suffering through the occasional violent coup, cruel tyrant, and political purge, the Joseon Dynasty showed real staying power throughout the 14- and 1500s and would even manage some impressive national accomplishments.
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