00 Ep1 Korea Events

Donghak gg_korea.1 · dlc010

… inspired by the philosophy of Donghak have begun to organize across …. Their calls for social equality, religious tolerance, and the expulsion of foreign influence have become more and more difficult to ignore.

Moving to the year of Xinyou, scholars from all directions approached me, asking, "With the divine spirit descending, master, what does this mean?" I replied, "It embraces the principle of inexhaustible return." "Then, by what name do we call this way?" "It is the Way of Heaven." "Is it different from the Western way?" "Western learning has its differences, like incantations without substance. Yet, the movement is the same, the way is unified, but the principle is not."

The Donghak Rebellion gg_korea.2 · dlc010

Discontent amongst the … has spiraled into the beginnings of open conflict. Across …, peasants have used Donghak infrastructure to organize themselves for revolution.

The orders had been circulated to everyone in the town. They were to drive to … as quickly as they could, expel the foreigners, and kill every member of the … family. This was to be a merciful march, sparing innocents and their property, paying for their supplies, and demonstrating their loyalty and piety to all who saw them. It was as far from the conduct of the government soldiers as could be.

Eastern Learning gg_korea.3 · dlc010

A new doctrine, Donghak, has emerged in the province of …, advocated for by …. It calls for equality for all and the establishment of paradise on Earth.

"With the West's victories and conquests, success seems inevitable, yet it brings about the destruction of all, a lament of inevitable downfall. How can we then secure the nation and bring peace to its people? Alas, in this era, people are unaware of their fortunes; hearing these words, some may enter in agreement while others may dissent, discussing in alleys, a fear stemming from a lack of virtue."

Gg Korea 4 gg_korea.4 · dlc010

Donghak believers have petitioned the government of … … for a slate of reforms. They include religious tolerance, expulsion of foreigners, and execution of corrupt officials.

The … had become familiar with the followers of Donghak through reports of their organizing in the countryside and the innumerable small petitions and letters that had been sent to both … and … officials. All of them trended in the same way - statements of nothing but the utmost loyalty to …, followed by explanations of their requests. It was not the first of its kind, … mused, but it was certainly the most high-profile. His options were twofold. Alienate the newly organized peasantry, or draw the ire of his own court?

Heaven Through Patience gg_korea.5 · dlc010

Through careful reform and cooperation with the …, we have successfully mollified the Donghak movement. … shall stand isolated from the world, but it shall do so in harmony.

The last ships were gone from the ports, and the gates had been drawn shut. Somewhere over the sea, some European merchant had surely entered a state of shock, and was sending letters to every government official that he knew. The Westerners would return - that was a certainty, and it was equally certain that they would return heavily armed. There was something new about the people of …, though, a sort of invisible energy that followed them as they went about their day. They were no longer afraid of the ships and guns, and they no longer considered one another their greatest threat. When the Westerners returned, there would be no internal fracture to leverage - and what expeditionary force could conquer a reserve army of millions?

Out to Dry gg_korea.6 · dlc010

After an unacceptable amount of time waiting for promised reforms, the patience of the Donghak movement has run dry. The attitude of the … is now one of betrayal, and budding revolt.

They had lost another messenger. Despite the hopes of his family, the inspector suspected that they would never see him again. Tax collectors, census-takers, messengers, policemen - all of them had begun to disappear in this region, if they strayed too far from the roads. It was never all of them, but it was enough - the atmosphere within the barracks had transitioned from cool indifference to terror, and that did not seem as if it would change. Rather than a unified country, … had begun to seem like an archipelago of cities linked by the thinnest of webs, surrounded by a vast and terrible sea of contempt.

Gg Korea 7 gg_korea.7 · dlc010

Once the telegram had arrived, the entire room had sprung into motion. The report from … was long and painful - in ordinary circumstances, those who read it would have felt like the air was being sucked out of their lungs. Not now, however. They knew that they were not the only ones reading it, and that on the other side of the East Sea, their rivals were making precisely the same preparation. Whether by land or by sea, it was now a game of who would mobilise fastest.

Opportunities in … gg_korea.8 · dlc010

Our defeat of the rebellion in … has given us opportunity to dictate a favorable post-war order. Demanding that … officially recognise …'s independence will allow us to consolidate influence in the region much more effectively.

"The Yangban are hopeless, by and large, but some ministers are receptive to more modern sensibilities." "Who?" "…, …, possibly …. We have plenty of candidates for an emergency cabinet. They'll be overjoyed to get a chance to enact what they please."

… Demands Withdrawal from … gg_korea.9 · dlc010

The … government has sent us a list of demands, chiefly among them our withdrawal from …. Their demands are backed by their remaining forces in the Korean peninsula, which have refused to withdraw following the defeat of the rebellion.

The printer regarded the edict with some dread. It represented a rolling bank of smoke, each line becoming more and more ominous. Events building to a dark crescendo, chaos spiraling into revolt. The … were condemned in the strictest of terms, their transgressions laid out like the rifles in a firing squad. "Difficult to rationalize", "unprovoked", "lack of satisfactory explanation". The tortured euphemisms of a distressed government. One which, barring a sudden change of course, was inexorably drifting towards war.

The Ailing King korea_monarchy.1 · dlc010

Despite his young age, … … has been struck by a bout of severe illness. … rapid deterioration has sparked fears that … is not long for this world.

It had not been the first bout of illness he had faced, or even the fifth. The state of the King had come to mirror that of the country from the moment he took the throne - as it was wracked by floods and monsoons, so was he by spells of disease, or reports of corruption and treason within the court. Sometimes, he feared he would leave no legacy, that a reign spent solely combating crisis was one that his successors would regard as a waste. He may have been wrong, he thought, for perhaps he would not have any successors at all.

The Empty House korea_monarchy.2 · dlc010

The deaths of every one of …'s male children and a lack of close relatives to claim the throne has left the sickly …'s succession uncertain. The Andong Kim clan has nominated … as … successor.

"Bedridden again, without an heir. Is there any hope at all?" "He does what he may, but our hopes may be misplaced. Did you hear of the other day's occurrence, with the magistrate?" "I have not. Tell me." "He had to remind the King of who he was, and begged him to preserve his rule. I was angry at first - but now, I cannot blame him at all."

Queen Min korea_monarchy.3 · dlc010

…, the politically outspoken official wife of … …, has carved a strong position out for herself in the … court. Her patronage will strongly benefit the ….

"On each occasion I was impressed with the grace and charming manner of the Queen, her thoughtful kindness, her singular intelligence and force, and her remarkable conversational power even through the medium of an interpreter. I was not surprised at her singular political influence, or her sway over the … and many others. She was surrounded by enemies, all embittered against her because by her talent and force she had succeeded in placing members of her family in nearly all the chief offices of State. Her life was a battle. She fought with all her charm, shrewdness, and sagacity for power, for the dignity and safety of her husband and son, and for the downfall of those who opposed her."

Korea Monarchy 4 korea_monarchy.4