Knowra Joseon dynasty Joseon dynasty The Joseon dynasty ruled Korea from 1392 to 1897. Its long reign reshaped Korean government and society through Neo-Confucian institutions, a centralized monarchy, and distinctive cultural achievements.
Goryeo dynasty : The Korean dynasty that ruled from 918 to 1392, before Joseon replaced it. Joseon’s founders displaced Goryeo after its court lost political and military support.
Joseon political system : The monarchy and administrative institutions through which Joseon governed Korea. It shows how royal authority operated alongside ministries, councils, and local officials.
Sejong the Great : The fourth Joseon monarch, whose reign from 1418 to 1450 saw major scholarly and technological projects. His reign showcases the court’s patronage of scholarship, science, and public welfare.
Hangul : The Korean writing system, whose letters represent the sounds of the Korean language. Created during Joseon, it became a defining feature of Korean written culture.
Yi Seong-gye : The military commander who founded Joseon and ruled as King Taejo. His 1392 seizure of power established the dynasty.
Gwageo : The civil service examinations used to recruit officials in Korea and other East Asian states. Examination success offered a route into the bureaucracy that sustained Joseon rule.
Hunminjeongeum : The 1446 text introducing Hangul, the Korean alphabet, and explaining its design. Its creation under Sejong made literacy more accessible beyond readers of classical Chinese.
Korean clan system : A system of kinship identity organized around ancestral lineages and shared surnames in Korea. Joseon institutions strengthened lineage records and clan-based social identity.
Wihwado Retreat : A 1388 withdrawal by General Yi Seong-gye’s forces that helped trigger Goryeo’s political collapse. The retreat turned Yi’s opposition to a military campaign into a struggle for the throne.
Uijeongbu : Joseon’s State Council, which coordinated high-level government deliberations. Its ministers advised the king and coordinated administration across the court.
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