At the close of the 19th century, the Joseon Dynasty, which had ruled Korea since 1392, was collapsing in disarray. It was a fractious, confusing period, marked by tensions between Korea and its regional rivals: China and Japan. There was conflict between Korean Confucianism, Roman Catholicism and ‘Eastern Learning’, which was a home-grown religion popular with the rural poor. The closed kingdom was being pressurised by western powers, eager to trade, while a succession of boy kings failed to steady the ship.
In 1873, it was Japan who forced open the country by sending a fleet of warships. This produced a ‘Treaty of Friendship’ between Korea and Japan, giving Japan access to three Korean ports. This unnerved the Chinese, who increased their military presence in the country, prompting another trade treaty with themselves. The USA followed in 1882, along with Britain, Germany, Russia and France.
New contacts brought new ideas, which spread rapidly through the hidebound kingdom and prompted a wave of reforms. Among them was postal reform, which was being heavily promoted by Japan. A postal service was set up between Seoul and Incheon, and a set of five
