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Korea (Former empire in Asia since)
a former empire in Asia, since 1910 a part of the Japanese Empire comprising the peninsula lying between the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan, and separated by the Strait of Korea from the Japanese Islands. It has a coast line of about 1,740 miles, and a total area of about 90,000 square miles.
The N. boundary line is formed by the river Tu-man flowing N. E., and the Amnok flowing S. W. from the watershed of Paik-to-san. The Tu-man, for the last 5 miles of its course, separates Russian Asia from Korea. A belt of land, 5,600 square miles, on the N. side has for the last three centuries been constituted a neutral zone between Korea and Man- churia, but is now being gradually ensquare miles, on the N. side has for the last three centuries been constituted a neutral zone between Korea and Manchuria, but is now being gradually encroached upon from both the Chinese and Occupying about the same latitude as Korean side.
Occupying about the same latitude as Italy, Korea is also like Italy hemmed in on the N. by Alpine ranges, and traversed from N. to S. by a branch chain. From the N. the chain runs close to the coast, till, about the 37th parallel, it trends inland.
The climate is healthful, bracing in the N., but colder in winter and hotter in summer than in corresponding European latitudes. Various kinds of timber trees abound, except in the W., where wood is The fauna is very considerable, scarce. and besides tigers, leopards, deer, inabound, except in the W., where wood is scarce. The fauna is very considerable, and besides tigers, leopards, deer, in- cludes pigs, tiger-cats, badgers, foxes, beavers, otters, martens, and a great va- riety of birds. Among the products are rice, wheat, beans, cotton, hemp, maize, millet, sesame, perilla. Ginseng grows wild in the Kange Mountains, and is also much cultivated about Kai-song. The cattle are excellent (the bull being the usual beast of burden), the ponies very ferior. Iron ores of excellent quality are mined; and there are copper mines. The output of silver is small. Gold to the value of $500,000 has been exported in one year. Three-fourths of the trade is with Japan, and over a fifth with China.
The earliest records of Korea go back to 1122 B. C., when Ki-tze with 5,000 Chinese colonists brought to Korea Chinese arts and politics. Almost the first knowledge of Korea obtained by Europe was through the shipwreck of some Dutchmen on the coast in 1653.
The missionary De Cespedes had, however, entered Korea at the end of the 16th century, and from 1777 other missionfirst knowledge of Korea obtained by Europe was through the shipwreck of some Dutchmen on the coast in 1653. The missionary De Cespedes had, howa footing in Korea, but in 1866, after thousands of converts had been put to death, the only three Catholic missionaries left had to flee for their lives. Japan was the first to effect a footing