"Japan’s Invasion of Chosŏn Korea in 1592-1598 and its Aftermath in East Asian History"

In 1592 Japan’s Hideyoshi regime invaded Chosŏn Korea (1392-1910). Ming China sent a rescue army to Korea to repel the Japanese invaders and, as a result, the war evolved into a major international conflict of unprecedented proportions in premodern East Asia. The war ended in 1598 as the Japanese troops retreated empty-handed back to their country. In this lecture, Hur discusses how the war unfolded, what impact it brought to Chosŏn Korea, Japan, and Ming China, and how international relations between them were reconfigured in postwar East Asia. In particular, Hur pays attention to a range of socio-economic changes which Chosŏn Korea experienced in the postwar era.

Lecturer

Prof. Dr. Hur Nam-lin (Professor, Department of Asian Studies at The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada)

Nam-lin Hur (PhD, Princeton) is a professor in the Department of Asian Studies, University of British Columbia. His teaching and research involve international relations in premodern East Asia, premodern Korean/Japanese history, and East Asian Buddhism. He is currently completing a book manuscript entitled Food, Diplomacy, and Governance: Japan’s Invasion of Chosŏn Korea in 1592-1598 and Ming China’s Involvement.