The beginnings of Seoul, Korea were anything but modest. Tying into the tumultuous history of monarch rule, General Yi Song-gye (King Taejo) founded the Choson Dynasty in 1392, making Seoul the capital of Korea only two years later. Yi Song-gye joined the Koryô army- the preceding dynasty- and rose through the ranks, seizing the throne in 1392. Like the dynasty before it, The Koryô Dynasty suffered from severe internal problems; Yi and his followers implemented drastic reforms in hopes of changing the chaotic narrative to one of stability. This primarily came in terms of land reform. Clans and Buddhist temples acquired vast portions of farmland as the religion predominated the area. Additionally, the Buddhist temples were not required to pay taxes, which diminished the treasury reserves. General Yi knew that the landlords took much of the crop yield as rent, causing the peasantry to exceed suffering. After he implemented reform, the temples lost all economic prevalence. Opposition to Buddhism ran deep as the monks became corrupted throughout the years. General Yi, and most of his supporters, were Confucians who saw the monks’ religion as false. When Yi stripped the temples of economic dominance, Confucianism predominated socially in the Choson dynasty.
As a general, King Taejo sought a strategic location for his kingdom. He chose Seoul as the location for its p’ungsu (Feng-Shui in Chinese) which would provide the flow of positive energy. Before Seoul’s legitimacy, General Yi took steps to consolidate power. He had a three-pronged plan for political reform: the restructuring of local administration, reduction of competition for official posts through the exclusion of certain social groups; and adjusting the inequality of political power through central government reorganization. Land and political reforms allowed the state to proliferate the countryside, which contained a host of resources that would become the main staple of Korea’s economy later on. Expansion into the countryside had to be executed precisely. The rural sphere became part of the traditional city; Areas destroyed by war were to become rejuvenated by displaced peoples. Qualified men were granted magistrate titles that subsequently heightened their class status. General Yi granted a 20-year exemption from taxes for the magistrates in exchange for naval forces. Commoner and slave households were built for military service; Yi encouraged everyone to farm like the peasants. These implementations enhanced state control over human capital. Gaining legitimacy, Seoul experienced rapid population growth after a 10-year struggle with Gaegyeong, the previous dynasty’s capital city.
Back then, Seoul was known as called Hanyang; it became the capital of Korea in the late 1300’s due to its geographical benefits. Hanyang sat at the feet of four mountains to the north, the Han River in the south, and the surrounding wall that protected the initial settlement. The wall was 16 square kilometers and had eight gates. The four Great Gates faced the cardinal directions while each gate served as entrance for a particular type of guest. Nam Dae Mun (the South Great Gate), Tong Dae Mun (the East Great Gate) Buk Dae Mun (“Great North Gate”), So Dae Mun (“Great West Gate”). The main road of commerce was the widest and went from the west gate to the east. Along this commercial spine were the royal Chong’myo shrine and the royal Sajikdan alter. The Chong’myo shrine is where the king honors his ancestors and where the royal ancestral tablets are currently held east of the temple. On the western end is the Sajikdan alter for the earth gods that brought good harvest. Both the Chong’myo and Sajikdan were meticulously located and constructed in consideration of the palace, complementing the strength of the dynasty. The northern, central part of Hanyang featured the king’s southern-facing palace. This allowed the palace to have mountains at the back, looking onto the Han River. A port city, The water ways became the king’s method of tax collection, as well as grain allocation and the transportation of goods, harboring upwards of 30 ports.
Seoul’s economy consisted of various influences. During the Koryô Dynasty, Korea had an extensive trade relationship with the Japanese, Chinese, and Manchurians. Korean exports included brocades, jewelries, ginseng, silk, and porcelain, which achieved worldwide acclaim. With the arrival of the Choson Dynasty, Confucianism changed the production source of goods and the predominating source of revenue. Silver was used as currency in China; it played an important role in Korea-China trade. Additionally, General Yi restricted commerce to promote Seoul agriculture. Because silver was used as currency in China, it played an important role in Korea-China trade. Residential land parcels, area of residence in general, house size stratified by social class. The physical organization of Seoul reflected its social hierarchies. The 10% ruling elite ran Korea through Seoul, a machine that dominated culturally, economically, politically fueled by the agricultural surplus manifested in the countryside. The traditional city suffered several attacks in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Seoul, attacked by foreign invaders, lost its original form. The rebuilding process took Seoul beyond the walls, including suburbs in the new layout. Korea has
The Choson Dynasty happened to be well into decline before its late period. Multiple landscapes jutted along its geographical form. This is largely due from land shortages, illegal expansions, uprisings from the class system, and tense disorganization in the kingdom. Heavy floods affected the lowlands, along with famine and disease; the afflicted peasantry did not receive assistance from the monarchy. As western influences sought eastern commerce, Korea vehemently rejected. The arrival of western influences included Christianity and with it a rejection of ancestral worship. Korea closed itself off to rest of the world as it witnessed the Opium War in China, in addition to the decline of the Qing empire. Korea saw the decline of China exacerbated by the expansion of western powers (Britain, France, Russia). By the end of the 19th century, however, modern service facilities and infrastructure were introduced to Seoul. The first western hospital and medical school were founded in 1885; the street car arrived in Seoul in 1899, which ran from the West Great Gate to the east area. The first train operated in 1889 linking Seoul to the Korea National Railroad. Before Japanese colonial rule, Seoul had a total of 30 kings. Post fourth monarch rule, a long period of decline began as internal struggle became the face of the dynasty. The wide array of power became convoluted, opposing factions formed, allowing western practices to encroach.