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Joseon - Quiz
Contributed by: Little
  • 1. What was declared by the Joseon court in 1897?
A) The Korean Empire
B) The United Korean Kingdom
C) The Republic of Korea
D) The Joseon Republic
  • 2. What reform was launched alongside the declaration of the Korean Empire?
A) Gwangmu Reform
B) Gabo Reform
C) Joseon Modernization Act
D) Meiji Reform
  • 3. Which title did King Gojong assume to assert Korea's independence?
A) Shogun
B) Emperor
C) President
D) Tzar
  • 4. Which country did the Joseon court seek military technology from to fend off Japan?
A) Germany
B) United States
C) Russia
D) China
  • 5. In which year did the Battle of Port Arthur take place?
A) 1910
B) 1904
C) 1897
D) 1905
  • 6. What was the name of the treaty that concluded the Russo-Japanese War?
A) Treaty of Portsmouth
B) Treaty of Harbin
C) Treaty of Shimonoseki
D) Treaty of Seoul
  • 7. What treaty was signed in 1905 making Korea a protectorate of Japan?
A) Annexation Treaty
B) Portsmouth Treaty
C) Protectorate Treaty
D) Friendship Treaty
  • 8. Who was the first Resident-General of Korea?
A) King Gojong
B) Prince Itō
C) An Jung-geun
D) Meiji Emperor
  • 9. Who assassinated Prince Itō in 1909?
A) A Russian soldier
B) A Japanese diplomat
C) King Gojong
D) An Jung-geun
  • 10. Where was Prince Itō assassinated?
A) Tokyo, Japan
B) Harbin, China
C) Portsmouth, USA
D) Seoul, Korea
  • 11. In what year did the Japanese Empire officially annex Korea?
A) 1897
B) 1904
C) 1910
D) 1905
  • 12. What happened to the Joseon period in 1897?
A) It was completely dissolved
B) It technically marked the end of the period
C) It officially joined Japan
D) It began a new dynasty
  • 13. What was the movement that advocated for comprehensive reform in agriculture and science called?
A) Hwanguk
B) Tangpyeongchaek
C) Silhak
D) Yesong
  • 14. Who was the chief minister of King Hyeonjong that led the implementation of reforms?
A) Hendrick Hamel
B) King Jeongjo
C) King Sukjong
D) Kim Yuk
  • 15. Which nationality was Hendrick Hamel, who left Korea in 1666?
A) Chinese
B) Dutch
C) Manchurian
D) Japanese
  • 16. What event caused the deaths of 23–33% of the Korean population in the late 17th century?
A) Kyŏngsin and Eulbyeong famines
B) Internal civil war
C) Manchurian invasions
D) Japanese invasions
  • 17. What term refers to the rapid reversals of the ruling faction?
A) Kyujanggak
B) Hwanguk
C) Tangpyeongchaek
D) Silhak
  • 18. Which king pursued the Tangpyeongchaek policy to maintain balance between factions?
A) King Injo
B) Yeongjo
C) King Gyeongjong
D) King Hyeonjong
  • 19. The Westerners were divided into which two factions?
A) Silhak and Neo-Confucianists
B) Royalists and Reformists
C) Southerners and Northerners
D) Noron and Soron
  • 20. What was the name of the royal library established by King Jeongjo?
A) Joseon Archive
B) Silhak Hall
C) Kyujanggak
D) Hwanguk
  • 21. What was the primary goal of the Tangpyeongchaek policy?
A) Maintaining balance and equality between factions
B) Promoting foreign trade
C) Eliminating all opposing factions
D) Building a stronger military
  • 22. Which group was rejected by the hard-line Noron faction?
A) Southerners
B) Foreign scholars
C) Soron
D) Westerners
  • 23. How long did Joseon experience peace after the invasions from Japan and Manchuria?
A) Almost 50 years
B) Over 500 years
C) About 100 years
D) Nearly 200 years
  • 24. What was the reason behind the rapid reversals of the ruling faction during King Sukjong's reign?
A) The king believed factions weakened his power
B) Religious disagreements
C) The king wanted to promote democracy
D) Foreign influence forced the changes
  • 25. What did Silhak scholars encourage people to reflect on?
A) Religious conversion
B) Military conquest
C) International travel
D) State traditions and lifestyle
  • 26. King Jeongjo opened government positions to whom?
A) Only military leaders
B) Only the aristocracy
C) Those previously barred by social status
D) Only foreigners
  • 27. The study of which subjects was initiated by Silhak scholars?
A) Medicine, physics, and astronomy
B) History, geography, epigraphy, and language
C) Music and arts only
D) Religion and philosophy only
  • 28. What did King Taejo refuse to relinquish at the beginning of Taejong's reign?
A) The crown
B) The national treasury
C) The royal sword
D) The royal seal
  • 29. How much did national income increase following Taejong's land taxation reforms?
A) Fifty percent
B) Threefold
C) Ten percent
D) Twofold
  • 30. Which relative did Taejong execute to limit the influence of in-laws?
A) Sejong the Great
B) King Taejo
C) Sim On
D) Kim Chongsŏ
  • 31. When did Sejong the Great ascend the throne?
A) 1443
B) 1399
C) 1433
D) 1418
  • 32. What was the objective of the Gihae Eastern Expedition?
A) To remove coastal pirates
B) To establish trade with Japan
C) To capture the Jurchens
D) To invade Manchuria
  • 33. Which group eventually became the Manchus?
A) The Dopyeong
B) The Goryeo elite
C) The Waegu
D) The Jurchens
  • 34. How many ships was the daimyō of Tsushima allowed to use for trade under the Treaty of Gyehae?
A) Five
B) Ten
C) Fifty
D) One hundred
  • 35. What requirement did Taejong impose on the State Council to strengthen royal power?
A) Mandatory debate
B) Royal approval for all decisions
C) Public voting
D) Abolition of taxation
  • 36. Who was the fifth son of King Taejo who contributed the most to his father's rise to power?
A) Yi Bang-gwa
B) Jeong Dojeon
C) Yi Pangwŏn
D) Yi Pangsŏk
  • 37. Who was appointed as crown prince in 1392 through the influence of Jeong Dojeon?
A) Yi Pangwŏn
B) Yi Bang-gwa
C) Yi Panggan
D) Yi Pangsŏk
  • 38. Who became king immediately after King Taejo abdicated?
A) Yi Pangwŏn
B) Yi Pangsŏk
C) Yi Panggan
D) Yi Bang-gwa
  • 39. To which city did King Jeongjong move the capital?
A) Pyongyang
B) Dosan
C) Kaegyŏng
D) Hanseong
  • 40. Where was Yi Panggan exiled after his defeat?
A) Hanseong
B) The northern border
C) Dosan
D) Kaegyŏng
  • 41. Who became the third king of the Joseon dynasty in 1400?
A) Taejo
B) Taejong
C) Jeongjong
D) Yi Pangsŏk
  • 42. Who was the mother of Yi Pangsŏk?
A) Queen Munjeong
B) Queen Inhyeon
C) Queen Sindeok
D) Queen Sinui
  • 43. What state ideology was installed during the Joseon period?
A) Neo-Confucianism
B) Shintoism
C) Buddhism
D) Taoism
  • 44. In which city was the Goryeo dynasty overthrown?
A) Hanseong
B) Kaesong
C) Wonju
D) Seoul
  • 45. Which religion was discouraged and occasionally persecuted during the Joseon period?
A) Buddhism
B) Neo-Confucianism
C) Christianity
D) Islam
  • 46. Which invasions occurred between 1636 and 1637?
A) Japanese
B) Mongol
C) Qing dynasty
D) Ming dynasty
  • 47. What was the name of the capital after it was moved from Kaegyŏng?
A) Liaodong
B) Hanseong
C) Wonju
D) Pyeongyang
  • 48. General Yi Sŏnggye was originally tasked to attack which region?
A) Ssangseong Prefecture
B) Japan
C) Mongolia
D) Liaodong Peninsula
  • 49. Which ancient Korean state did the name 'Joseon' pay tribute to?
A) Gojoseon
B) Yuan
C) Ming
D) Goryeo
  • 50. Which king died in 1452 just two years after his coronation?
A) Danjong
B) Munjong
C) Sejong
D) Sejo
  • 51. Who succeeded Munjong as king?
A) Sejo
B) Danjong
C) Sejong
D) Kim Chongsŏ
  • 52. How old was Danjong when he ascended the throne?
A) Twelve
B) Sixteen
C) Fourteen
D) Ten
  • 53. Who served as Danjong's guardian along with two regents?
A) Princess Gyeonghye
B) Kim Chongsŏ
C) King Sejong
D) Grand Prince Suyang
  • 54. Who became the seventh king of Joseon after deposing his nephew?
A) Sejong
B) Danjong
C) Munjong
D) Sejo
  • 55. In what year did Grand Prince Suyang depose his nephew to become king?
A) 1452
B) 1460
C) 1455
D) 1450
  • 56. The Grand Code for State Administration provided the first form of what in Korea?
A) Constitutional law in written form
B) Religious freedom statutes
C) Democratic voting rights
D) International treaty guidelines
  • 57. Which institution's foundation did Sejo undermine?
A) Jiphyeonjeon
B) The Secret Service
C) The Palace Guard
D) The Royal Treasury
  • 58. What was a long-term negative consequence of Sejo's political adjustments?
A) Loss of all national land
B) Immediate foreign invasion
C) Increased corruption in higher political echelons
D) The collapse of the economy
  • 59. Who succeeded King Sejo as the eighth king of Joseon?
A) Seongjong
B) Jungjong
C) Yejong
D) Yeonsangun
  • 60. What is the name of the group of neo-Confucian scholars who entered court politics during Seongjong's reign?
A) Hongmungwan
B) Sarim
C) Jurchens
D) Hyangyak
  • 61. What institution did Seongjong establish as a royal library and advisory council?
A) Hyangyak
B) Office of Censors
C) Sungkyunkwan
D) Hongmungwan
  • 62. Which general led the successful campaign against the Jurchens in 1491?
A) Heo Jong
B) Cho Kwangjo
C) Seongjong
D) Yejong
  • 63. Which clan led the Jurchens who were defeated in the 1491 campaign?
A) Sarim
B) Qing
C) Joseon
D) Udige
  • 64. Who succeeded King Seongjong in 1494?
A) Yejong
B) Cho Kwangjo
C) Jungjong
D) Yeonsangun
  • 65. Who replaced Yeonsangun on the throne in 1506?
A) Jungjong
B) Seongjong
C) Cho Kwangjo
D) Yejong
  • 66. Who was the minister that led significant reforms under King Jungjong?
A) Seongjong
B) Heo Jong
C) Yejong
D) Cho Kwangjo
  • 67. What was the name of the local self-government system established by Cho Kwangjo?
A) Sungkyunkwan
B) Sarim
C) Hongmungwan
D) Hyangyak
  • 68. What institution did Yeonsangun appropriate as a personal pleasure ground?
A) Sungkyunkwan
B) The royal library
C) Office of Censors
D) Hongmungwan
  • 69. Which king's reign is considered a cultural golden age similar to Sejong's?
A) Jungjong
B) Yejong
C) Yeonsangun
D) Seongjong
  • 70. To which faction did Chŏng Yŏrip belong?
A) Southerner
B) Westerner
C) Easterner
D) Noron
  • 71. Approximately how many Easterners were killed or exiled after the Chŏng Yŏrip investigation?
A) 500
B) 2000
C) 1000
D) 100
  • 72. The society formed by Chŏng Yŏrip received military training to fight against which group?
A) The Manchu
B) The Northerners
C) The Sarim
D) Waegu
  • 73. In which region did the influence of Chŏng Yŏrip's society spread?
A) Hanyang
B) Gyeongsang
C) Honam
D) Pyeongyang
  • 74. Which weapons were deployed by the hwacha to repel pirates?
A) Singijeon
B) Turtle ships
C) Manchu bows
D) Portuguese guns
  • 75. Who led the Japanese invasions of Korea in the 1590s?
A) Toyotomi Hideyoshi
B) Hong Taiji
C) Yi Kwal
D) Nurhaci
  • 76. What was the result of Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s naval victories?
A) Immediate surrender of the Japanese
B) Destruction of the Japanese mainland
C) Alliance between Joseon and Japan
D) Control over sea routes
  • 77. In what year did Ming China send a large force to assist Joseon?
A) 1609
B) 1593
C) 1627
D) 1590
  • 78. When were relations between Korea and Japan fully suspended after the 1590s war?
A) 1624
B) 1636
C) 1593
D) 1609
  • 79. Who unified the Jurchen tribes of Manchuria?
A) Amin
B) Nurhaci
C) Hong Taiji
D) Gwanghaegun
  • 80. Who was deposed as king of Joseon in 1623?
A) Injo
B) Nurhaci
C) Gwanghaegun
D) Hyojong
  • 81. How many men did Hong Taiji lead in the punitive expedition against Joseon in 1636?
A) 50,000
B) 120,000
C) 30,000
D) 200,000
  • 82. Which ruler of Joseon tried to build an army to conquer the Qing for revenge?
A) Hyojong
B) Yi Kwal
C) Injo
D) Gwanghaegun
  • 83. What is the name of the Joseon ideology that regarded Korea as the center of civilization?
A) Ming-centricism
B) Jurchenism
C) Qing-loyalty
D) Sojunghwa
  • 84. Which group of envoys introduced Qing culture to Joseon society?
A) Andong Kim clan
B) Yeonhaengsa
C) Sedo Politics
D) Noron faction
  • 85. What theory advocated for adopting Qing and Western culture?
A) Bukhak theory
B) Joseon Isolationism
C) Noron theory
D) Sedo Politics
  • 86. Which material were Bukhak proponents particularly interested in popularizing?
A) Stone
B) Marble
C) Brick
D) Wood
  • 87. The construction of which site helped spread Qing-style architectural techniques?
A) Suwon Hwaseong Fortress
B) Gyeongbokgung Palace
C) The royal archives
D) Anui city walls
  • 88. What term describes the government by royal in-laws during late Joseon?
A) Sedo Politics
B) Bukhak theory
C) Yeonhaengsa policy
D) Noron reform
  • 89. Which king succeeded King Jeongjo in 1800?
A) King Sejong
B) Pak Chiwŏn
C) Sunjo
D) Kim Jo-sun
  • 90. What was the external political stance of Joseon during the late 18th and 19th centuries?
A) Colonialist
B) Open-door policy
C) Isolationist
D) Expansionist
  • 91. In what year did King Gojong take the throne?
A) 1863
B) 1894
C) 1866
D) 1873
  • 92. Who ruled on behalf of King Gojong until he reached adulthood?
A) Jo Byong-gap
B) Cho'e Cheu
C) Queen Min
D) Heungseon Daewongun
  • 93. Which palace was restored during the early years of Gojong's rule?
A) Deoksugung
B) Gyeonghuigung
C) Gyeongbokgung
D) Changdeokgung
  • 94. Who was the religious leader of the Donghak followers?
A) Heungseon Daewongun
B) Jeon Bong-jun
C) Miura Gorō
D) Cho'e Cheu
  • 95. In what year was the Treaty of Ganghwa signed?
A) 1876
B) 1885
C) 1866
D) 1894
  • 96. What was the name of the modern elite military unit formed in 1881?
A) General Sherman
B) Byeolgigun
C) Royal Navy
D) Donghak
  • 97. Who led the peasant army during the 1894 Donghak Peasant Revolution?
A) Cho'e Cheu
B) Jo Byong-gap
C) Jeon Bong-jun
D) Miura Gorō
  • 98. In what year was Empress Myeongseong assassinated?
A) 1894
B) 1876
C) 1885
D) 1895
  • 99. Who orchestrated the plot to assassinate Empress Myeongseong?
A) Miura Gorō
B) Heungseon Daewongun
C) Jeon Bong-jun
D) Jo Byong-gap
  • 100. What policy was Heungseon Daewongun the main proponent of?
A) Isolationism
B) Capitalism
C) Westernization
D) Expansionism
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