Claude-Charles Dallet, né le 18 octobre 1829 à Langres et mort le 25 avril 1878 au Tonkin, est un missionnaire catholique français qui est principalement connu pour son travail sur L'Histoire de l'Église de Corée, considéré comme le premier livre occidental sur l'étude de la Corée[1].
Claude-Charles Dallet (1829–1878) fue un misionero católico conocido por su obra La historia de la Iglesia de Corea ( Histoire de l'Église de Corée ). Charles Dallet nació en Langres, Francia, el 18 de octubre de 1829.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude-Charles_Dallet
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude-Charles_Dallet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude-Charles_Dallet
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A3%E3%83%AB%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BB%E3%83%80%E3%83%AC
The following is an excerpt from the Japanese version.
"History of the Korean Church"
The original text consists of two volumes. Some versions include a congratulatory message from Pope Pius IX, while others do not. The dedication is to the Virgin Mary.
The 15-chapter "Introduction" has been translated into Japanese as "Conditions on Korea" (included in the Heibonsha Toyo Bunko). The introduction provides a concise explanation of what Korea was like.
He was the only Westerner to infiltrate Korea from China, during its strict isolationist policy, prior to its opening to the world in 1876, and live there.
This book is of immense documentary value.
The introduction accounts for approximately one-fifth of the entire volume.
The "Introduction" ("Conditions on Korea") provides a detailed account of the state of affairs in the Joseon Dynasty at the time.
Seoul is a densely populated metropolis, but there are no notable buildings and garbage is scattered everywhere.
The country is an absolute monarchy, with the king having unlimited power over all organizations and objects within the country.
Women have an extremely low status, serving as slaves or labor for men.
All books are Chinese. They study Chinese, not Korean. History is studied exclusively in Chinese, not Korean.
Science and technology have not progressed at all for centuries due to the widespread disregard for commerce and industry.
They also point out the flaws in the monetary system.
The civil service examination system, once a means of recruiting talent, has now fallen into disrepute. Passing the examination is now bought with money.
From 1871 to 1872, bad weather caused a severe famine. However, the Korean government chose to allow half of its population to die rather than maintain its isolationist policy and allow food imports from Japan.
White clothing is common among Koreans, but it is often dirty and discolored. Even the wealthy are often unclean. This is a characteristic of Koreans.
The following is an English translation of an excerpt from the Japanese book "Joseon Jijo" (Heibonsha, Toyo Bunko, 1979).
https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%9C%9D%E9%AE%AE%E4%BA%8B%E6%83%85-%E6%9D%B1%E6%B4%8B%E6%96%87%E5%BA%AB-%E3%82%AF%E3%83%AD%E3%83%BC%E3%83%89%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A3%E3%83%AB%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BB%E3%83%80%E3%83%AC/dp/4256183353/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0
People only cultivate the land around their homes or in nearby areas.
Annual harvests barely meet the population's needs.
Famines are common in Korea.
A treaty signed in 1637 further strengthened Korea's humiliating vassalage to the Qing. The Korean king was now required to recognize not only the investiture power but also direct authority over the Qing emperor (i.e., a master-servant relationship).
The Korean royal palace is a drab building that even a well-off pensioner in Paris would not want to live in.
Seoul, despite its large population, lacks architectural beauty. Its only winding alleys offer little air and are covered only by rubbish. The houses, covered in tiled roofs, are low and narrow.
Officials' positions are openly bought and sold. Buyers, from governors to minor officials, make money by collecting taxes.
Even the king's messengers abuse their privileges with the utmost shamelessness.
Learning in Korea is not national. The books they read are Chinese.
The language they learn is Chinese, not Korean.
Even history is studied in favor of Chinese history, ignoring Korean history.
The philosophical system espoused by scholars is Chinese.
Since copies are always inferior to the original, it is only natural that Korean scholars are far inferior to their Chinese counterparts.
It is true that the public examination system (i.e., the imperial examination system) is extremely corrupt. Today, degrees are awarded to those with the most money and the most powerful patrons.
The Korean aristocracy is the most arrogant in the world. In other countries, monarchs, judicial officials, and other institutions keep the aristocracy within its natural limits and maintain the balance of power. However, in Korea, the yangban population is large and unites to maintain and expand their class privileges. Even the king cannot oppose their power.
The social customs are extremely corrupt, and the general status of women is repulsively degraded and low. Women are treated merely as slaves, playthings, or laborers, not as companions to men.
Koreans are generally stubborn, irascible, angry, and vindictive. This is due to the semi-primitive nature in which they remain. Pagans lack any ethical education; even Christian education takes time to bear fruit.
Children grow up with little punishment, and once they reach adulthood, both men and women are constantly engaged in indiscriminate outbursts of rage.
Despite this, the military is extremely weak. Any serious threat is enough to make them abandon their weapons and flee in all directions.
Korean people are obsessed with making money. Koreans use any means necessary to make money. They are unaware of and unwilling to abide by the moral laws that protect property and prevent theft.
In general, they are both greedy and wasteful, spending every penny they have.
Another major flaw of Koreans is gluttony. In this respect, there is no difference between rich and poor, nobles and commoners. Eating well is considered an honor, and the value of a meal served to a guest is measured by its quantity, not its quality. Therefore, they rarely talk during meals, because a word or two would cost them a mouthful. From infancy, they are carefully raised to maintain a firm stomach. Mothers hold their young children on their laps and feed them rice and other nutritious foods, occasionally tapping their stomachs with the handle of a spoon to check whether they are sufficiently full. They stop feeding when the child's tummy becomes physiologically unable to expand further.
Korean houses are generally very small and inconvenient. In the summer, the heat builds up indoors, causing unbearable physical suffering. Most people sleep outdoors.
Clothing is white, but in most cases it is discolored by thick dirt. Uncleanliness is a major flaw among Koreans. Even the wealthy often wear clothes that are infested with insects and torn.
Studies are almost nonexistent in Korea. Astronomers use the Chinese calendar and know only ridiculous astrological formulas.
Korean people have made little progress in the field of scientific research. Korea is even more backward in industrial knowledge. The country has not made any progress in useful technology for centuries.
One of the major obstacles to the development of commerce is an imperfect monetary system. Gold and silver coins do not exist. The sale of these metals in blocks is prohibited by numerous and detailed regulations. The only legal currency in circulation is copper coins.
Another obstacle to commerce is the poor state of transportation routes. Very few rivers are navigable. Only a few are open to ships, and navigation is limited to very specific areas. The country is mountainous and valley-filled, yet road-building technology is virtually unknown. Consequently, almost all transportation is done by oxen, horse, or human back.
The government adheres to its policy of isolation and refuses to abandon it. Between 1871 and 1872, a devastating famine ravaged Korea, so severe that some people on the west coast sold their daughters to Chinese smugglers.
Koreans complained to missionaries that "corpses lie on every road." Even then, however, the Korean government chose to allow half of its population to die rather than allow food imports from Japan.
Korea will be annexed to Russian territory.
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