Failed Missions in Early Korean Encounters with ‘Western Learning’

The spread of Christianity to Korea is usually told as a success story. During the first two centuries of Korean encounters with 'Western Learning', it would have been difficult to predict these later developments on account of the actual encounters between Jesuit missionaries and Korean emissaries to the Peking court, which were usually marked by the divergence of interests and a certain amount of mutual distrust. The Korean visits had been spurred on by their eagerness to learn more about Western astronomical calculations, mainly concerning calendrical techniques. As the purpose behind Korean calendar calculation was demonstrating independence from the legitimation of Choson rulership by the Qing court, the Jesuits were the ones the Koreans needed to turn to. August von Hallerstein predictably questioned Hong and his companion about the southern port of Pusan, Tsushima Island, and possible travel routes between Korea and Japan

Astrobiology · Biology · Geography · Chinese history and philosophy · History · Japanese History and Culture