Economy
Founded in 2333 BCE, our economy is heavily shaped by agriculture and metallurgy. This includes the introduction of iron, and the production of rice, along with millet and barley. By 2000 BCE, us Dongyi (in Chinese- Eastern foreigners/ Eastern barbarians)
built up our own economy and enhanced our power with iron tools and weapons, that are used as agricultural implements, and improved our military tactics. Myeongdejeon, a Chinese crescent shaped knife-coin (pictured above) serves as the currency here in Gojoseon, despite our
location on the Korean peninsula. These coins can be found anywhere in our region, even though they originate from Yan and Qi China. Gojoseon and these regions have a history of trading, and therefore we share a common currency, along with many other economical similarities.
-Ally B. (yay for panda cursors!)
built up our own economy and enhanced our power with iron tools and weapons, that are used as agricultural implements, and improved our military tactics. Myeongdejeon, a Chinese crescent shaped knife-coin (pictured above) serves as the currency here in Gojoseon, despite our
location on the Korean peninsula. These coins can be found anywhere in our region, even though they originate from Yan and Qi China. Gojoseon and these regions have a history of trading, and therefore we share a common currency, along with many other economical similarities.
-Ally B. (yay for panda cursors!)
Political
Here in Gojoseon, crime is not acceptable and those who fail to keep the law must pay accordingly. We have eight standard laws that keep our community a free but secure place. Three of them are: 1.) a person who has killed someone will be put to death; 2.) a person who has injured someone shall pay back grains to that person; and 3.) a person who has stolen property of others shall pay 50,000 jun if they do not want to be the slave of that person. These laws are just, with severe punishments to offenders, and designed to keep Gojoseon safe.
Gojoseon is a hierarchy, with many classes, ruled by our powerful leaders and with the lower class working, often in our agricultural fields. Despite this fact, everyone has rights, thanks to the eight laws. In addition, people who don’t want to stay in the region for political reasons can leave Gojoseon freely. No military will keep those who don’t like their rulers from moving away.
Gojoseon is a theocracy. The title “Dangunwanggeom” is reserved for elite leaders. The meaning of the word is this: “Dangun” means a religious leader and “Wanggeom” means king. All leaders are at least called Wanggeom. Dangunwanggeoms have both political and religious power; Wanggeoms had only political power. However, these are the more powerful leaders. A chenogun is a local leader having religious and political power (chenogun translates to “Lord with Heavenly Authority”). Chenoguns have direct control over an area called a sodo, and indirect rule of areas outside of the sodo. However, many other political leaders have begun to take power in these indirect lands. Many chenoguns now have only religious power in an area outside of their sodo. Because Dangun’s power comes from power given to him when our leaders reach a consensus, the division of power between the groups means that Dangun has authority in such situations and there is not much he is able to do. As the local political leaders gain power, Dangun’s power diminishes.
On a lighter note, the land of Gojoseon includes the regions of several Altaic Tungus people. They believe in the supreme ruler of heaven, and our religious leaders act as a mediator for them. These people cannot become rulers themselves, but they promised allegiance to the Wanggeoms and can leave our theocratic feudal state at any time for whatever reason they want. Likewise, other kingdoms can join or leave. These people have more power than the decision of whether to stay or leave, though. In major decisions such as conquest, an agreement must be reached between all feudal states before anyone can take action.
Gojoseon is divided into three confederate kingdoms. They are Jinhahn, Manhahn, and Beonhahn. Jinhahn is under the most direct rule of Dangun, and is usually considered the most powerful of the kingdoms.
-Caitlin C.
Gojoseon is a hierarchy, with many classes, ruled by our powerful leaders and with the lower class working, often in our agricultural fields. Despite this fact, everyone has rights, thanks to the eight laws. In addition, people who don’t want to stay in the region for political reasons can leave Gojoseon freely. No military will keep those who don’t like their rulers from moving away.
Gojoseon is a theocracy. The title “Dangunwanggeom” is reserved for elite leaders. The meaning of the word is this: “Dangun” means a religious leader and “Wanggeom” means king. All leaders are at least called Wanggeom. Dangunwanggeoms have both political and religious power; Wanggeoms had only political power. However, these are the more powerful leaders. A chenogun is a local leader having religious and political power (chenogun translates to “Lord with Heavenly Authority”). Chenoguns have direct control over an area called a sodo, and indirect rule of areas outside of the sodo. However, many other political leaders have begun to take power in these indirect lands. Many chenoguns now have only religious power in an area outside of their sodo. Because Dangun’s power comes from power given to him when our leaders reach a consensus, the division of power between the groups means that Dangun has authority in such situations and there is not much he is able to do. As the local political leaders gain power, Dangun’s power diminishes.
On a lighter note, the land of Gojoseon includes the regions of several Altaic Tungus people. They believe in the supreme ruler of heaven, and our religious leaders act as a mediator for them. These people cannot become rulers themselves, but they promised allegiance to the Wanggeoms and can leave our theocratic feudal state at any time for whatever reason they want. Likewise, other kingdoms can join or leave. These people have more power than the decision of whether to stay or leave, though. In major decisions such as conquest, an agreement must be reached between all feudal states before anyone can take action.
Gojoseon is divided into three confederate kingdoms. They are Jinhahn, Manhahn, and Beonhahn. Jinhahn is under the most direct rule of Dangun, and is usually considered the most powerful of the kingdoms.
-Caitlin C.
Religion
Thousands of years ago, Gojoseon was founded by Hwangung, the son of Hwanin, the Lord of Heaven. He wanted his son to return to the heavens, but he eventually relented, and allowed Hwangung to live on earth among the humans. Hwangung descended to Mount Taebaek with 3000 helpers, where he founded the city of Sinsi (the Holy City). He and his ministers of clouds, rain, and wind instituted laws and moral codes that we still follow today, as well as teaching people various arts, medicine, and agriculture. He later married a former bear who he, through his generosity, turned into a human (named Ungnyeo), and after she prayed to him for many days under a Sindansu, and they later gave birth to Dangun Wanggeom, the founder of Korea. Dangun is revered as a god, and his reign over Gojoseon lasted 1,500 years.
The Dangun story shows how we respect and worship all aspects of nature. We hold religious rituals conducted by shamans at sacred places such as mountains. Some areas are marked by tall wooden totem poles to show the belief that nature is controlled by spirits. We also have special rituals for those who die, with the burial site marked by large stone Dolmen tombs. Some of our early tribes worshipped the tiger and bear, while others worshipped the sky or Heaven. Later, the Heaven and bear tribes united and drove away the tiger tribe, uniting together as one. Dangun became the official title of the leader of their tribe, who has a lot of political and religious power in the community.
Religion still has a lot of power politically. The king has political as well as religious power, and he is referred to by the title “Dangungwaggeom” (Dengun means religious leader, and Wanggeom means political king; it essentially means “Priest-King”). The Dangungwaggeom has ultimate religious and political authority as the rightful heir to the first Dangun, although they in no way claim to be a Dangunwaggeom themselves. Right now, our religious and political powers are unified. Local leaders with religious and political powers are called Cheongun, meaning “Lord with Heavenly Authority”, and they have power within their own direct rule area called a Sodo. In some areas, local political leaders are beginning to gain political power outside of their Sodos, meaning that the Cheongun are losing their political powers, and soon will only have religious powers remaining. This also means that the Dangun is losing the ability to exercise his political power, and although the Cheonguns are continuing to support the Dangun unconditionally, he is losing his secular powers.
-Zoe J.
The Dangun story shows how we respect and worship all aspects of nature. We hold religious rituals conducted by shamans at sacred places such as mountains. Some areas are marked by tall wooden totem poles to show the belief that nature is controlled by spirits. We also have special rituals for those who die, with the burial site marked by large stone Dolmen tombs. Some of our early tribes worshipped the tiger and bear, while others worshipped the sky or Heaven. Later, the Heaven and bear tribes united and drove away the tiger tribe, uniting together as one. Dangun became the official title of the leader of their tribe, who has a lot of political and religious power in the community.
Religion still has a lot of power politically. The king has political as well as religious power, and he is referred to by the title “Dangungwaggeom” (Dengun means religious leader, and Wanggeom means political king; it essentially means “Priest-King”). The Dangungwaggeom has ultimate religious and political authority as the rightful heir to the first Dangun, although they in no way claim to be a Dangunwaggeom themselves. Right now, our religious and political powers are unified. Local leaders with religious and political powers are called Cheongun, meaning “Lord with Heavenly Authority”, and they have power within their own direct rule area called a Sodo. In some areas, local political leaders are beginning to gain political power outside of their Sodos, meaning that the Cheongun are losing their political powers, and soon will only have religious powers remaining. This also means that the Dangun is losing the ability to exercise his political power, and although the Cheonguns are continuing to support the Dangun unconditionally, he is losing his secular powers.
-Zoe J.
Dangun conveys the image of a gentle elderly family member. He tends to be reffered to as “Grandfather Dangun”, which expresses him to be a gentle, approachable character.In this portrait, it depicts Dangun (as an immortal spirit after his retirement into a mountain) with tigers as his helpers in a Samsingak. The tiger symbolizes the authority of Dangun, but is not a scary animal that would harm people.
Social Norms
A couple of years back Emperor Wudi, the ruler of China’s Han dynasty, annexed Gojoseon and for about 400 years ruled over all of Gojoseon. During this period, along with when Gojoseon or the Korean Peninsula as a whole were ruled by the Koguryo dynasty from about 37 BCE and onwards (668 CE) we have been ruled with the utmost privileged class being the ruling class ( of course ) followed by aristocrats, who were government officials who are educated. This class if followed by mounted and horse riding soldiers and then of course the lower classes (which accounted for most of the population) followed by slaves ( first slave owning state in Korea ) . Gojoseon is a stratified society and as it therefore all the wealth is distributed among the upper class while we, of the lower class, spend most of our time working. The advent of Bronze a while ago has created even larger disparities between the wealthy and the poor.
-Nicole N.
-Nicole N.
Geography
Most of Gojoseon is covered with mountains ( 70% ) , granted that our land is so mountainous we have little arable land for agriculture, but the land we did cultivate happened to be the plains in between mountain ranges.
We have a very long coastline with very a very unique south and west coast that consist of thousands of Islands
Largest Mountain is Baekdu Mountain,at 9,002 feet that is also happens to be active/ volcanic
Climate in Gojoseon varies dependent on location, for example, South Gojoseon is very warm and wet because it is affected by the East Korean Warm Current, whereas the northern parts are colder because it weather comes from northern locations
Gojoseon is in Eastern Asia. Gojoseon is a peninsula and likewise is surrounded by water on three sides. Five bodies of water surround Gojoseon: the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea, the Korea Strait, the Cheju Strait and Korea Bay.
-Nicole N.
We have a very long coastline with very a very unique south and west coast that consist of thousands of Islands
Largest Mountain is Baekdu Mountain,at 9,002 feet that is also happens to be active/ volcanic
Climate in Gojoseon varies dependent on location, for example, South Gojoseon is very warm and wet because it is affected by the East Korean Warm Current, whereas the northern parts are colder because it weather comes from northern locations
Gojoseon is in Eastern Asia. Gojoseon is a peninsula and likewise is surrounded by water on three sides. Five bodies of water surround Gojoseon: the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea, the Korea Strait, the Cheju Strait and Korea Bay.
-Nicole N.
INTELLECTUAL AND ARTISTIC PURSUITS
First ever Goryon Movable Metal Type: Pictured below
We have a strong tradition of making chiseled and painted pottery. We have small communal farms organized by individual families. We also specialize in dolmen burial sites throughout the peninsula. Bronze daggers and mirrors are among our specialties.
Mumun pottery. We also have plain-course pottery which stems from Chinese and Siberian influence, which isn’t as intricate as our traditional style.. That type of pottery typically has thicker walls and displays a wider variety of shapes.
We cultivate grains such as rice. We also farm our native millet and barley and raise domesticated livestock on our farms.
Even though our Bronze culture is in part derived from Manchuria and Siberia, we’ve developed our own styles, typefaces and traditions. Our bronzes contain a higher percentage of zinc than those of the neighboring bronze cultures. Bronze artifacts are very useful, being needed for burials. They consist mainly of swords, spears, and mirrors decorated with geometric patterns.
Dolmen tombs formed of upright stones supporting a horizontal slab are commonplace in Gojoseon. Underground burial chambers lined with stone and earthenware jar coffins manifest other new forms of burial. Inside lay bronze objects, pottery, and jade ornaments indicating they have been reserved for the elite class. Iron-rich clay characterized by a smooth, lustrous surface, appear in dolmen tombs, as well as in domestic bowls and cups.
Iron technology (Jin-guk) has come to us from northern China and Southern kingdom of Jin. in the southern part of the peninsula by the second century B.C.E. According to Chinese accounts, Japan and the rest of the Korean Peninsula valued iron from the lower Nakdong River valley in the southeast.
We’ve created the first ever movable metal type which has revolutionized education and books.
Come see our carvings of the entire Buddhist canon on large woodblocks.
These woodblocks, numbering more than 80,000, were intended to invoke the power of Buddha for the repulsion of Mongol invaders. Internationally called the Tripitaka Koreana, they are now stored at the Haeinsa Temple.
-Swetha B.
If you want to learn more about Gojoseon's (future) questionable existance, watch the video below!
And if you want to hear a VERY biased history of Gojoseon (from the future), then watch the video below!