A History of Korea (36 page)
Read A History of Korea Online
Authors: Professor Kyung Moon Hwang
Tags: #Education & Reference, #History, #Ancient, #Early Civilization, #Asia, #Korea, #World, #Civilization & Culture
CH
NG TOJN: FROM MASTERMIND TO POLITICAL POWER
In 1383, after nine years of political exile, the up-and-coming Confucian scholar Ch
ng Tojn visited the northeastern frontier of Kory. There, in General Yi Snggye’s home region, Chng had his fateful encounter with this future founder of the next Korean dynasty. Whatever took place in their meeting, it was enough to forge a strong alliance, with Chng hitching his ideals and destiny to the man who had amassed heroic feats in repelling marauding Japanese pirates and Red Turban raiders (
Chapter 6
). As it turned out, this bond could be characterized as an alliance of mutual convenience, with Yi using the scholar as much as Chng used the general. When, as Kory’s second-ranking military officer, Yi Snggye was sent to lead a Korean expedition to invade Ming dynasty China in a show of force during a border dispute in 1388, he recognized this as folly and instead turned his army toward the Korycapital. There he arrested his commander and effectively took control. Waiting for him was Chng Tojn, who quickly led efforts to implement the political changes that allowed Yi to rule, including the forced abdication of the Korymonarch in favor
of Yi’s hand-picked one. Ch
