Education.—As in China, so in Corea, learning is ostensibly in high estimation, and all public officials must pass certain examinations. The student is left perfectly free to follow any system and receive instruction from any teacher whatever,—the examiners, who are appointed by the Government, taking account of nothing but results. The most important examinations are held once a year in the capital, and candidates flock thither from all the provinces. After the examination is over, those who have passed put on the robes of their new title, and proceed on horseback with sound of music to visit the chief dignitaries of the state, the examiners, &c. Then follows a burlesque initiation which, though not enforced by law, is rendered imperative by custom. The novice has his face stained with ink and besprinkled with flour, and is otherwise subjected to whimsical insults. There are three separate degrees, that of the tcho-si, that of the tsin-sa, and that of the keup-tchiei,—the last or highest being obtainable at once without the previous possession of the others. The tsin-sa are destined to fill administrative posts in the province, the keup-tchiei the higher positions about the capital and the palace. The military degree, which is also known as the keup-tchiei, involves but little literary culture, and is sought only by the poorer nobles. The whole system is in a state of great decay, and the purchasing of degrees or of doctoral theses is far from uncommon. Besides the possessors of the above-mentioned degrees there is a special class of scholars, known as the middle class, who devote themselves from father to son to the study of various special branches necessary in public employ:—the interpreters, who are trained either in Chinese, Manchu (Hon-hak), or Mongolian; the koang-sang-kam, or school of sciences, devoted to astronomy, geoscopy, and auspication; the ei-sa, or school of medicine, including a branch for the royal service and another for the public; the sa-tsa-koan, or school of recorders, employed in the preservation of the archives and the drawing up of official reports for Pekin; the to-hoa-si, intrusted with the preparation of maps, and the execution of the portrait of the king, which after his death is added to the royal gallery; the nioul-hak, or school of law, which deals mainly with the penal code; the kiei-sa, from which clerks are obtained for the financial and public works department; and the hem-nou-koan, which is intrusted with the management of the Government hydraulic clock.
Religion.—Buddhism, according to native tradition, was introduced into Corea in the 4th century of our era, and under the dynasty of Korio it became the official religion. On the establishment, however, of the Tsi-tsien in the 14th century it gave place to the doctrine of Confucius, which continues to the present day as the established creed. In its main features the Confucianism of Corea is identical with the Chinese system; but it is accompanied and intermingled with various popular superstitions. Worship is offered not only to the Sia-tsik, or patron of the kingdom, but also to the Siang-tiei, whom some regard as a supreme divinity, and others identify with the sky. To the latter public sacrifices, consisting of pigs, sheep, and goats, are offered for the purpose of preventing or obtaining rain, removing epidemic diseases, or otherwise interfering with the course of natural events. The Sia-tsik is hardly known in the provinces; but in the capital his temple is the most sacred of all. Among the educated classes the only form of religion in real force is the worship of their ancestors, and consequently the greatest importance is attached to all the ceremonial details of funerals, mourning, and tombs. In every district there is a temple of Confucius called kiang-kio, with an extensive domain attached; and if the revenue is not sufficient to maintain the necessary expenses, the treasury of the district must supply the deficit. There still exist several of the large pagodas erected during the period of the official status of Buddhism; they are built in the Chinese style, and are frequently remarkable for the beauty of their situation. Except in the province of Kieng-sang the Buddhism monks, or bonzes, retain no influence; they have but little learning, and their numbers are diminishing. The belief in evil spirits is common among the Coreans; their action is frequently controlled by the propitious or unpropitious character of times and seasons, and almost every event is the sign of fortune or mishap. The serpent is the object of superstitious respect; and, instead of killing it, the Corean feeds it as regularly as his domestic animals. Of first importance for the happiness of a family is the preservation of the ancestral fire, and every housewife has all the anxiety and responsibility of a Vestal Virgin. The number of astrologers and fortune tellers throughout the country is extraordinary. The blind are reputed to be endowed with special prophetic aptitude, and, as a natural consequence, a large proportion of those who are deprived of sight make gain of their affliction. In the capital these blind seers are formed into a regular corporation legally recognized, and their services are in great request for the discovery of secrets, the foretelling of the future, and the exorcizing of devils. In this latter operation they trust principally to noise as a means of frightening the spirits, whom they ultimately catch in a bottle and carry off in triumph.
