Читать книгу Taekwondo Black Belt Poomsae. Original Koryo and Koryo онлайн

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Tripitaka Koreana. Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization.

In large part due to its strategic location and the border it shared with its northern neighbors, Koryo sovereignty was constantly challenged. By 1044, a massive defensive structure in the form of a great wall had been built extending from the Amnok River, now the Yalu, to Hamhung on the east coast of what is today North Korea. Nevertheless, massive structures such as these could not defend against domestic strife. In 1170, following a military coup lead by General Ch’ung-hon Ch’oe, civilian control of the government ended with power being consolidated within the Ch’oe family essentially reducing the king to a figurehead. Yet, over time, it became clear that the military dictatorship was incapable of providing economic security, resulting in the reinstatement of a civilian bureaucracy. Furthermore, the ongoing struggle for internal stability was radically compounded in 1232 by the Mongol invasion. Following the capture of the capitol at Seongdo, the royalty sought refuge on the island of Kanghwa-do, effectively establishing a government-in-exile within its own borders. Spared by the fact that the Mongol cavalry feared crossing the waters between the island and the mainland, a distance of only a few short miles, the nation was nonetheless mercilessly reduced to a vassal state. Although the Koryo military continued to offer significant resistance, imperialistic forces ravaged the nation leaving a path of devastation and hardship in its wake. With opposition waning, the king finally sued for peace and in 1270 once again returned to the throne.