Compare And Contrast China And Korea

In the 19th century, a long period full of isolation, China and Japan were pressured by the west to open foreign trade and relations. The industrialization of Europe and the United States had created a wide separation between them and the west. Japan, Korea and China lacked knowledge, technology, and military power compared to the west. Out of these three countries, Japan was able to modernize with Korea, while China continued to struggle with modernization, but eventually modernized on their own.
Modernization took place in the East due to the lack of political or military power these countries had to withstand Western nations. Eventually the signing of unequal treaties was signed, which forced China and Japan to open their ports and cities to foreign merchants. …show more content…
Japan and Korea began to realize how dangerous the threats were that were imposed by Western powers. They knew that western powers were now in order of Asia. They believed the only way to save their country was to modernize. However, Korea was unlike Japan because of their highly centralized government. The Korean government had monopoly of power and wealth, and weapons were illegal. Koreans may have been reluctant to trade, but didn’t have any control over it happening. Japan’s power was different compared to China and Korea, because their government wasn’t as centralized. Japan had an emperor, military dictator, and Daimyos. Although Japan had other authorities in power, the Daimyo’s had the most authority over Japan. They had their own military, rights to their own land, and separate power bases. Shogun was the military dictator, he inhibited the Daimyo’s ability to rebel by limiting the number of people they could maintain, while requiring some of the warlords to spend time in Shogun’s