It is the 19th century after Jesus was born in year 0, and it was a period of cataclysmic change in which mankind achieved rapid progress and development in a century, and significant political, economic, and religious upheaval took place worldwide. Especially in Europe, the beginning of the 19th century was marked by the Frenchman called Bonaparte Napoleon pushing the whole continent into war. After the Napoleonic Wars began in Great Britain, Europeans’ lives changed completely due to the Industrial Revolution. The revolution later spread to the whole globe. In the Americas, a new country called the United States of America started to expand its influence, and the independence of Latin American states began against the European powers. In regions where development had been slow, such as Asia, Africa, and Oceania, countries became victims of powerful, developed European nations.
But not all nations from other continents became European colonies. Ethiopia, the only nation that didn’t get colonized, successfully defeated Italian troops in 1896. The Kingdom of Siam became the only independent state in Southeast Asia by giving parts of its territory to the UK and France. Japan was the only Asian nation that successfully modernized itself and became a global power. And there’s a question: Korea, which was called the Kingdom of Joseon and located next to Japan, could not successfully modernize and was eventually colonized by Japan. Not only Korea, but also other regional power states such as Qing China and the Ottoman Empire failed to modernize and became victims of Western powers. They tried to modernize through the Hundred Days Reform and the Tanzimat Reform, but both reforms failed due to opposition from conservative powers. Both powers collapsed in the early 20th century. Korea was also the same.
During the 19th century, Korea was largely isolated from global industrialization trends, failing to modernize itself at the pace of its regional neighbors, such as Japan, as well as Western countries. One of the biggest reasons was the rigid political structure of the Joseon Dynasty, which adhered to a strict Confucian bureaucracy that resisted change. The ruling elite, especially the aristocratic class, cast doubt on technological and economic reforms, fearing that these changes would undermine their privileged status. Reluctant to embrace modernization, Korea was vulnerable to external threats, as it lacked the industrial and military developments needed to defend itself against imperialist powers.
Korea’s geographical location and long-standing tributary relationship with China also influenced its isolationist policies. To maintain stability, the Korean government took a “closed-door” policy that restricted foreign trade and technological exchanges. Meanwhile, in order to resist Western colonization, Japan recognized the need for modernization and aggressively pursued industrialization during the Meiji Restoration. When Korea tried to reform in the late 19th century, it was too late, and Japan, China, and the external pressure of Western powers had already weakened its sovereignty, leading to Japan’s annexation of Korea in 1910.
The failure of industrialization in the 19th century serves as an important lesson on the importance of adaptability and preemptive reform. Countries that resist progress because of internal conservatism or fear of change risk being left behind in a fast-evolving world. Korea’s historical experience underscores the need for each country to accept technological and economic advances in order to maintain its sovereignty and competitiveness. Modern Korea has become a leading industrialized country, unlike in the past, with its development of semiconductors, cars, petrochemicals, steel, and other manufacturing industries, proving that fast adaptation and innovation are the core of its national strength and resilience. Still, modern South Korea is also confronting many problems related to low fertility rates and youth employment rates. There are also many analyses suggesting that South Korea’s manufacturing technology has lost its competitiveness and needs to expand its major industries to include biotechnology and AI. I hope they follow and grasp global trends quickly and solve these problems to develop their society.
By. Jungwoo Choe