Incheon Metropolitan City Museum Spotlights Joseon’s Diplomacy and Crisis Response in Turbulent Times at Museum University

Incheon Metropolitan City Museum announced that it will hold the second lecture of the 2026 fall semester of the 28th Museum University course, titled , at 2 p.m. on the 30th in Seoknam Hall on the first floor of the museum. This lecture will be given by Han Myung-gi, professor of history at Myongji University, on the theme “Joseon’s Foreign Relations: Reflections in a Period of Upheaval.” It will examine the diplomatic crises and choices Joseon faced amid surrounding powers such as China and Japan, and seek, through historical experience, a perspective for understanding today’s international situation and wisdom for responding to crises.

[The Korean Today] Incheon Metropolitan City Museum Spotlights Joseon’s Diplomacy and Crisis Response in Turbulent Times at Museum University (사진 제공: 인천광역시)

Through the early Joseon dynasty’s conflict with and normalization of relations with Ming China, its response to the Jurchen, and the establishment of the Four Garrisons and Six Forts (사군육진), the lecture will highlight the importance of diplomatic flexibility and building national capacity. It will also look at the achievements and limitations of Joseon’s relations with Japan, including the Tsushima Expedition and the policy of neighborly diplomacy (gyorin), and shed light on how judgments about and preparations for changes in the international situation affected the outbreak of the Imjin War. In particular, it will examine the difficulties Joseon experienced amid the complex situation of Japan’s invasion and Ming China’s entry into the war during the Imjin War, as well as the limitations of postwar reforms.

Through Ryu Seong-ryong’s reflections on the war recorded in his Jingbirok (징비록) and his plans for national reconstruction, such as reorganizing the military system and expanding fiscal resources, the lecture will also highlight the importance of turning the experience of crisis into substantive change. At the end of the lecture, changes in today’s international order, such as intensifying U.S.-China competition, will be examined in connection with Joseon’s diplomatic experience. Through the leadership of Ryu Seong-ryong and Choi Myeong-gil, the lecture will reflect on the meaning of strategic judgment, strengthening national capacity, and internal unity in responding to a rapidly changing international environment.

Kim Tae-ik, director of Incheon Metropolitan City Museum, said, “I hope this lecture, which revisits past diplomatic choices and failures from today’s perspective, will serve as an opportunity to seek the wisdom of response we need amid a rapidly changing international environment.” The Museum University’s fall semester course runs every Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. until November 13. The lectures are free of charge, and on-site participation on the day is also possible.

For details, see the poster for
○ Program: Incheon Metropolitan City Museum “28th Museum University” Fall Semester Course
○ Date and time: Oct. 23 (Fri) – Nov. 13 (Fri), 2026 / 4 sessions total, 2-4 p.m.
○ Venue: Seoknam Hall, City Museum
○ Theme: A Mirror Called ‘History’
○ Eligibility: Open to adults, limited to 200 people
○ Content and lecturers
The Eternal Treasury of Humanities (Professor, Dankook University)
(Professor, Myongji University)
Great Ideas and Regrettable Choices (Director, Sejong Institute of State Management)
Light and Shadow of the Sun King (Emeritus Professor, Seoul National University)

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