Samjeondo Monument（三田渡碑）

（Above）
          The bronze plaque mounted on the stone monument, which stands adjacent to the Samjeondo Monument, depicts the image of Korean King kowtowing to the Emperor Hon-taiji of Qing Dynasty China.

          Traditionally, due to Neo Confucius understanding of the universe, Korean aristocracy considered Central China as the center of civilization and Manchurians, who live far away from China, were barbarians. They called Manchurians as “Northern Barbarians.”
          However, the Qing dynasty emerged from Manchurians in early 17th Century, and after the great victory of 1619 Battle of Surhu, the victorious Manchurian Army began to invade in Central China, and established the Qing Dynasty China. Korean aristocrats derided the new dynasty in China and refused to become its vassal state, since they considered Central China was soiled by Northern Barbarians. Korean aristocrats considered they were the rightful successor of Neo-Confucius State of Central China.
          Enraged Manchurians invaded the Korean Peninsula and after 40 days of chasing around, the invading Manchurian Army surrounded the Korean King and his subordinates at the place called “Samjeondo（三田渡）” (now in Seoul), and accepted their surrender. Manchurians captured half a million men and women in the Korean Peninsula and sold them as slaves at the present day Shenyang.

Description of the Samjeondo Monument reads as follows;

Stupid Korean King disobeyed the order of the Great Qing Emperor. The Great Qing Emperor chastised the stupid Korean King and allowed him to stay alive. The Korean King, now aware of good conscience and in great regret of his stupidity, swore that he would become vassal of the Great Qing Emperor.　 The State of Korea builds this monument in order to perpetually remember the virtue of the Great Qing Emperor and not to forget the stupidity of disobeying his order.

This Humiliation of Samjeondo occurred in 1636. Thereafter, Joseon Dynasty Korea has become a vassal state of Qing Dynasty China and remained as it was until early 20th Century.




(Below)
          Professor Lee Yong-hoon (李栄薫), professor emeritus at the Seoul University, once said “Comfort women were nothing more than prostitutes” and was forced to kowtow before the eyes of former comfort women at the Nanumu Sharing House. He also experienced of being beaten by violent audience at one of his lecture meetings.

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