THE POSTHUMOUS IMAGE AND ROLE OF MING TAIZU IN KOREAN POLITICS

Ming Taizu (r. 1368–98) was the founder of the Ming dynasty, which destroyed the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. The Ming was the only dynasty founded by the ethnic Chinese after the fall of the Southern Song in 1279, and Since the Koreans regarded all foreign peoples except the Chinese as barbarians, the Ming was very special to the Koreans. The Korean view of Ming Taizu was intertwined with their view of the Ming dynasty, and tended to change as the view of the Ming changed. There were recurring differences, however, between the kings and court officials in their views of Ming Taizu. In this paper, by examining several cases, I explore how Ming Taizu was involved in Korean politics and what meaning he had in Korean history.