Nuchen Studies and Manchu Studies in Choson Dynasty

The Korean government began to receive official letters from Nurhaci's government in early 1600s. In 1627 and, again, in 1635-36 Korea was invaded by the Manchurian. Such a development of Korean-Manchu relationship must have necessarily brought about the need of studying Manchu. By 1637 Sin Kye-am had translated five Nuchen textbooks of earlier period, which had survived the wars, into the new Manchu scripts and had re-established the study of Nuchen. However, because of the diplomatic concern with the Qing government, the study of Manchu was regarded as the second most important, next to that of Chinese.