Opium Prohibiting Campaign in the Joseon Dynasty Under Tribute System

Abstract

Opium played an important role in imperialist aggression. As early as during the Joseon Dynasty, Joseon realised the harmfulness of opium, and after the founding of the country, it cleverly made use of the principles of the modern international system to circumvent the entry of opium. Using opium as a reference point, we are able to discover more clearly how the modern Korean state has changed. As an independent vassal state, the Joseon dynasty was able to strictly control the inflow of opium and was able to use the feudal code under the tribute system to punish opium smokers. Through the Joseon dynasty’s measures to ban opium, Joseon struggled to survive under both the tribute and treaty systems, and eventually gradually broke away from the tribute system.