The politics of the Joseon dynasty, which ruled Korea from 1392 to 1897, were governed by the reigning ideology of Korean Confucianism, a form of Neo-Confucianism.
In order to serve in the positions of responsibility outside the military in Joseon period, one had to take a series of gwageo literary examinations and pass each of them (usually four to five times).
State Council (Uijeongbu, Korean: 의정부; Hanja: 議政府) was the highest deliberative body of the Joseon dynasty although it faded in importance after first centuries of rule.
Sometimes it directly controlled Six Ministries, the chief executive body of Joseon government, but primarily served in advisory role under stronger kings.
The Inspector-General and Censor-General had the unique power to vet potential appointees for all positions, and examine their family backgrounds.
The different Seowon across the country, which combined the functions of Confucian shrines with educational institutions, often reflected the factional alignment of the local elite.
[8] Under the reigns of Yeongjo and Jeongjo in the 18th century, the kings generally pursued the tangpyeongchaek, a policy of balance favoring no faction over another.
[10][11] In the 19th century, Joseon politics shifted as in-law families (called cheokga) rather than scholarly factions came to dominate the throne.
From the 1870s onwards, Queen Min (known posthumously as Empress Myeongseong) became more dominant and pursued a policy of cautious modernisation and opening up.
These factional struggles led to the Imo Incident and Gapsin Coup, as well as increased foreign interference in Korean affairs.
Purges in Joseon dynasty were often violent, leading to the execution and internal exile of many members of the losing side.
The Tungusic tribes of the northeast rose in 1583 under Nitanggae and seized a number of towns; they were put down by the general Sin Rip.
On a lower level, the country maintained ties with various neighboring nations, including the Jurchen tribes of the north and the Japanese and Ryūkyū states across the sea.
The Joseon dynasty endured two major invasions prior to its progressive loss of sovereignty in the late 19th century.