Description: Before the modern concept of the state took shape, there was a kingdom that ruled by the pen rather than the sword. This was the Choson dynasty, which reigned over the Korean peninsula for over 500 years, through a system of civil governance where policy was decided through discussion between subjects and kings, based on Confucian ideology.
Brief description: John B. Duncan is professor emeritus in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).