It remains for the Preface only to acknowledge the author’s obligations. These are so special to one person—namely, Mr. D. W. Stevens, who has been for some time official “Adviser to the Korean Council of State and Counsellor to the Resident-General”—that without his generous and painstaking assistance in varied ways the Second Part of the book could never have appeared in its present form. It is hoped that this general acknowledgment will serve to cover many cases where Mr. Stevens’ name is not especially mentioned in connection with the text. Grateful acknowledgment is also made to Mr. Furuya, the private secretary of the Resident-General, for his painstaking translation from the original Japanese or Chinese official documents; to Mr. M. Zumoto, editor of the _Seoul Press_, for varied information on many subjects; and to Dr. George Heber Jones for facts and suggestions imparted in conversation and embodied in writings of his. My obligations to the Resident-General himself, for the perfectly untrammelled and unprejudiced opportunity, with its complete freedom to ask all manner of questions, which his invitation afforded, are, I trust, sufficiently emphasized in the title of the book. Other debts to writers upon any part of the field are acknowledged in their proper connections. GEORGE TRUMBULL LADD. HAYAMA, JAPAN, _September, 1907_. CONTENTS CONTENTS OF PART I CHAPTER PAGE I. THE INVITATION 1 II. FIRST GLIMPSES OF KOREA 15 III. LIFE IN SEOUL 37 IV. LIFE IN SEOUL (_Continued_) 65 V. THE VISIT TO PYENG-YANG 90 VI. CHEMULPO AND OTHER PLACES 112 VII. THE DEPARTURE 139 VIII. PERSONAL REMINISCENCES AND IMPRESSIONS 148 CONTENTS OF PART II IX. THE PROBLEM: HISTORICAL 179 X. THE PROBLEM: HISTORICAL (_Continued_) 222 XI. THE COMPACT 252 XII. RULERS AND PEOPLE 280 XIII. RESOURCES AND FINANCE 300 XIV. EDUCATION AND THE PUBLIC JUSTICE 326 XV. FOREIGNERS AND FOREIGN RELATIONS 352 XVI. WRONGS: REAL AND FANCIED 367 XVII. MISSIONS AND MISSIONARIES 388 XVIII. JULY, 1907, AND AFTER 414 XIX. THE SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM 444 ILLUSTRATIONS PORTRAIT OF MARQUIS ITO _Frontispiece_ TO FACE PAGE BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE CAPITAL CITY 22