214 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
Chosŏn or Hwaryŏng. The memorial [presented to the emperor] was as
follows:
“Cho Im, an official of your vassal state, returned from the imperial cap-
ital bringing the letter from the Ministry of Rites with him, which included
the instruction of Your Imperial Majesty. In the letter you said, ‘If you can
follow the will of Heaven and bring your Korean people together in peace
without causing trouble at our border, you will see our envoys coming to
visit you, and that will be good for your country. Upon receiving this letter,
I want you to hurry to make a report to me about the new country name that
you have chosen.’
“What happened in our small kingdom was that Yo, who was a member
of the royal Wang family, was so ignorant and reckless that he finally
brought himself to ruin on his own. Then all the officials and people of our
country entrusted me with the affairs of state for the time being, and I was
extremely surprised and did not know what to do. Under these circum-
stances, Your Majesty allowed me to rule my country and even asked about
the new name of the country that needed to be chosen soon. Our people and
I, therefore, are extremely grateful to you.
“I believe that founding a dynasty and making a new name for it cannot
be decided by myself alone. Since we present you with two potential country
names, Chosŏn and Hwaryŏng, for your consideration, we want you to
choose one of them and let us know.”
At first, the king decided to send an envoy but had difficulty finding the
right person. Then Han Sangjil volunteered to undertake the mission,
saying, “Though I lack the ability to carry out the mission, how dare I dis-
regard your order and decline an opportunity to prove my allegiance to
you?” The king was pleased.This month pear trees bloomed.12th Month
1st Day (Chŏngmi)
The king issued a royal decree: “Sacrifices should be offered to the eight
royal tombs in the Northeast Region. In every first month of the four seasons,of Royal Decrees. He is better known for visiting the Ming court and receiving the new name
for the Chosŏn dynasty from the Ming emperor.