[KS] Montesquieu on Relative Bravery of North and South Koreans

[Eun-Jeung Lee]

The earliest comment about the regional character of Koreans in western
language would probably be found in the book by the French missionary Jean
Baptist du Halde "Description  Geographique, Historique, Chronologique, Politique,
et Physique de la Chine et de la Tartarie Chinoise" (Paris 1735). 
In Vol. IV of this mammoth work which this Jesuit father wrote on　the
basis of the letters from his colleagues in China you can find the chapter
on Korea and the Koreans. 
Du Halde wrote that one can find in North more excellent and bright persons
then in South and that the North Koreans would be more aggressive and better
soldiers.
This book was an important source for Montesquieu when he wrote the "Spirit
of Law" -even though he used this book in very selective and peculiar way. 

Halle a.S./ Tokyo
Eun-Jeung Lee

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