AHC: Industrializing Korea, Weak Japan

Maybe prevent the Imjin War and Qing invasion of Korea? This could likely avoid the fatal blows that were dealt to Korea in the early modern period.
 
19th century is too late, barring massive PODs. Whereas Japan had been in contact with the West for centuries through Dejima, the Joseon were a true hermit kingdom that refused any contact with Europe and America until the 19th century, after the Qing were discredited by the numerous unequal treaties. Not only that, their population was quite a bit smaller than Japan's and the yangban controlled everything (one of the kings was an illiterate puppet). They're just too behind to overtake Japan without Japan being terribly screwed, are at risk of absorption by the Russians, and even if the prior two conditions go their way, they'd be outshone by China, fragmented or otherwise, very quickly.

The best POD, I'd think, is to kill off either Seonjo or Injo years before their OTL deaths because Gwanghaegun had the best chance to keep the Manchu from invading twice and keep good relations with the Qing and Japanese and Injo's' eldest wanted to bring over Western learning and medicine (the former was overthrown in the coup that crowned Injo and the latter was either poisoned or bludgeoned to death, probably by Injo, his father). Those two managed to get the Joseon invaded 3 times in the span of 30 years in wars that killed something like 10-20% of the population through famine and started the Joseon isolationism that only ended in the 19th century.
 
Keeping Japan week is easy. While they had contact with the West for awhile, the diamyo and shogun who calls the shouts were fairly complacent. If it wasn't for some Mr Perry, I expect at least three more generations before they finally start copying the outside world, and even then only slowly. Unless Korea/China is the one who gives them a wakeup call instead of America
 
Union and Liberty does this to a limited extent. The Koreans profit from being France's main proxy in East Asia to modernize and overtake their neighbors.
 
Keeping Japan week is easy. While they had contact with the West for awhile, the diamyo and shogun who calls the shouts were fairly complacent. If it wasn't for some Mr Perry, I expect at least three more generations before they finally start copying the outside world, and even then only slowly. Unless Korea/China is the one who gives them a wakeup call instead of America

Is there a way the Commodore goes to Korea instead? I don’t want to delve into ASB or some silly contrived situation but if Japan chases him off, what would make him try again in Korea?
 
Is there a way the Commodore goes to Korea instead? I don’t want to delve into ASB or some silly contrived situation but if Japan chases him off, what would make him try again in Korea?

Being on the mainland, Korea is a better choice if the natives in both places are cooperative. of course, Korea is allied with the Qing, who hates the outside world for the whole opium addiction thing...
 
Is there a way the Commodore goes to Korea instead? I don’t want to delve into ASB or some silly contrived situation but if Japan chases him off, what would make him try again in Korea?

There were two analogous attempts to open up Korea IOTL, one by France in 1866 and one by the US in 1871. Both were rebuffed violently. I don't think an American attempt in the 1850's would have yielded any better results.
 
If Japan only narrowly beats China in 1894, then Korea could as per OTL still be released from vassal status, and again as per OTL adopt the name Empire for itself. Japan is not going to be in a position to challenge Russia, and Korea could more successfully continue to play the two of them off against each other.
 
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