In the Joseon dynasty, the production of white porcelain was restricted by law due to economic reasons: there was a severe shortage of cobalt. Cobalt was used as a blue dye to decorate white porcelain, and there was no natural sources of it on the Korean peninsula. Cobalt was imported into Korea through China, which had since the Yuan dynasty period imported it from the Middle East (along the Silk Road initially, and probably sea routes later). However, the Ming's restrictive trade policies severely reduced the trade between the Middle East and China, and this had the knockoff effect of making cobalt worth more than gold in Korea. Later, the sheer lack of supply meant that the Koreans couldn't purchase cobalt at any price from about roughly 1440.
There were constant attempts to source cobalt from China, which failed, and also to find a domestic substitute, which also failed despite the occasional experiments with "cobalt-like rocks" found in Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces. Now, in OTL the Joseon simply bore it, and by the time things were starting to get intolerable toward the end of the 16th century there was a severe distraction in the form of the Japanese invasion which largely stopped inquiry into the matter.
Now, in OTL in the previous Goryeo dynasty there was indeed sea trade between Korea and the Middle East. And during the 15th century, Korea is known for having a reasonable navy. Cultural reasons might have pushed against it, but it is at least possible for the Joseon to decide to cut out the Ming middlemen and attempt to find a source of cobalt on their own, sometime in the late 15th or early 16th century?
What would be any possible ramifications of Korean traders arriving in Mamluk, Ottoman or Safavid lands and seeking trade? I expect their knowledge of the wider world might be comparatively expanded vis-a-vis OTL. The Joseon would still be relatively suspicious of foreign influence I expect, but there could still be some influence. If things started to get successful, is an earlier Korean version of Japan's Red Seal ship trade out of the question?
There were constant attempts to source cobalt from China, which failed, and also to find a domestic substitute, which also failed despite the occasional experiments with "cobalt-like rocks" found in Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces. Now, in OTL the Joseon simply bore it, and by the time things were starting to get intolerable toward the end of the 16th century there was a severe distraction in the form of the Japanese invasion which largely stopped inquiry into the matter.
Now, in OTL in the previous Goryeo dynasty there was indeed sea trade between Korea and the Middle East. And during the 15th century, Korea is known for having a reasonable navy. Cultural reasons might have pushed against it, but it is at least possible for the Joseon to decide to cut out the Ming middlemen and attempt to find a source of cobalt on their own, sometime in the late 15th or early 16th century?
What would be any possible ramifications of Korean traders arriving in Mamluk, Ottoman or Safavid lands and seeking trade? I expect their knowledge of the wider world might be comparatively expanded vis-a-vis OTL. The Joseon would still be relatively suspicious of foreign influence I expect, but there could still be some influence. If things started to get successful, is an earlier Korean version of Japan's Red Seal ship trade out of the question?