The Korean peninsula’s 17th century opens to renewed overtures from Japan. Soundly defeated in its attempts to use Korea as a starting point for world conquest, Japan nevertheless desires trade with Korea, a favor granted only slowly. Thousands of Korean prisoners are returned with each attempt. What an insult the Korean nation bears through these years. Meanwhile Korean royalty continues its web of intriguing stories. A true son is born to the king after 40 years of reigning. As is normal in cases like these, the heir apparent wants him dead along with the aging queen who bore him.In 1608 the king dies and Prince Kangwha ascends, but not before killing his older brother, and the real son, and the prime minister, plus all who were favored by the last king, and all who wrote written protests. He even “semi-banishes” the queen, and later kills her and her father. It is not only in Communist dictatorships of our day that the need is felt to root out anyone who might be trouble. What a marvel is the American form of government, with all its problems. We simply cannot imagine doing business in this way.The inevitable relations with Japan begin….