In the early 15th century, the border regions of Gyeongseong and Yukjin were taken from the Manchu, allowing the Koreans to unite the territory which would form modern-day Korea. The achievements of the first century of Joseon rule were considerable. For their part, the Chinese viewed Joseon Korea as the 'country of courteous people in the East.' For as long as Ming remains the undisputed claimant to the Mandate of Heaven, the maintenance of these strong bonds will remain vital to the survival of the fledgling Korean kingdom. As followers of Confucianism, Koreans viewed China as being at the heart of the Korean world, and Joseon Korea came to be in some ways even more sinicized than China itself - a 'little China'. This close connection to Ming China was to remain until the downfall of the Ming in the mid-17th century - as was Korea's subordinate status in the relationship. From the start, Joseon Korea's connection to Ming China was strong: When settling on a name for the new kingdom, Taejo submitted the options 'Hwaryeong' and 'Joseon' to Ming and decided on the latter after its endorsement by the Emperor. The Joseon Kingdom of Korea, officially the Kingdom of Great Joseon, emerged from the ashes of Mongolia and Ming invasions via a coup d'état by General Yi Seonggye (later known as King Taejo) in 1392.
