朝鮮王朝自統一新羅以來就一直遵用中國正朔，以示其藩國的地位。但在清韓宗藩關係中，正朔卻一直是困擾著朝鮮的問題。丁卯之役時，朝鮮就固守明朝年號。1637年臣服於清朝以後，理應使用清朝年號，遵用清朝正朔。但一直到大韓帝國建立，朝鮮表面用清正朔，暗中遵用崇禎、永曆年號，以示其尊明反清之志，確立其中華正統地位。官方文書一般用清朝年號，私家信函、墓誌、墓表、祭祀皆只用崇禎或永曆紀年，朝鮮國王甚至不用清朝所賜諡號，因為朝鮮堅持強烈的華夷觀，把由滿族建立的清朝視作夷狄，遵用明朝正朔正是朝鮮尊周攘夷、尊明反清正統意識的一種反映。

Beginning in the Silla period, dynasties in the Korean peninsula used Chinese reign titles to show that they were tributaries. In the Qing dynasty, though, the question of whether to use such titles became a serious issue for Choson rulers. During the first war with the Qing in 1627, Choson continued to use the reign titles of the Ming dynasty. But after being defeated by the Qing in a second war in 1637, Choson had to start using Qing reign titles. While those titles were used until 1897 in official documents, the Chongzhen 崇禎 and Yongli 永曆 reign titles of the Ming dynasty were used in private letters, documents, and memorials. This usage both expressed pro-Ming/anti­Qing sentiments and indicated that the mantle of dynastic legitimacy had been inherited by Choson. Choson kings even went so far so to refuse to use posthumous titles imparted by Qing rulers. Choson saw the Manchurians as barbarians and refused to treat the Qing as a civilized dynasty, and Ming reign tit1es were taken on as a show of reverence for the Zhou dynastic tradition and the longing for the return of the Ming dynasty.