임진왜란 이전, 전쟁 대비를 위한 문학적 대응의 두 양상

Abstract

This is the results of the study exploring the petitions to the king, poems, and letters written before the Imjin War, as the first step of the six-step study for the Imjin War experiential literature. Preparation for the Imjin War was based in the solidarity of the minority, after overcoming failure of the whole national discussion. Although the royal court's official denial about the outbreak of war and their compulsion to keep silence made an official discussion over national strategy difficult to be held, civilians were rather motivated to launch regiment voluntarily and prepare for the war secretly and thoroughly. For example, Jo Heon(趙憲, 1544～1592) insisted preparations at the national level. He emphasized the exclusion of Japanese intervention and demanded political improvement through his petition to the king, but the royal court didn't accept it. Nevertheless, he continued to insist the importance of national preparation for an invasion from Japan by drawing up various documents. Also, he warned people around him of the risk of war and prepared them for it by sending letters. In case of scholars(士人, Yangban class(兩班)) living in Gyeongsang-do area, including Ryu Jeong(柳汀, 1537～1597), they formed solidarity at the regional level in order to prepare for the risk of war. And among their records, <The Diary(日記)> written by Ryu Jeong shows the most details. According to it, the signs of war started to be detected in southeast waters from March, 1590, and it was also recorded that regional scholars held poetry cubs for war preparation and exchanged letters. Where they worked and the way they acted were different from each other. But one thing in common is that all their preparations provided a basis for righteous army activities after the Imjin War. All they shared the consciousness of crisis about the fate of the nation with people around them, and did their utmost to prepare for war in their own positions. And based on great historical consciousness and outstanding literary abilities, they developed solidarity for the national salvation(救國) and promoted cooperation. Jo Heon and Ryu Jeong, stated in this study, are the two representative scholars(士人) who practiced preparation for war prior to the Imjin War in the Joseon Dynasty period. Their literary works were inspired by great spirits and souls of Joseon scholars(士人) who devoted themselves to overcoming a national crisis, and these works include petitions(疏) to the king written to encourage sharing of crisis consciousness through appeal and persuasion, poems(詩) to lead the scholars' solidarity through empathy and interaction, letters(書) to boost a fighting will through encouragement and consolation, and diaries(日記) to record emotions about saving-the-country(憂國) along with the situational change. This way, they were highly familiar to literature at all times and used to make used of it to communicate with the past, solidify human solidarity, and empathize with each other beyond the geographical limit. And this implies that Korean literature in classical Chinese before the Imjin War fully performed its literary function to lead empathy and harmony.