조선후기 척계광의 戰法에 대한 논의

Abstract

Joseon people devastated by the Imjin Waeran (the Japanese invasion of Joseon in 1592) and defeated in every battle by Japanese troops were fascinated by the Yuānyāngzhèn strategy shown by the Ming Dynasty’s troops in the operations to recapture Pyeongyang. They used Qi Jiguāng’s battle tactics as a training principle for the Joseon government’s troops by making diversified efforts to send people to obtain the 『Jǐ xiào xīn shū』under the king’s command, consult the Ming dynasty’s camp by dispatching people, and other efforts. But pros and cons were emerging though defeated in the Manchu war of 1636. Ahn Myeong-ro, found problems in the Qīfǎ and urged a return to the Ohwijinbeop, but Song Gyu-bin insisted that it could be useful to contend against both southern Japanese raiders and northern barbarians, taking as an example that Qi Jiguāng defended against northern barbarians successfully. The reason for conflicting opinions over one and the same military strategy was that they could not know what Bǎizhènfǎ and Liùhuāzhènfǎ were. But Qi Jiguāng’s Yuānyāngzhèn stated that his tactics originated from the Bǎizhènfǎ and the Liùhuāzhèn. Then, what is the reality of the Bǎizhèn? In the Bǎizhèn, one unit was composed of nine members as one commanded eight members made up of four Zhēngbīngs and four Qíbīngs. Thus it was said to have originated from the Jiǔjǐngfǎ. Joseon’s Ohwijinbeop was what followed Bǎizhènfǎ. In the Liùhuāzhèn, one party was composed of seven members because a captain commanded six members formed into three Zhēngbīngs and three Qíbīngs, these each reduced by one member from the Bǎizhèn. In the Yuānyāngzhèn, Zhēngbīngs were organized of five soldiers, adding one, from four in Bǎizhèn, Qíbīngs were also formed by five members, adding one, and a captain commanded these ten people. Thus a unit was made up of eleven members. If the analyzed in this way, it may be confirmed that the Bǎizhèn, the Liùhuāzhèn and a Yuānyāngzhèn had the same principles. Since Joseon’s Ohwijinbeop pursued only external forms, it showed the five variations of a circle, a square, a curve, a straight line, and a point, but the military headquarters had the form of an unchangeable operating formation. Thus it was difficult to use in actual fighting. It can be confirmed that An Myeong-ro was greatly interested in military science, but he had no actual fighting experience, thus he wrote on this depending upon Chinese documents rather than upon creative views and opinions. On the other hand, Song Gyu-bin was a military man who had been involved in the army for more than fifty years. He grasped the principle that Qi Jiguāng applied differently depending upon the Japanese pirates or the northern barbarians and designed the Sangsungjin and the Geomcha add one space : Geomcha(the sword-patched battle wagon) by putting it to use. In the Joseon Dynasty there were not a few people who discussed battle formation in addition to An Myeong-ro and Song Gyu-bin, but most of them were not specialized in military strategy, so they only debated on the exterual forms. For that reason, when the Imjin Waeran broke out, they introduced Qi Jiguāng’s Yuānyāngzhèn in haste, but after experiencing the Manchu war of 1636 they insisted on returning to the Ohwijinbeop. However, the value of Qīfǎ was found again by Song Gyu-bin in posterity. Therefore, the lesson that no matter how good the battle tactic, it is of no use if not used properly was left.