조선은 왜 일본과의 통교관계를 중국에 감추려 했을까? －조선 前期를 중심으로－

Abstract

In the early Joseon Dynasty, Joseon tried to hide its amicable relations with Japan from China. This study presents a review on this issue. During King Taejong’s reign, the Joseon Dynasty conducted a good-neighbor policy with Japan. Joseon received goods that Japanese pirates plundered from Ming China, and gave necessities to them in return. Thus, Joseon had to hide such a policy from China. Moreover, this was a time when the Yongle Emperor proposed to conquer Japan because of the frequent attacks by Japanese pirates. During King Sejong’s reign, abducted Chinese people were more frequently repatriated than previously. The repatriation of Chinese people caused controversy each time, with the concern that Joseon’s amicable relations with Japan would be revealed. From that period, the reason why Joseon tried to hide the amicable relations with Japan became concrete. It also appeared in a counter argument against the repatriation of the Chinese man Xu Cheng. It was asserted that, in a case where he was repatriated, China would issue an edict to arrest Japanese pirates who plundered its coasts or who sought to bring abducted Chinese people back to China. There was a concern that such a trouble would occur. In this regard, Joseon tried to emphasize to China that Joseon had a passive relationship with Japan. In other words, the logic was that the Joseon Dynasty could not refuse Japanese people’s visits to Joseon and that it occasionally negotiated with Japan only for the purpose of preventing plunder. This logic also applied during from the reign of King Sejo through King Seongjong’s reign. Joseon tried to emphasize to China that, although Japanese envoys sometimes came to Joseon, Joseon sent its envoys to Japan every few decades. Joseon seems to have hidden its amicable relations with Japan from China with the perception that China avoided and reproached friendly relations with Japan, a country of rebellion against China. During King Jeongjong’s reign, the Ouchi, who had caused the Ningbo Incident, negotiated several timesto repatriate an abducted Chinese, Yuan Jin, through Joseon. As a result of the controversy, Joseon did not inform China about Yuan Jin because Joseon worried that an edict would be issued for Joseon to go to Japan and find Yuan Jin and send him to China. Joseon also worried that China would leave its pending problems with Japan to Joseon, similar to Kubilai Khan Shezo of Yuan Dynasty. During King Myeongjong’s reign, there was a debate in China over whether or not Joseon should suppress the Japanese pirates on behalf of China. This made Joseon quite nervous. The reason was that China recognized that Japanese powers were very much scared of Joseon due to the Japanese pirates having been forcibly sent to China several times after the Ningbo Incident. In this regard, Joseon tried to cope with the demands of China with a logic that it did not include an amicable relationship with Japan any longer after the Eulmyo Incident. The most important reason why the Joseon dynasty tried to hide its amicable relations with Japan from China was to prevent the possibility that China would make Joseon, which is close to Japan, solve its problems with Japan. Therefore, Joseon tried to emphasize to China that it had negative and passive relations with Japan.