임진왜란기 ‘부왜’(附倭) 정보와 조선 조정의 대응-‘附賊’ 용례를 중심으로

Abstract

The Joseon Royal Court was sensitive to the pro-Japanese collaborators, who became Japanese military informants and did harm Joseon during the Japanese Invasion of Joseon in 1592. This study identified the following as a result of searching and reviewing the cases of going over to the enemy (附賊) that were demonstrated the most in literature so as to examine the pro-Japanese collaborators:First, pro-Japanese collaboration was closely related with the progress of the war. The information of pro-Japanese collaborators is shown even in Pyeongyang, where Japanese military occupied temporarily, not to mention the regions centered on Seoul in early stages of the Japanese Invasion in 1592. That was the period, when the pro-Japanese collaboration of subjugated class that thought a new world emerged was a conspicuous phenomenon. As Japanese military war zone was limited to south coastal areas in Gyeongsang Province, the pro-Japanese collaboration in the type of residing in the Japanese military camp was mainly exhibited. During the second Japanese Invasion (JungYu Jaeran), the pro-Japanese collaboration was remarkable in Jeolla Province, which was became a sort of revenge of general subjects against the dominating class (士族). Second, the response to pro-Japanese collaborators by the Joseon royal court is summarized as follows. The royal court took a stringent position against the pro-Japanese collaborators in early days of the Japanese Invasion in 1592. However, as Japanese military's occupation areas were expanded, and passive pro-Japanese collaborators related to livelihood increased, the position of the royal court changed to an appeasement policy. The reason was that the stability of public sentiment was more important. Therefore, a policy of not punishing the pro-Japanese collaborators, as long as they were not active ones and they defected, was devised, along with acquital conditions. However, if they were ruling class, even passive pro-Japanese collaborators were debated to be punished, unlike general subjects. Third, with regard to the end of pro-Japanese collaborators, when the Japanese military withdrew from the occupied areas, the pro-Japanese collaborators had only two choices: either fleeing with the Japanese military to Japan, or escaping from the Japanese military camp, expecting forgiveness from the Joseon royal court. Although, they insist that they were just passive pro-Japanese collaborators as captives, not surrendering to the Japanese military, there could have been many cases that pro-Japanese collaborators were executed by the royal court as being regarded as active pro-Japanese collaborators. In the case of Kim Duk-hoe, although, he escaped from the Japanese military, regarding himself as a passive pro-Japanese collaborator, the royal court considered him as an active pro-Japanese collaborator, and executed him. Fourth, the Joseon royal court regarded the captives, who surrendered to Japanese military, due to extreme famine, or who were kidnapped and captured by the Japanese military, as the pro-Japanese collaborators as well. Even the Joseon royal court regarded those as criminals, only because of the fact that they were in the Japanese military camp. Although, the royal court regarded all Joseon people who lived in the capital city of Seoul, they were just a danger group to conduct secret communication with Joseon to the Japanese military. Those were not the pro-Japanese collaborators, given that they were killed by the Japanese military, as the Japanese military withdrew from the southern areas.