고려 우왕 대의 군사화

Abstract

This paper examines the internal and external military crises confronted by the Goryeo dynasty during the reign of King Wu (1374-88) in the late Goryeo period, alongside the subsequent militarization undertaken by Goryeo in response to these crises. Upon King Wu's accession, the most formidable threat was the influential Mongol Empire. However, once the crisis with the Mongols subsided, the Ming dynasty's advance into Liaodong emerged as a direct threat to Goryeo. The Goryeo government could not afford to neglect the defense of its northern frontier even momentarily. Concurrently, Japanese pirates represented the most severe external adversary for Goryeo. During King Wu's reign, these pirates frequently invaded Goryeo with considerable force, dispersing their troops extensively across the country. Additionally, the internal stability of Goryeo was compromised by widespread rebel uprisings. In response to these multifaceted threats, Goryeo rapidly strengthened its military capabilities. By 1376, the country had mobilized nearly 100,000 men for national defense, more than double the number a decade earlier. In 1378, King Wu extended the Ikun system, previously confined to the northwestern border regions, to the entire country. This system represented an extreme form of total mobilization, mandating the complete dedication of regional manpower and material resources to military endeavors. Although this system was rescinded after only half a year, it underscored the erasure of distinctions between front and rear in a state of war to the entire nation. In 1383, anticipating conflict with the Ming dynasty and amid peak Japanese pirate invasions, another nationwide mobilization decree was issued. This decree organized all available manpower into the army and directed the maximum possible supplies to the frontlines. From the end of 1387 to the beginning of the following year, the final mobilization efforts were made in preparation for battle against the Ming. The Liaodong campaign in the final year of King Wu's reign was the ultimate outcome of the ongoing conflict between Goryeo and the Ming dynasty throughout King Wu's rule, and more broadly, the international situation in East Asia resulting from the collapse of the Mongol Empire in the late 14th century. However it was not the Goryeo-Ming relationship that collapsed but the Goryeo dynasty itself. The approximately 40-year process leading up to the Liaodong campaign can be succinctly described as militarization. This militarization lies at the core of the causal chain explaining the upheavals in Goryeo in the late 14th century.