조선 태종 10년 女眞에 대한 “북정(北征)”의 역사적 맥락과 그 여파

Abstract

Going beyond the nationalist narrative of post-1945 South Korean historiography which has only essentialized Chosŏn's position in the relations with its neighbours as an innocent victim based on “hereditary victimhood”, this paper seeks to revisit and rethink Chosŏn’s First Zengfa(征伐) against Jurchen tribes in Tumen river regions in 1410. By taking a closer look at what King T'ajong has gone through in domestic politics and in his response to Ming’s attempt to subjugate those major Jurchen chieftains of Tumen river regions who have served his father King T'aejo since late Koryŏ before the war, this paper will first explain the dubious motivation of King T'aejong to take this drastic military action against those Jurchen chieftains. Then, secondly, this paper will delve into the details of the process of this war, tries to explain how this war ended up slaughtering many Jurchen chieftains who didn't seem to be involved with the Jurchen raid on northen border town Kyŏngwŏn which triggered King T'aejong to proceed Zengfa(征伐). Finally, going beyond the existing frameworks which have only substantialized this military action of Chosŏn as a righteous self-defense, this paper will take a closer look at the apocalyptic consequences this war has caused around the frontier societies of Chosŏn and Jurchen in Tumen river regions and talk about what the people of both frontier societies had to suffered from this genocidal warfare.