임진왜란 시기 明軍 逃亡兵 문제에 대한 一考

Abstract

The victory of Ming army in the Pyeongyang(平壤) battle in January 1593 turned the tide of the Imjin war. However after the defeat of the following Byeokje(碧蹄) battle, Ming army adopted reconciliation strategy. Since then, the talks between Ming China and Japan with the exclusion of Choson headed for the deadlock. It was at this point that Chinese decampment soldier became a problem. A lack of supplies and a prolongation of stay in Choson after the crushing defeat in the battle compromised the strength and morale of the fighting force, but fueled an aspiration of returning home and an aversion of war. The Ming army deserters remaining in Choson became a major pending issue from the 1600s, where the withdrawal of Ming army started. Those who had injury or disease, those who owed a load of debt to the army, those who committed a crime in the army, or those who have no future back in their hometown were susceptible to abandon their post and run away. In this context, many of the deserters had remained in Choson. Many of them earned a living through agriculture, commerce and the art of acupuncture. The demand of repatriation of the deserters by the Ming military command was not easy. Arresting them was a challenging task, and the Ming officers who came to Choson to take them back home were willing to set them free in exchange of bribes, or the officers just hired the deserters as their subordinates. There was even an accident caused by a conflict of interests between a Ming officer and deserters in 1601, Seoul. Choson deliberately refused to repatriate some of the deserters and used their talents to make weapons, gunpowder and poison. Choson was eager to keep geomancers since King Seonjo(宣祖) became highly interested in fortune and geomancy. However, the one who were employed by King Seonjo, ended up causing some troubles by recruiting more deserters. Also, Choson used the deserters to prepare for Japan’s demand of reconciliation and menace of reinvasion. Its intension was to deploy troops composed of deserters to Busan(釜山) and to take advantage of them as means of “an ass in lion’s skin”. Choson maintained the troops until 1606 and tried to exclude them on the list of repatriation back to Ming. In short, the appearance of Ming deserters with Ming’s entry into the Imjin war had led to a very delicate and unique situation at the time.