종계변무(宗系辨誣)와 조선 사신들의 명나라 인식

Abstract

This article aims at exploring the recognition of Ming China reflected in the official documents and the letters of Joseon envoys for revising the wrong lineage about the king Taejo(1335-1408) and malicious slander that he killed four kings of Goryeo in Ming Taejo's Huang Ming Zu Xun(皇明祖訓). Joseon envoys' effort to correct the records called jonggyebyeonmu[宗系辨誣] began from King Taejong, but it was intensively made from King Jungjong to King Seonjo. In the process of requesting the correction of the wrong historical records it was official documents jucheongmun[奏請文] sending to Ming Emperor and letters to his high officers concerned that played the most important role. Jonggyebunmu was performed in three stages: the first stage was 'problem-raised' one, represented by King Taejong's jucheongmun; it focused on describing the historical facts, emphasizing the close relationship to Ming China. The second stage was 'correction-actualized' one: Jucheongmuns of Nam Gon and Gi Daeseong stressed the ethics between father and son as well as king and subject; they put in Ming emperors' answers in detail in each Jucheongmun, implicating their repeated nonperformance besides reminding of their responsibility for not keeping promise to Joseon kings. The final stage was 'revision-confirmed' one. Choi Rip and Go Gyeongmyeong highlighted Joseon king's wholeheartedness toward the correction and peculiar Joseon king-subject relationship and ethics. The alteration of the focus from the erroneous historical records to ethical matters was attributed to Ming's consideration of the correction as a matter of filial piety. The important thing is that in spite of altering the nature of the request Joseon Jucheongmun showed Ming emperors and his subjects the standard of Joseon filial piety. The reason Joseon made utmost effort to the correction was because the error could shake the basis of Joseon as a civilized country; in short all the efforts for the correction were, to Joseon, meant to be a march for restoring civilization.