조선시대 제주인의 표류 발생 배경과 실태

Abstract

This paper focuses on a chain of events, ‘drift’, among maritime accidents that had occurred while the Jeju Islanders were conducting maritime activity in a specific location, Jeju island. The cases related to drifting in Jeju Island, which were scattered in domestic and international historical records, were summarized and chronologically organized. By doing this, the history of drift focused on Jeju Island could be identified based on diachronic and synchronic perspective. With this reference, the background of drift occurrence of Jeju Islanders and its real conditions could ultimately be understood. Through a record of Munjeong, which includes full account of the drifted Jeju Islanders’ voyages, the aspect of Jeju Islanders’ maritime activities and an economic structure of Jeju society were examined. The results of this study can be summarized as follows. First, the occurrence of drifted Jeju Islanders was caused by the distribution of unique submarine topography such as coral reef around the Sea of Jeju. As the winds (seasonal winds), typhoons, ocean currents, and tidal currents surrounding Jeju Island, it acted as variables to destroy the fixed framework of existing maritime activities and caused the drifting vessels around the Jeju Island. Moreover, the tax collecting system became intensified after the 15th century and there were some local products that could not be replaced with products in land. To prepare local tribute and tribute to the King for each period and for its transportation, it became unavoidable for the Jeju Islanders to go out to the ocean. Due to this reason, they had high chance to be exposed to unexpected marine accidents such as drift. Second, through studying the actual situation of drifting of Jeju Islanders in the Joseon Dynasty from many references, the full account of drifting was back-tracked as ‘Go out to sea–Drift–Drifting ashore–repatriation’After examining its occurrence scale and frequency as time sequence, 365 times･ 4,427 Jeju Islanders [760 deaths] faced with the marine accidents. Among these, 82.8%(3,667) of Jeju Islanders came back alive because they were rescued and repatriated after they became drifted to Japan･Ryukyu Kingdom･China･Taiwan･Annam because of the marine accidents.