중국의 임진왜란 인식과 류성룡 평가

Abstract

This article examines how China views the Imjin War and discusses its practical implications. To this end, we have reviewed Chinese historical records related to the Imjin War and analyzed the current research trends of Chinese scholarship to date. By examining China’s perception and attitude toward the Imjin War in the Ming and Qing Dynasty, the historical perception of the current Chinese leadership, and the viewpoint of the Chinese academic community, we have drawn the following conclusions. First, the historical sources of Korea, China, and Japan all reflect the perspectiv es and biases of these three countries, and their historical narratives made and circulated in modern times show great differences. Second, Chinese worldview and historical visions differ from Korean. Historically, Chinese considered themselves being at the center of world order. Their sense of pride as the the supreme power remains strong today, and is reflected in the Chinese perception of the Korean Peninsula and historical research. Third, Chinese scholars have recently performed governmentfunded researches on the Imjin War, which may be considered a second Northeast Project. Fourth, research of the Imjin War in China cannot be considered a purely academic issue as it has strong political and strategic agendas. Korea and China use the results of academic research for the purpose of uniting against Japan. Fifth, based on China’s historical views of the Imjin War, we can confirm that China recognizes the strategic significance and value of the Korean Peninsula for its national security. On a side note, we have found that Chinese scholars generally endorse the historical values of the Jing Birok, Ryu Seong-ryong as a historical figure is not widely known in China. It is, therefore, important for promote cultural exchanges between Korea and Chinese scholars.