메이지시기 일본 지리교과서의 대한(조선)해협 명칭 변화와 그 의미

Abstract

The change of the name for Korea (Joseon) Strait reveals a feature of modern Korean history. This paper traces the change of the name for Korea (Joseon) Strait that appeared in Japanese geography textbooks and discloses its implications. For the convenience of the examination, this paper classifies the period from the Meiji Restoration to the annexation of Korea in 1910 as enlightenment, practicalism, and statism periods according to the characteristics of geography education. The geography textbooks played the role of the guide books that showed the official name and its changes for Korea Strait. During the enlightenment period(1868~1878), the main purpose of the geography education was to deliver the rudiments of geography. Thus Korea Strait or Tsushima Strait was barely mentioned in geography textbooks. It means that the name for Korea Strait was not settled clearly. But Uchida Masao(内田正雄) named the strait between Korea and Japan as ‘Joseon Strait’ in Simplified Explanation of National Geography(『輿地誌略』, Yochisiryaku, 1870). This name also appeared in the 1879 edition. During the practicalism period(1879~1899), the education of national life and the cultivation of patriotism were emphasized. Thus Tsushima Strait, Korea Strait or Joseon Strait was used in various geography textbooks in 1880s. With the growth of geographical understanding in 1890s, Joseon Strait and Tsushima Strait were used together or separately. But the geography textbooks published after 1898 applied the names of Eastern Channel and Western Channel of Joseon Strait. This means that Joseon Strait was set down as the official name at that time. It seems that the hydrographic pilots and navy charts published by the Navy Hydrographic Office might have had influence on naming the strait. The geography education during the statism period(1900~1912) turned its objective to represent the official position of the state. Thus most textbooks including the government-designated ones published after the Russo-Japanese War applied the Eastern Channel and Western Channel of Korea Strait or Joseon Strait, though a single name of Tsushima Strait was used or Joseon Strait and Tsushima Strait were used together in some textbooks. But the government-designated textbooks published after 1909 deleted the names of Korea and Joseon Strait. This change reveals the historical situation that Japanese colonial domination of Korea was accelerated at that time.