임진왜란 초기 경상좌도 안집사 김륵의 역할과 활동

Abstract

Examined in this article are the actions of a local official named Kim Reuk, who served in the capacity of a provincial Anjib-sa(安集使) magistrate in the Left part of the Gyeongsang-do province, during the early stages of the war that broke out by the invading Japanese forces in 1592. For a long time, studies of the Imjin Wae’ran war concentrated upon examining the Gyeongsang Wu-do(the right part of the Gyeongsang-do province) as well as renowned figure Kim Seong-il, while not paying enough attention to the other part of Gyeongsang-do, and especially Kim Reuk. In the early stages of the war, the Gyeongsang Jwa-do province was the first to be invaded by the Japanese forces, and remained isolated from the rest of the country for quite some time. Also, leaders who should have led the troops and cared for the distressed citizens were literally gone. That was the situation Kim Reuk first faced, when he arrived at the region, assigned as Anjib-sa. He served in that capacity from April 1592 through April 1593, and tried to stabilize the region as well as the lives of the people. He dispatched officers as provisional prefects[“守城將, fortress guardians”] to counties whose prefects abandoned their posts, and began the process of rebuilding the entire region. He also mobilized Joseon soldiers and launched continuous attacks upon the Japanese troops, and supported the righteous militias while sending communiques to adjacent regions encouraging people to join those militias. But in retrospect, his performances at the time were not without aspects that left some things to be desired. He preferred joint missions between officials forces and righteous militias, instead of condoning solo missions by the militias. And he concentrated upon activities in Yeongju and Andong areas, which prevented his achievements from spreading to wider variety of regions. That may have been the reason for the apparent lack of honoring of his accomplishments, after the war in subsequent periods.