조선 전기 지리지 속 우산 · 무릉도 기사의 이해에 관한 제언 - 쓰카모토 다카시(塚本孝) 교수의 논설에 대한 비평을 겸하여

Abstract

This paper critically reviews Professor Takashi Tsukamoto’ s article, “Is Usando in Sejong sillok jiriji(Geographical Records in the Annals of King Sejong) Takeshima (Dokdo)?”, which was published on the Japanese Foreign Ministry’ s website, “Research & Explanation of Takeshima (Dokdo).” Tsukamoto argues that the principle of marking distances from the mainland, as described in Sejong sillok jiriji, contradicts Korean claims that Usando refers to modern-day Dokdo. He further asserts that this principle is consistently applied in Sinjeung dongguk yeojiseungram (revised edition of the augmented survey of the geography of Korea). This study examines the validity of Tsukamoto’ s claim by analyzing the descriptive principles employed in Sejong sillok jiriji. A comparative review of Usando and Mureungdo records across Sejong sillok jiriji and Sinjeung dongguk yeojiseungramis also provided. Tsukamoto’ s interpretation draws from Gyeongsangdo jiriji(geographical records of Gyeongsang Province), which had been published eight years earlier than Sejong sillok jiriji and recorded distances from the mainland for islands. However, this paper reveals that Sejong sillok jiriji employs varied methods to describe distances: some are measured from the mainland, others from neighboring islands, while some omit distances entirely. Thus, the descriptive principles of Gyeongsangdo jiriji cannot be directly applied to Sejong sillok jiriji. Tsukamoto also links Sejong sillok jiriji’ s statement, “The two islands are not far apart. On a clear day, they are visible from the other,” with a similar description in Sinjeung dongguk yeojiseungram: “Three peaks are tall and steep, touching the sky, while the southern peak is slightly lower. On a clear day, trees on the summits and the waterside at the base are visible.” This study concludes that the description in Sejong sillok jiriji refers to visibility between Usando and Mureungdo, whereas the description in Sinjeung dongguk yeojiseungram refers to viewing Ulleungdo from the mainland, and the two records are not directly related. This paper finds that while Sejong sillok jiriji uses diverse approaches for describing island locations, the general format is “starting point + direction + distance.” The phrase, “On a clear day, they are visible from the other,” is interpreted as an abstract expression of proximity between the islands rather than a concrete measurement. In contrast, Sinjeung dongguk yeojiseungram specifies the starting point and direction, suggesting that its description pertains to the distance from Uljin County’ s government office to the islands. The statement, “It takes two days by ship to reach them,” further indicates that the record of Sinjeung dongguk yeojiseungram is distinct from, rather than a continuation of, Sejong sillok jiriji.