조선 전기 靈光의 島嶼 파악과 그 특징

Abstract

The increase in the number of island entries in the Geographies during the Joseon dynasty is considered to be proportionate to the government's interest in islands. This paper reexamines this conventional view by examining the Yeonggwang region, which, according to records from the Goryeo dynasty, had the greatest number of islands under its jurisdiction. By investigating the geographies, a notable phenomenon emerges, particularly in the Yeonggwang region: islands identified early in the dynasty did not consistently appear in later publications. Among the islands recorded in the geographical records of Goryeosa, the islands whose jurisdiction had shifted to other counties and prefectures were cataloged under different entries in subsequent geographies, distinct from Yeonggwang. Conversely, islands mentioned in records but untraceable in the later geographies remained listed under Yeonggwang in Donggukyeojiseungram. These islands were omitted from the geographies published later in the dynasty. Rather than attributing this ‘inaccuracy’ to a lack of interest, this paper views it as an unintended consequence of active efforts to identify these islands. The administration of Yeonggwang tried to maintain its control over islands whose jurisdictions were adjusted amidst 40 남도문화연구 제51집(2024.4) the temporary Island Evacuation Policy, which caused limitations in identifying them. As a result, three islands were included in the Geography of Veritable Records of Sejong: Imchido, where the administrative center of Imchi County was located, Biido and Dosado, whose jurisdiction moved to Naju. This phenomenon is clearer in Yeonggwang due to its unmatched number of islands under its jurisdiction. In summary, the uncertainty surrounding the information on islands in the Yeonggwang region, as identified in the geographies, stemmed from the administration’s control over insular regions.