임진왜란기 지방 이서의 전쟁 경험과 정리 작업 - 이탁영의 『정만록』을 중심으로 -

Abstract

The Jeongmannok is a summary of war experiences written by a local functionary (hyangli) named Yi Takyeong (1541-1610) during the Japanese Invasions of Korea (1592-1598). Yi Takyeong assisted the Governor of Gyeongsang Province in his capacity as a petty officer (yeongli) attached to the headquarters of the provincial governor (gamyeong) during the Japanese Invasions of Korea. This study analyzes the historical values and implications of the Jeongmannok, paying specific attention to the perceptions of the Japanese Invasions of Korea viewed of a person who belonged to the bureaucratic middle class (jungin). The local gentry (sajok) saw the Japanese Invasions of Korea as an opportunity to maintain their superior status by participating in local righteous army (uibyeong) activities. As such, the families of those who participated in righteous army activities continuously expanded and reproduced records such as the Changuirok and diaries or daily records (ilgi) emphasizing the achievements and great roles played by their ancestors. To this end, the notion of initiative righteousness possessed by the local gentry has been reflected in the modern perception of the Japanese Invasions of Korea. The bureaucrats who went through the Japanese Invasions of Korea left behind various records to justify their roles during the war time. Yi Takyeong was a petty officer attached to the headquarters of the provincial governor in Gyeongsang Province. In this regard, the Jeongmannok describes the Japanese Invasions of Korea from the viewpoint of a local clerk (iseo). Yi lived in the Uiseong area of Gyeongsang Province. Yi maintained a favorable opinion of the Southerners (namin) faction, a group to which immediate superiors such as Kim Su and Kim Seongil belonged. Yi Takyeong described in great detail the activities of the Governor of Gyeongsang Province Kim Su and the tragic situation which befell Kim Su’s family. Contrary to the diaries and daily records written by the members of the local gentry, Yi described the actual war situation and reported on the damage in different areas. However, the majority of the Jeongmannok is reserved for personal thoughts and longing for family. Considering these aspects, the significance of the Jeongmannok can be said to stem from the fact that it sheds light as to how a local functionary residing in Gyeongsang Province came to view the Japanese Invasions of Korea from the standpoint of assisting his superiors from the Southerner faction as well as from his vantage point as a member of the middle class (jungin).