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<Haedong Jegukgi>

Plundering Japanese pirates (倭寇) in the Seas of East Asia

In mid-14th century, Japanese pirates threatened the sea routes, and political situation in East Asia was complex and complicated. In China, Yuan Dynasty gave way to Ming Dynasty, and pro-Yuan officials and Shinheung-Sadaebu (新興士大夫) were conflicting over policies to bring prosperity to Goryeo in the Korean peninsula. In Japan, two Emperors were fighting over the throne in the Northern and Southern Courts period (南北朝時代).

In the midst of such chaos, Japanese nationals from Kyushu and Daemado became Japanese pirates, invading the Korean peninsula and China.

According to the ancient book, ＜History of Goryeo (高麗史)＞, Japanese pirates invaded the Korean peninsula more than five hundred times, with the number of ships ranging from just a few to as many as five hundred. They crossed the Korean peninsula from south to west, plundering and looting as they went. They invaded grain depots in the breadbasket of Korea near Nakdong River and Seomjin River, stole cattle, and even kidnapped and killed people, including women and children. Records tell us that in 1382, "Japanese pirates cut the stomach of a three-year-old girl open, took out the intestines, put rice inside, offered it to spirits, cooked and ate that rice." Japanese pirates also looted numerous cultural assets such as bells, Buddhist paintings etc.

In 1392, new forces took power in the Korean peninsula and in Japan. Both countries sent delegations to Ming to establish diplomatic ties with the emerging Empire in China. As a result, a new international order called "Tribute System (or Chaekbong Cheje, 冊封體制) was established among Ming, Joseon and China. That is the diplomatic system of "Sadae-gyorin(事大交隣)", which means "serving the great (or China) and maintaining friendly relations with neighboring countries". It was Shin Sukju who made the biggest contribution to the system, and his book, ＜Haedong Jegukgi (海東諸國紀)＞, best describes Joseon's diplomatic policies toward Japan.

Shin Sukju – Expert in Korea-Japan Diplomacy

Shin Sukju (1417~1475) passed the civil service examination in 1439 and participated in the making of Hunminjeongeum, which was an entirely new and native script for the Korean people (later known as "Hangul") as a scholar of the Hall of Worthies (or Jiphyeonjeon, 集賢殿). In 1443, he was dispatched to Japan as a chronicler (書狀官) and also went to Ming in 1452. He served in a number of important government posts, and later became Yeonguijeong (領議政), which is equivalent to today's Prime Minister. In 1471, he published ＜Haedong Jegukgi (海東諸國紀)＞ with his lifetime experience in diplomacy.

"Jobing Eungjeobgi
(朝聘應接記)", a part of
<Haedong Jegukgi>
describing how to treat
Japanese delegates)

In the spring of 1471, the king asked Shin Sukju, who was then-Minister of Rites (Yeojopanseo, 禮曹判書) to "publish a book explaining the relationship between king and officials, delegations to foreign countries, accommodations and meals for delegations, rites and customs". In response to the king's request, he studied ancient historical records of Joseon and Japan, and wrote ＜Haedong Jegukgi＞ with his experience of visiting Japan as a delegation member.

With regard to Joseon Dynasty's diplomatic policies toward Japan, the basic objective is to prevent the attacks of Japanese pirates and create a system for exchanges and friendly relations between the two countries. Joseon engaged in negotiations with Bakufu Shogun (幕府 将軍), equivalent to today's general, to prevent Japanese pirates' invasions but to no avail. Accordingly, Joseon decided to directly contact the pirates or influential feudal lords. It requested high-level officials governing Kyushu and Daemado to suppress Japanese pirates' attacks, while giving them various privileges and establishing friendly relations. By opening three ports to Japanese people, issuing letters of credence and other certificates, and granting seals to governor of Daemado, Joseon gradually formed friendly relations with Japan. And the attacks of Japanese pirates almost ceased with the Treaty of Gyehae (癸亥條約) signed in 1443 with the efforts of Shin Sukju. He was an expert in Korea-Japan diplomacy: he successfully resolved issues related to Japanese pirates, and pursued peaceful coexistence of the two countries by opening three ports to Japan.

Three Ports –Coexistence and Mutually Beneficial Relationship

According to ＜Haedong Jegukgi＞, the number of Japanese ships that entered into the ports of Joseon stood at 220 a year in the 1470s, with more than 6,000 Japanese nationals visiting Korea. In principle, all visitors entered into three ports as delegates, and Joseon had 29 rules regarding how to treat them. For example, they were classified into four groups, and only a limited number of visitors went to Seoul to have an audience with the king, while the rest of them remained in three ports and engaged in trade.

Map of Three Ports, <Haedong Jegukgi>
(from the left : 1) Map of Yeompo, Ulsan;
2) Map of Dongrae, Busan;
3) Map of Jepo, Ungcheon)

Some Japanese nationals stayed temporarily in three ports (Yeompo, Busanpo, Jepo), and others came to visit Korea from time to time for diplomatic or business reasons. Those who lived in three ports built earthen houses and engaged in agricultural or fishery activities. Some of them were merchants or traders, and records say that Japanese people who lived in Busanpo enjoyed relaxing in hot springs. Among the three ports, the largest number of Japanese people lived in Jepo, with as many as 2,500 people. Also, there were eleven Buddhist temples for them in the mountains, meaning that they engaged in regular religious activities.

The most popular item exported from Joseon to Japan was cotton, and other items included silk, ginseng, tiger and leopard leather, and Buddhist scriptures. As many as 50 copies of Great Treasury of Scriptures (Daejanggyeong, 大藏經) were granted to Japanese people, most of which are still preserved in temples in Japan. The most popular item imported from Japan to Korea was copper, which was used for bowls, coins and movable metal types in Joseon. Also, Korea imported dyestuff, buffalo horns (for bows), sulfur, and black pepper from Japan. These items had been looted by Japanese pirates in the past, and they were now traded according to rules and regulations.

Shin Sukju's foreign policies to maintain friendly relations with neighboring countries were completed in ＜Haedong Jegukgi＞. By encouraging Japanese visitors to go to Seoul and have an audience with the king, he tried to make them subject to Joseon from the perspective of diplomacy. In return, he opened three ports to Japanese people and allowed them to engage in trade. Three ports served as a platform for coexistence and mutually beneficial relationship between Korea and Japan for about a hundred years from the opening of ports in 1407 to the Three-Port Incident (三浦倭亂). In this context, Shin Sukju's ＜Haedong Jegukgi＞ sends us a message of peaceful coexistence.