Newsletter

Time and space are the most basic physical conditions in ruling all worldly beings. Except for transcendental beings, nothing can be free from time and space. Hence, land or house are space names that people tend to be most familiar with. Even in the past, one of the most important goals in life for most people was to secure ownership over a land or house.

Going beyond an individual, space would be discussed in the name of territory for a nation. Territory is one of the three components, alongside people and sovereignty, that forms a country. It would not be an overstatement to say that since the beginning of history, all international disputes and conflicts have been caused by territory. To a country, defending its territory is no different from defending its people or the sovereignty they possess and exercise. Since the twentieth century, various boundaries have been collapsing with the advancement of technologies and awareness, but territory will long continue to maintain its importance.

Among the many place names that fall under Korean territory, “Dokdo” tends to be the name Koreans get most prickly about. As the Chinese characters for the name suggest, it is a remote island in the East Sea. Having long been swept up in tall waves caused by territorial issues, the person Koreans are most likely to be aware of and associate with Dokdo would be An Yong-bok (安龍福, 1658-?). An Yong-bok was a man who greatly contributed to defending Korea’s sovereignty over Dokdo by traveling twice to Japan, once in 1693 (the 19th year of King Sukjong’s reign) and once in 1696 (the 22nd year of King Sukjong’s reign).

Despite his contributions, An Yong-bok faced the threat of being punished rather than rewarded. Such a predicament had been caused by the Joseon government’s complacent sense of territory, which continued to leave the islands Ulleungdo and Dokdo vacant, plus its diplomatic approach of being reluctant to enter into a dispute with Japan over a small island.

When An Yong-bok’s life was in danger, Yun Ji-wan (尹趾完, 1635-1718) and Nam Gu-man (南九萬, 1629-1711) were the ones who supported An Yong-bok and significantly contributed to saving his life. Both in their sixties and having served as high-ranking ministers, the two men were veteran officials within the Joseon government. Having been deeply aware of the significance of territorial issues surrounding Ulleungdo and Dokdo, they came up with effective, dignified ways of responding to the issues in order to defend their country’s land and sea.

The fact that Yun Ji-wan (as well as Nam Gu-man) was enshrined alongside King Sukjong is an indication that he had been a prominent official among those who served the king. Throughout his career that lasted until the age of 83, Yun Ji-wan acted as a central figure of the Soron faction at a time when the faction was embroiled in fierce political confrontations with other factions like the Southerners’ faction, Westerners’ faction, the Noron faction.

Yun Ji-wan was a descendent of the Papyeong clan and his pen name was Dongsan (東山). Several of his ancestors had managed to mark their names in history. His great grandfather Yun Eom was famous for his paintings and calligraphic works during King Jungjong’s reign. His grandfather Yun Min-heon served as Jangnyeong (third inspector) in the Inspector General’s Office and as Jeoldosa (military governor) of Pyeongan Province. His father Yun Gang rose to the position of Yejo panseo (minister of the board of rites). Yun Gang had four sons. The eldest Yun Ji-mi served as Jipyeong (fourth inspector), the second Yun Ji-seon served as Jwauijeong (second state councilor), and the youngest Yun Ji-in served as Ijo panseo (minister of the board of personnel) and Byeongjo panseo (minister of military affairs). And the third son Yun Ji-wan also once served as Jwauijeong (second state councilor).

Yun Ji-wan demonstrated his excellence in several different kinds of state affairs, but he especially made remarkable achievements in diplomatic affairs. One of them was made at the age of 47 in 1682 (the 8th year of King Sukjong's reign) when he was appointed to head a large-scale diplomatic mission to Japan that included more than 470 delegates. The fact that he was especially selected for a special mission rather than for a regular ministerial position, and to have him be the leader of such a mission signifies that he had been considered a seasoned expert in diplomatic affairs.

Yu Ji-wan demonstrated his superb insight into international issues through the An Yong-bok case as well. The year after An Yong-bok's first trip to Japan in 1693, the governor of Tsushima raised an objection over an issue involving Ulleungdo. The governor requested that mention of Ulleungdo be removed from a state letter issued by Joseon since it had abruptly appeared without having been mentioned at all in previous letters. Yun Ji-wan firmly proposed for the objection to be rejected. He figured that a state letter already issued and sent should not be revised and that reproaching the Japanese by saying that the people of Joseon may well travel to the island since it was Joseon's territory would prevent the Japanese from raising further objections. Nam Gu-man agreed with Yu Ji-wan's opinion. Based on their opinion, the Joseon government made a request to Japan to maintain better control over its people so that they stop traveling to Ulleungdo.

Two years later, Yun Ji-wan played a crucial role in saving An Yong-bok's life. As mentioned above, An Yong-bok ended up on the verge of execution after returning from his second trip to Japan in 1696. Most government officials, including Chief State Councilor Yu Sang-un and Second State Councilor Yun Ji-seon, claimed that An Yong-bok should be executed for disobeying orders and causing problems with a foreign country, and King Sukjong initially agreed with them. Yun Ji-wan became the one to change their minds by pointing out the gist of the situation and suggesting which direction Joseon's diplomacy should pursue in terms of issues with Japan, including the issue involving Dokdo.

If An Yong-bok went to a foreign country and discussed a state affair as if he had been authorized by the royal court to do so, it is an alarming criminal act that rightly deserves to be punished by death. Yet, the people of Tsushima have been able to deceive us because our country has not engaged in exchange with the Edo bakufu. … If they learn of An Yong-bok's execution, they will be pleased. Killing An Yong-bok would therefore be legally appropriate, but also strategically inappropriate. Killing An Yong-bok and hanging his neck in front of the Japanese guest house would only please the Japanese and bring damage upon ourselves.

Nam Gu-man again agreed with Yun Ji-wan, so An Yong-bok averted death and was exiled instead. The incident indeed showed how unpracticed the Joseon royal court had been in considering territorial issues, but thanks to the two officials who precisely pinpointed the gist of the issue, a man was able to escape death after going through much difficulty and making sacrifices to defend Dokdo. Chief State Councilor Yu Sang-un later recalled that "the reason Yun Ji-wan and Nam Gu-man opposed An Yong-bok's execution was because they recognized his contribution in unnerving the Japanese and making them realize their wrongdoings."

George Orwell's famous epigram "Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past" carries intense practical, political implications about history. A country or individual should not be obsessed with the past, but the past should not be easily forgotten or overlooked. Perhaps the following is a saying that should be applied to a country: "A truly outstanding student is not one who correctly solves all the problems, but one who never incorrectly solves the same problem more than once."