[Lee Sang-hoon's Korean History Series] King Gwanghae and the 'Gukjo Jeongto-rok'

400 Years Ago During the Ming-Qing Transition
Gwanghaegun's Neutral Diplomacy Policy
Reference Book: 'Gukjo Jeongtorok'

Sanghoon Lee, Professor of Military Science at the Korea Military Academy

During the Battle of Sarh?, the Joseon army surrendered without fighting fiercely against the Later Jin army until the very end. Afterwards, they refused the Ming dynasty's continued requests for support and pursued friendly relations with the Later Jin. This neutral diplomatic policy prevented Joseon from being further entangled in the war between Ming and Later Jin. However, it caused dissatisfaction among the Westerners (Seoin) and Southerners (Namin), who emphasized righteous principles, ultimately leading to the Injo Coup, resulting in the deposition of King Gwanghaegun. The "Gwanghaegun Ilgi (Diary of King Gwanghaegun)" records King Gwanghaegun's remarks when dispatching reinforcements to the Battle of Sarh?.

"Only after the imperial edict was issued through military and strategic communications did we raise and send troops, citing the old precedents of our ancestors' dynasty. We should carefully examine the details in 'Gosachwalyo (Essentials of Historical Cases)' and 'Gukjo Jeongtorok (Records of National Expeditions)' and add them one by one to the communications of the relevant government offices. Then, we should proceed to state that 'Due to the Hu-shu (barbarian documents), the small state is in a precarious and urgent situation, and now that the memorials and proclamations have arrived, we dare not appeal but are currently organizing 10,000 troops and awaiting orders.' This would be appropriate."

When King Gwanghaegun drafted a letter to Ming,
he ordered reference to Gosachwalyo and Jeongtorok
Gukjo Jeongtorok consists of one volume with upper and lower parts
Currently held at the Jangseogak Library, Academy of Korean Studies

King Gwanghaegun instructed that the letter to be sent to Ming should be drafted with reference to Gosachwalyo and Jeongtorok. Gosachwalyo is an encyclopedia-style book compiled by Eo Suk-gwon in 1554. It organizes knowledge on tributary relations and everyday common sense. The "Gukjo Jeongtorok (Records of National Expeditions)" is a book recording seven external military campaigns during the early Joseon period: the 1419 expedition to Tsushima Island (Daemado), the 1433 campaign against the Jianzhou Jurchens (Geonjuwi), the 1467 Jianzhou Jurchen campaign, the 1479 Jianzhou Jurchen campaign, the 1491 campaign against the Utdiha Jurchen Nimageo, the 1492 Jianzhou Jurchen campaign, and the 1510 suppression of the Sampo Japanese invasion. There were two campaigns against Japanese pirates and five against the Jurchens.

The Gukjo Jeongtorok is composed of one volume with upper and lower parts and was printed using wooden movable type by the Training Command (Hunryeondogam). The original compiler and writing process are uncertain, but it is generally believed to have been compiled between 1548 and 1598. It is currently held at the Jangseogak Library of the Academy of Korean Studies and is known as the only copy in Korea and abroad. The Jangseogak copy was purchased by collector Yoon Seok-chan from Tongmungwan in 1946 and later acquired by the Korean Studies Institute (now the Academy of Korean Studies) in 1981. In 2007, it was designated Treasure No. 1511 in recognition of its value.

Besides the Jangseogak copy, a Japanese manuscript copy exists
Included in returned cultural properties in 1965
Dispatch due to Joseon's geopolitical position
Contains offensive defensive operations and practical battle details

Besides the Jangseogak copy, there is a Japanese manuscript copy of the Gukjo Jeongtorok. During the normalization of Korea-Japan diplomatic relations in 1965, the Japanese manuscript was included in the list of returned cultural properties. The microfilm of the manuscript is held at the National Library of Korea. It is presumed that the handwritten copy of Gukjo Jeongtorok was taken to Japan during the Imjin War, and in the 18th century, a transcript was made based on the handwritten copy, which became the Japanese manuscript. Although the Japanese manuscript contains typographical errors and cursive script, it can supplement some missing characters in the Jangseogak copy, thus holding high historical value.

"The medical officer Yoanin Manase once possessed hundreds of Joseon books. However, due to frequent fires, most were lost, and only a few remain now. One of his ancestors served under Kanpaku Toyotomi Hideyoshi and received special favor, being granted all the documents acquired during the Imjin War. Although many were not passed down through generations, it is truly remarkable that despite 200 years having passed, with the people gone and the world changed, these books remain intact. While precious, it is also lamentable. Summer of the Byungjin year of Kansei."

The Japanese manuscript includes a postscript. The "Byungjin year" mentioned at the end corresponds to 1796. According to the postscript, during the Imjin War, the Japanese army took hundreds of Joseon books to Japan, which were presented to Toyotomi. The Joseon books were held by an ancestor of the Manase family, who served under Toyotomi, but most were lost over 200 years. Among them, the Gukjo Jeongtorok survived.

The Manase family, who possessed the Gukjo Jeongtorok, was a famous medical family during the Sengoku and Edo Shogunate periods. Manase Dosan (1507?1594) was a physician in the Sengoku period who revived traditional Japanese medicine. He gained great fame by curing Ashikaga Yoshiteru, the shogun, in 1545. His adopted son Manase Gensaku (1549?1632) succeeded the family and maintained close relations with the shogun. Manase Shorin (??1611) joined the Manase family in 1576 and later married Manase Gensaku's daughter, inheriting the family. Manase Shorin served Toyotomi and, after the Imjin War, moved to Edo with Tokugawa Ieyasu, becoming the founder of the Yoanin family.

However, the Gukjo Jeongtorok was written in cursive script, making it difficult to read without rewriting it. In the late 18th century, Hayashi Jussai (1768?1841), a Confucian scholar of late Edo, instructed his disciple Ogo Yoshinori to transcribe it into regular script (kaisho). Hayashi Jussai was the eighth head of the Hayashi Razan family and was known as a central figure in Edo Shogunate's document administration. Eventually, the Gukjo Jeongtorok held by the Manase family was transcribed into regular script around 1796 and preserved as the Japanese manuscript. This manuscript was included in the returned cultural properties in 1965 and thus became known in Korea.

In July 1614, before the Battle of Sarh?, the Bibyeonsa (Border Defense Council) submitted a memorial to King Gwanghaegun. It stated that there was a book called Gukjo Jeongtorok among the people, recording all the military campaigns against Japanese and barbarians. Although the book was old and worn, it contained matters worth consulting. Therefore, it was recommended to order scribes to copy it exactly and have King Gwanghaegun read it. Accordingly, King Gwanghaegun cataloged the book and ordered one copy to be kept in the place where the "Annals of the Joseon Dynasty" were enshrined. Although it was a privately circulated military book, it was considered important for national defense.

Why did King Gwanghaegun refer to the Gukjo Jeongtorok when formulating policies during the Battle of Sarh?? The Gukjo Jeongtorok contained practical details of offensive defensive operations in early Joseon. Although the dispatch was an unavoidable measure from Joseon's perspective, the background, content, progress, and handling methods of battles against the northern Jurchens recorded in the Gukjo Jeongtorok were of considerable help in establishing national defense policies. We currently live in an era of hegemonic competition between the two advanced countries (G2), the United States and China. The transition between Ming and Qing 400 years ago and King Gwanghaegun's neutral diplomacy naturally come to mind. Considering the geopolitical position of the Korean Peninsula, we hope for the establishment of more effective and appropriate diplomatic and security policies.

Lee Sang-hoon, Professor of Military Studies, Korea Military Academy