What is the history of Ulleungdo? (Ch. 13)

Surviving Korean Sailors Return from Japan

On August 8, 1425, Inspector Kim In-u was sent to "Muleungdo" to bring back people who had illegally moved there. He commanded two ships of troops, but one ship (the one not carrying Kim In-u) was blown off course on the way to the island and presumed lost at sea. However, ten of the forty-six crewmen on the ship managed to survive and drifted to a place in Japan near the present-day port city of Hamada in Shimane Prefecture, where they were given food and clothing. The following is a relatively detailed account of the Korean seamen's ordeal at sea and in Japan and their ultimate return to Korea, as reported in the Annals of King Sejong.

Source: :『世宗實錄』 卷 三十, 世宗 七年 十二月 癸巳條

December 28, 1425

茂陵島入歸時飄風船軍平海人張乙夫等 回自日本國言 初船軍四十六人 乘坐一船 隨安撫使金麟雨向本島 忽颶作船敗 同船三十六人皆溺死 我等十人 移坐小舠飄至日本國石見洲長濱 登岸 飢困不得行 匍匐至五里餘 得泉飮水 困倒江邊 有一倭 因漁來見 率歸一僧寺 與餠茶粥醬以食之 領赴順都老 順都老見我等衣曰 朝鮮人也 嗟嘆再三 給口粮衣袴 留三十日 日三供頓 臨送設大宴 執盞親勸曰 厚慰爾等 乃爲朝鮮 殿下耳 給行粮百石 差人二十 護送至對馬島 亦留一月 都萬戶左衛門大郞 三設宴勞之曰 非爲爾等 敬 殿下如此耳 又差人護送 回來石見洲長濱 因幡守致書禮曹曰 今年九月 貴國人十名 飄風到此 即時治船護送 回付對馬島 都萬戶轉送兼進環刀二柄 丹木一百斤 朱紅四面 盤二十 胡椒十斤 左衛門大郞致書禮曹曰 今石見洲長濱因蟠〔幡〕守 知小人交通貴國 送還飄風貴國人十名 令小人轉送 即令修船護送 細在船主.

-----

무릉도(茂陵島)에 들어갔다가 풍랑을 만났던 선군(船軍)인 평해(平海) 사람 장을부(張乙夫) 등이 일본국으로부터 돌아와서 말하기를, "처음에 선군 46인이 한 배에 타고 안무사(安撫使) 김인우(金麟雨)를 수행하여 무릉도를 향해 가다가, 갑자기 태풍이 일어나 배가 부서져 같은 배에 탔던 36인은 다 익사(溺死)하고, 우리들 10인은 작은 배에 옮겨 타고 표류하다 일본국 석견주(石見洲)의 장빈(長濱)에 이르러 언덕에 올라갔으나 주리고 피로하여 걸을 수가 없었으므로, 5리 남짓을 기어가다가 샘을 만나 물을 마시고 강가에 이르러 피곤하여 쓰러져 있었더니, 한 왜인(倭人)이 고기를 잡으러 왔다가 보고는 어느 한 절(寺)로 데리고 가서 떡과 차(茶)와 죽(粥)과 장(醬)을 주어 먹게 한 뒤에 순도로(順都老)에게 데리고 갔습니다. 순도로가 우리들의 옷을 보더니 조선 사람이로구나 하며 두세 번 한탄하고 양식과 웃옷과 바지를 주었습니다. 30일 동안을 머물렀는데 날마다 하루 세 번씩 음식 대접을 해 주었으며, 떠날 때에는 큰 잔치를 베풀고 잔을 들어 친히 권하면서 말하기를, 너희들을 후하게 대접하는 것은 곧 조선의 전하(殿下)를 보아서 그러는 것이라며 여행 중의 양식 1백 석을 주고, 사람 20인을 호송(護送)을 위해 딸려 보내 주었습니다. 대마도(對馬島)에 이르러서 또한 1개월을 머물렀는데, 도만호(都萬戶) 좌위문대랑(左衛門大郞)이 세 번 연회를 열어 위로하면서 말하기를, 너희들을 위하는 것이 아니라 전하를 존경하여 이렇게 할 뿐이라며 또한 호송을 위해 사람을 보내주었습니다." 라고 하였다. 돌아올 때는 석견주(石見洲) 장빈(長濱)의 인번수(因幡守)가 예조(禮曹)에 글을 보내어 말하기를, "금년 9월에 귀국인 10명이 풍랑을 만나 이곳에 이르렀으므로, 즉시 배를 수리하게 하고 대마도로 보내어 도만호(都萬戶)로 하여금 돌려보내 주도록 했습니다. 겸하여 환도(環刀) 2자루, 단목(丹木) 1백근, 주홍색(朱紅色) 네모반(四面盤) 20개, 호초(胡椒) 10근을 바칩니다." 라고 하였다. 좌위문대랑도 예조에 글을 보내어 말하기를,"지금 석견주(石見洲) 장빈(長濱)의 인번수(因幡守)가 소인(小人)이 귀국과 교통(交通)하고 있는 것을 알고 풍랑을 만나 표류해 온 귀국인 10명을 보내면서 소인이 귀국으로 돌려보내주라고 하였으므로, 즉시 배를 수리하게 하여 돌려보내 드립니다. 자세한 사연은 선주(船主)에게 전하였습니다." 하였다.

-----

After encountering heavy seas on their way to Muleungdo, Pyeonghae resident Jang Ueul-bu and other sailors returned from Japan and said the following:

Forty-six sailors boarded our ship and began our trip to Muleungdo with Inspector Kim In-u, but a storm suddenly rose up and destroyed our ship. Thirty-six people drown and ten of us transferred to a small boat and drifted to Japan. We arrived at Nagahama (now Port Hamada) in Iwami Province (now Shimane Prefecture). We climbed a hill, but were too tired and hungry to walk. We practically crawled about five ri and then found a spring where we drank and then collapsed from exhaustion by the riverside. A Japanese found us on his way to go fishing and took us to a temple, where we were fed rice cake, green tea, rice gruel, and bean paste. We were then taken to an official who saw our clothes and lamented two or three times that we were people of Chosun (Korea). We were given provisions and clothes. We stayed there for thirty days and were given three meals a day. We were given a big feast on the day we left, and, with raised cups, were earnestly requested to be sure to tell the king (King Sejong) that we were treated warmly. We were then given 100 bags of provisions for our trip, and twenty men were assigned to escort us.

We arrived at Daemado (Tsushima), where we stayed another month. Commander (Soda) Saemontaro (of Tsushima) held three feasts for us and consoled us while saying, "I am not doing this for you; I am doing this because I respect your king. Also, I have sent people to escort you."
-
After we returned, the Lord of Nagahama (Kanenaka Sufu) in Iwami Province sent a letter to the Korean Ministry of Protocol(禮曹) that said, "In September this year, ten of your countrymen arrived here after encountering heavy seas. I immediately had their ship repaired and then sent them to Tsushima, where I asked the commander there to send them home. As gifts, I have sent two swords, 100 evergreen (丹木) saplings, twenty square scarlet trays, and ten gun of black pepper.

Saemontaro (of Tsushima) also sent a letter to the Korean Ministry of Protocol that said, "Knowing that I communicate with your country, the Lord of Nagahama in Iwami Province sent me ten of your countrymen who had drifted to Japan and asked that I immediately repair their ship and send them home. I have conveyed the details to the (Korean) ship captain."

Notice that there was no mention of the sailors seeing an island (Dokdo/Takeshima nor Oki Island) as they drifted on their way to Shimane Prefecture. Though the above record does not really say anything about Ulleungdo or its neighboring islands, it is a good example of how dangerous it was for Koreans to travel to Ulleungdo, even on a ship that was large enough to carry forty-six men.