Korean Language Notes

Thursday, October 25, 2007

What does "큐 세대" mean?

"큐 세대" is a new Korean word used to describe "a generation of people who are absorbed in the Internet and have little or no interest in politics." The 큐 in 큐 세대 comes from the English work "quiet"; 세대, of course, means "generation," so 큐세대 literally means, "the quiet generation."

If you are interested in learning other new Korean words, there is a list HERE, on the Web site of the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원).

Thursday, September 27, 2007

What does 만삭(滿朔) mean?

만삭(滿朔) means "the last month of prenancy." Synonyms for 만삭 include 해산달 and 당삭. The word also means "the first day of a lunar month (초하루), which is when the moon appears as a crescent. The bulging belly of a woman in her last month of prenancy looks a lot like a crescent moon, which is probably why the same word is used to describe a new moon and a pregnant women.

In a September 28, 2007 article HERE, 만삭 was used to describe the figure of a pregnant Christina Aguilar (크리스티나 아길레라 만삭 몸매 "내 몸에 키스" 화제!!); however, the article said that the baby was not due until December, which means that Ms. Aquilar was not yet in her last month of pregnancy. The writer of the article misused the word 만삭.

Here is the picture that was posted with the article:

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Who is 남영신?

Nam Yeong-sin (남영신) is an author who has written several books about the Korean language, including a book entitled, "남영신의 한국어용법 핸드북," which I find quite interesting. I paid 19,000 won for the book and think it was worth it, but you can read many of the chapters from the book online for free. Here are links to some of the chapters from the book and to a few writings that do not seem to come from the book:

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Is "형편없는 인격자" correct?

I have a great book entitled "한국어용법핸드북," which talks about the Korean language and, especially, the use and misuse of Korean words. I really like the author, Nam Yeong-sin (남영신), who also wrote "나의 한국어 바로 쓰기 노트." I like him because his explanations are very detailed and because he also seems to be genuinely curious about why Koreans say the things they do. If you would like to see what I mean, you can read some of Mr. Nam's stuff HERE.

Of course, as many of you probably know, "Even monkeys fall out of trees" (원숭이도 나무에서 떨어진다), and Mr. Nam is no exception. For example, while reading his essay on 말/말씀, I came across the expression, "형편없는 인격자," which Mr. Nam said was the intended meaning of the expression"사람 같지 않은 사람." However, by choosing to use the word 인격자 ("a man of character" or "a great man") instead of simply using the word 사람 (person), Mr. Nam created an oxymoron since 형편없는 인격자 translates as "a terrible, great man."

The essay 말/말씀 refers to several useful expressions, including the following:

말잔치
말로만
말로 온 동네를 다 겪는다
실천이 따르지 않는 말
말 같지 않은 말
말 뒤에 말이 있다
말 속에 말 들었다
말은 할 탓이다
말은 꾸밀 탓으로 간다
말은 보태고 떡은 뗀다
말이 말을 만든다
말이 말을 문다
말이 씨가 된다
말 안 하면 귀신도 모른다
말은 해야 맛이고, 고기는 씹어야 맛이다
말이 고우면 비지 사러 갔다가 두부 사 가지고 오다
말을 가리다
말을 건네다
말을 꺼내다
말을 내다
말을 돌리다
말을 듣다
말을 맞추다
말을 못하다
말을 받다
말을 삼가다
말을 삼키다
말을 쓰다
말을 앞세우다
말을 조심하다
말을 하다
말로 갚다
말로 사과하다
말로 하다
말로 할 수 없다
말에 화가 나다
말에 뼈가 있다
말이 거칠다
말이 나다
말이 떨어지다
말이 뜨다
말이 되다
말이 많다
말이 무겁다
말이 아니다
말이 아프다
말이 있다
말이 퍼지다
말이 헛나가다
말거리
말결
말곁을 달다
말귀
말길
말꼬
말꼬리
말꾸러기
말끝
말눈치
말다툼
말동무
말막음
말문
말밑천
말벗
말본새
말쏨씨
말썽
말전주
말주변
말추렴
말허리를 꺾다
거짓말
군말
귀엣말
꽃말
낱말
도움말
뒷말
막말
반말
변말
시쳇말
옛말
익은말
잔말
정말
준말
참말

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

What is the history of Ulleungdo? (Ch. 24)

King Mentions Muleungdo & Asks Gangwon Governor to Find Yodo

In April 1430, King Sejong sent officials to Hamgil (here) and Gangwon (here) Provinces to find a rumored island named "Yodo." In October that year, the Hamgil governor reported that he sent people to Cape Muji to look for the island and that his men had seen what looked to be an island, but it was not confirmed. After that, there was no more mention of Yodo until its mention in the following record, which is dated July 26, 1438. Based on the following record, we know that Yodo had not yet been found, but King Sejong still had hope.

Source:『世宗實錄』卷八十二, 世宗二十年七月戊申條

July 26, 1438

傳旨江原道監司茂陵島本人物所居之處自昔徃來之地也然近日差人經涉大洋尙恐險阻夙夜憂慮况此蓼島雖稱在某處固無來徃之者予以衰老之年敢望尋覓但本島諺稱在襄陽之東不可不知其在何處也卿宜更加訪問以達.

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강원도 감사에게 전지하기를, “무릉도(茂陵島)는 본래 사람이 살던 곳이며, 옛날부터 왕래하던 땅이다. 그러나 근일에 사람을 파견하여 큰 바다를 건너게 하고서는, 오히려 그 험난함을 두려워하여 주야로 이를 우려하여 왔다. 하물며, 이 요도(蓼島)는 비록 모처에 있다고는 일컬어 왔으나, 본시 내왕하는 자가 없었으니, 내가 이미 쇠로한 나이에 감히 그의 탐방(探訪)을 바라겠는가. 다만 본 섬이 양양(襄陽) 동쪽에 있다고만 일컬어 왔을 뿐이니, 어느 곳에 있다는 사실만은 불가불 알아야 할 것이다. 경은 마땅히 다시 이를 탐문하여 계달하라” 고 하였다.

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The King communicated the following to the governor of Gangwon Province:

"Muleungdo is a place where people once lived and have traveled to since ancient times. These days, however, when I dispatch people to cross the big sea, I fear the dangers and worry about this day and night. It is said that this Yodo is somewhere, but no one has travelled there. I am already too old and weak to dare hope to travel there, but I think we need to, at least, know where it is since it is said only to be east of Yangyang. Do another proper investigation and report."

Notice that before asking the governor to do another search for Yodo, King Sejong referred to Muleungdo and how he worried about the risks of sending people there. He seemed to be trying to say that he knew the risk of searching the sea for Yodo, but that it was a risk that needed to be taken. The fact that he used Muleungdo as an example seems to show just how risky he considered the trip to Muleungdo to be. He seemed to be trying to convince the Gangwondo governer that his desire to find Yodo was not based on some selfish wish to travel to the mysterious island, himself, but was based on a need to know its location for the benefit of the country.

King Sejong may have mentioned the journey to Muleungdo because he considered it the most dangerous of any journey to Korea's outlying islands. Of course, a trip to Dokdo/Takeshima is farther and more dangerous than a trip to Ulleungdo, so the fact that the king did not mention trips to any islands beyond Ulleungdo may be a indication that he did not know of any islands beyond Ulleungdo. I point this out just so that it is considered.

By the way, it sounds as if King Sejong might have wanted to travel to Yodo when he was younger. He must have heard some interesting stories about the island.

Monday, August 14, 2006

What is the history of Ulleungdo? (Ch. 23)

Nam Hoi & Jo Min Return from "Muleungdo" with 66 Squatters

In April 1438, Nam Hoi and Jo Min were appointed "Muleungdo Inspectors" and sent to Muleungdo bring back people hinding on the island. They ended up bringing back sixty-six people and some products from the island. The following record describes their return.

Source:『世宗實錄』卷八十二, 世宗二十年七月戊戌條

July 15, 1438

護軍南薈司直曹敏回自茂陵島復命進所捕男婦共六十六及産出沙鐵石鍾乳生鮑大竹等物仍啓曰發船一日一夜乃至日未明掩襲人家無有拒者皆本國人也自言聞此地沃饒年前春潛逃而來其島四面皆石雜木與竹成林西面一處可泊舟楫東西一日程南北一日半程

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호군(護軍) 남회(南薈)와 사직(司直) 조민(曹敏)이 무릉도(茂陵島)로부터 돌아와 복명하고, 포획한 남녀 모두 66명과 거기서 산출되는 사철(沙鐵) 석종유(石鍾乳) 생포(生鮑) 대죽(大竹) 등의 산물을 바치고, 인하여 아뢰기를, “발선(發船)한 지 하루 낮과 하루 밤 만에 비로소 도착하여 날이 밝기 전에 인가를 엄습(掩襲)하온즉, 항거하는 자가 없었고, 모두가 본국 사람이었으며, 스스로 말하기를, 이곳 토지가 비옥하고 풍요하다는 말을 듣고 몇 년 전 봄에 몰래 도망해 들어왔다고 하였습니다. 그 섬은 사면이 모두 돌로 되어 있고, 잡목과 대나무가 숲을 이루고 있었으며, 서쪽 한 곳에 배를 정박시킬 수 있고, 동서는 하루의 노정(路程)이고 남북은 하루 반의 노정이었습니다” 라고 하였다.

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Hogun Nam Hoi and Sajik Jo Min returned from Muleungdo and reported that they captured a total of sixty-six men and women and that they brought back such products as lodestone, stalactite, and abalone as tribute.
They said, "We arrived after only one day and one night at sea. Before daybreak we conducted a surprise raid on the households there, who surrendered without any resistance. All were people of our country. They said they had secretly gone to the island in the spring a few years before after hearing that the land was fertile and bountiful. All four sides of the island is made up of rock, and the forrest is made up of various trees and large bamboo. On the west side there is a place to anchor boats. It takes one day to travel the island (on foot) from east to west and a day and a half to travel it from north to south."

Notice that the above record mentions only Muleungdo, not Usando. Their description of the island fits that of the main island of Ulleungdo, so again, Muleungdo is either referring to the main island or to the island group, in general, not to any neighboring islands.

What is the history of Ulleungdo? (Ch. 22)

Nam Hoi and Jo Min Are Apppointed "Muleungdo Inspectors"

The following record talks about the appointment of two inspectors tasked with going to Muleungdo (Ulleungdo) to bring back people hiding on the island. On February 8, 1437, King Sejong had talked about sending people to Muleungdo, so the selection of these two inspectors was probably the result of that.

Source: 『世宗實錄』卷八十一, 世宗二十年四月甲戌條

April 21, 1438

以前護軍南薈前副司直曹敏爲茂陵島巡審敬差官二人居江原道海邊者時國家聞茂陵島在海中多産異物土沃可居欲遣人尋訪而難其人乃募於海邊此二人應募故遞授敬差官之命以遣仍使搜檢逃匿人口

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전 호군(護軍) 남회(南薈)와 전 부사직(副司直) 조민(曹敏)을 무릉도순심경차관(茂陵島巡審敬差官)으로 삼았는데 두 사람은 강원도 해변에 거주하는 자이다. 이때 국가에서는 무릉도가 바다 가운데 있는데 이상한 것이 많이 나고 토지도 비옥하여 살기에 좋다고 하므로 사람을 보내 찾아보고자 해도 그 사람을 얻기가 어려웠다. 이에 해변에서 이를 모집하니 이 두 사람이 응모했으므로 경차관을 제수하도록 명령하고 파견하여 섬에 도망하여 숨어있는 사람들을 수색하여 오도록 한 것이다. 이에 도망해 숨은 인구도 탐문하여 조사하도록 한 것이다.

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Former hogun Nam Hoi and former busajik Jo Min were assigned as "Muleungdo Inspectors." Both men live on the coast of Gangwon Province. Muleungdo was then known to be in the middle of the sea and was said to be a good place to live because it had fertile land and many strange products. Even though we wanted to send people to search the place, it was not easy to find people to do it. Therefore, people were solicited from the coast and these two people were recruited. They were given the title of "inspector" and sent to the island to search out and bring back people hiding there. They also were supposed to investigate and determine the number of people hiding there.

On August 8, 1425, Kim In-u was made "Inspector for the Usan-Muleung Region," but notice that in the above record Nam Hoi and Jo Min were given the title of "Muleungdo (Muleung Island) Inspectors." This could mean that the main island of Ulleungdo was being called Muleungdo, or that Muleungdo was being used to refer to the island group (Ulleungdo and its neighboring islands). Based on the fact that the main island of Ulleungdo has also been referred to as "Usando" (See 1412, 1417, and 1436), I tend to believe that Muleungdo was being used as a general reference to the island group. Also, Kim In-u had previously been called the "Usan-Muleung Regional Inspector," which suggests that Usan was the larger island since Usan came before Muleung.

What is the history of Ulleungdo? (Ch. 21)

King Responds to Yu Gye-mun's Request to Settle "Muleungdo"

On June 19, 1436, Gangwondo Governor Yu Gye-mun proposed that people be sent to settle "Muleungdo's Usan." It was reported that his request was denied, but, based on the following record, the governor apparently made another request, which King Sejong responded to in the record below:

Source:『世宗實錄』卷七十六, 世宗十九年二月八日戊辰條

February 8, 1437

傳旨江原道監司柳季聞去丙辰秋卿啓茂陵島土地膏腴禾穀所出十倍陸地且多所産宜設縣置守以爲嶺東之藩籬即令大臣僉議並云此島遠於陸地風水甚惡不宜蹈不測之患以設郡縣故姑寢其事卿今又啓云聞諸古老在昔倭奴來住連年侵掠嶺東蕭然予亦以爲曩者倭奴陸梁居于對馬島尙且侵掠嶺東至于咸吉道茂陵島無人日久今若倭奴先據則將來之患亦未可知其設縣置守徙民實之則勢固難矣每歲遣人或探島內或採土産或爲馬塲則倭奴亦以爲大國之地必不生竊據之心在昔倭奴來住之時何代耶所謂古老者幾人耶若欲遣人則風水調順何時何月耶入歸之時裝備之物舟楫之數備悉訪問以啓

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강원도 감사 유계문(柳季聞)에게 전지하기를, “지난 병진년 가을에 경이 말하기를, 무릉도(茂陵島)는 토지가 기름져서 곡식의 소출이 육지보다 10배나 되고, 또 산물이 많으니 마땅히 현(縣)을 설치하여 수령을 두어서 영동의 울타리를 삼아야 한다고 하였으므로, 곧 대신으로 하여금 여러 사람과 의논하게 하였더니, 모두 말하기를, 이 섬은 육지에서 멀고 바람과 파도가 매우 심하여 예측할 수 없는 환난을 겪을 것이니, 군현을 설치하지 않는 것이 마땅하다고 하므로 그냥 그대로 두었더니 경이 이제 또 말하기를, 고로(古老)들에게 옛날에 왜노들이 와서 거주하면서 여러 해를 두고 침략하여, 영동(嶺東)이 빈 것 같았다는 말을 들었다고 한다. 내가 역시 생각하건대, 일찍이 왜노들이 날뛰어 대마도에 살면서도 오히려 영동을 침략하여 함길도에까지 이르렀었는데, 무릉도에 사람이 없는 지가 오래니, 이제 만일 왜노들이 먼저 점거(點據)한다면 장래에 어떠한 우환이 생길지 알 수 없을 것이다. 현을 신설하고 수령을 두어 백성을 옮겨 채우는 것은 지금 형세가 어려우니, 매년 사람을 보내어 섬 안을 탐색(探索)하거나, 혹은 토산물을 채취(採取)하고, 혹은 마장(馬場)을 만들면, 왜노들도 대국의 땅이라고 생각하여 반드시 몰래 점거하려는 마음이 들지 않을 것이다. 옛날에 왜노들이 와서 산 때는 어느 때이며, 소위 고로(古老)라고 하는 사람들은 몇 사람이나 되며, 만일 사람을 보내려고 하면 바람과 파도가 순조로운 때가 어느 때 어느 달이고 섬에 들어갈 때에는 장비(裝備)할 물건과 배의 수효를 자세히 조사하여 보고하라” 고 하였다.

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The king wrote to Gangwon Provincial Governor Yu Gye-mun:

"In the autumn of 1436, you said that because the land of Muleungdo was so fertile that crop yields were ten times greater than the mainland and that because it had many products, it would be an good place to set up a hyeon (an administrative district) with a magistrate. You said we should consider it as a fence for the Yeongdong region (eastern Gangwon Province). I immediately had the ministers discuss the issue with several people and all of them said, 'The island is too far from the mainland and the wind and waves are so severe that unforeseen difficulties would likely occur and, therefore, would be unsuitable for the establishment of a settlement. They recommended that it be left as it is.'"

"Now you say that you have heard from elderly residents that Japanese pirates used to come there and live for several years while raiding the Youngdong region, which left the area almost empty. I also think that Japanese pirates used to run wild while living on Daemado (Tsushima), raiding the Yeongdong region and even up to Hamgil Province. It has been a long time since people have been on Muleungdo, so if Japanese pirates have already occupied the island, then there is no telling what misfortunes lie ahead. However, now the circumstances are too difficult to set up a new hyeon, appoint a magistrate, and move citizens there. Instead, if we sent people to search the island each year and also gathered local products or set up a grazing area for horses, Japanese pirates may think the land belonged to us and think twice about secretly occupying it."

"How long ago was it that Japanese pirates came and lived there? How many of these so-called elderly people are there? If we are going to send people, when are the wind and waves calm? Which month? If we go onto the island, what kind of equipment will we need and how many ships? Investigate thoroughly and report."

Notice that in the above record, King Sejong said that the governor made a request in the fall of 1436 to settle "Muleungdo," but according to this June 19, 1436 record, the governor actually made a request to settle "Muleungdo's Usan." This suggests that King Sejong either considered Muleungdo and Usan to be the same place or considered Muleungdo as an island group of which Usan was a part. At the time of the above record, it had already been established that Muleungdo and Usando were separate, neighboring islands, so I think King Sejong was using Muleungdo to refer to the two islands as an island group. By the way, I do not understand why King Sejong said the request was made in the fall when the record reporting the request was dated June 19. It appears that there may have been two or three requests from the governor.

The king seemed to sympathize with the governor's belief that settling "Muleungdo" would help protect the mainland from Japanese pirates, but the king, nevertheless, turned down the governor's request, saying that circumstances were too difficult at the time. I think the king was referring to the fact that 1436 was a famine year in Chosun Korea.

Instead of settling Muleungdo, the king suggested that yearly inspections be made and that signs of harvesting and maybe even a horse pasture be left behind to give the impression that the land was already claimed. At the time, Chosun Korea seemed more interested in scaring away Japanese pirates than in expanding territory.

All the evidence up until this time suggests that Muleungdo and Usando were neighboring islands close enough to be considered essentially one island. Both names have been used to refer to land that was fertile and suitable for settlement. That means that neither island could have been Dokdo/Takeshima, which is basically just a couple of barren rocks.

Friday, August 11, 2006

What is the history of Ulleungdo? (Ch. 20)

Gangwon Govenor Suggests a Plan to Populate Usan

In the following record, the governor of Gangwon Province asks King Sejong to allow him to populate Usan, which he described as being a fertile island with many products and having a diameter of fifty ri. He also said it was surrounded by cliffs, but had places to anchor.

Source:『世宗實錄』卷七十三, 世宗十八年閏六月甲申條

June 19, 1436

江原道監司柳季聞啓武陵島牛山土沃多産東西南北各五十餘里沿海四面石壁周回又有可泊船隻之處請募民實之仍置萬戶守令實爲久長之策不允

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강원도 감사 유계문(柳季聞)이 아뢰기를,“무릉도(武陵島)의 우산(牛山)은 토지가 비옥하고 산물도 많사오며, 동서남북이 각각 50여 리로 사면이 바다이며 석벽(石壁)으로 둘러싸여 있고, 또 선박이 정박할 만한 곳도 있사오니, 청컨대, 백성을 모집하여 이를 채우고, 인하여 만호수령(萬戶守令)을 두게 되면 실로 장구지책이 될 것입니다.” 라고 하였으나 윤허하지 아니하였다.

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Gangwon Provincial Governor Yu Gye-mun said: "The land of Muleungdo's Usan is fertile and has many products. It is surrounded by the sea and is about 50 ri from both north to south and east to west. It is surrounded by rock cliffs, and there are also places where ships can anchor. Please allow me to gather people to settle this place. If we do this and assign a magistrate there, it will likely be a long-lasting endeavor." The request, however, was denied royal sanction.

The island being described in the above record is almost certainly present-day Ulleungdo. The fact that it is described as "Muleungdo's Usan" suggests that Muleungdo was being used to refer to the island group and that Usan was the largest island in that group. This April 15, 1412 record also suggests that Usan ("Yusanguk-do") was the main island, and that a smaller neighboring island was called "Muleungdo." This would explain why Korean maps up until sometime in the 18th century showed Usando to the west of Ulleungdo, instead of the east, where Ulleungdo's neighboring islands are. For example, here is the famous 1530 map, which shows Usando (于山島) to the west of Ulleungdo.

Chosun officials seem to have taken the information in the April 15, 1412 record into account because according to this September 2, 1416 record, Kim In-u was made inspector of the "Mulueng Area", not "Mu-leung Island." Also, even though the record says that Kim In-u was sent to the "Muleung area," this February 5, 1417 record says that he returned from "Usando" with local products that included large bamboo, seal skins, raw ramie cloth, silk wool, and geombak trees (or wood). This suggests that the people that Kim In-u met on his trip told him that the name of their island was "Usando." After Kim In-u's return from "Usando," as mentioned in the February 5 report, the "Muleung area" began to be referred to as "Usan-Muleung," as this February 8, 1417 record shows:

Minister Han Sang-gyeong told the six government authorities and the Daegan to discuss the best ways to evict the Usan-Muleung residents....
The appropriate thing to do is to keep Kim In-u as the area inspector, and send him back to the Usan-Muleung area to bring its residents to the mainland....

Notice that in the above quotes, "Usan" comes before "Muleung," which suggests that it was the bigger island.

Also, an August 6, 1417 record reported Japanese pirates at "Usan/Muleung," and an August 8 1425 record said that Kim In-u was made Inspector of the "Usan-Muleung Area." However, even with all the references to the "Usan-Muleung area," there still seemed to have been a tendency to use "Muleungdo" to refer to the island group as this October 20, 1425 record and the above June 19, 1436 record suggest.

I believe that at the time of the above record, Ulleungdo was being called "Usando," and its neighboring island, Jukdo, was being called "Muleungdo." However, I think that "Muleungdo" was also used to refer to the island group (Ulleungdo and its neighboring ilsands). There is still no evidence that either Muleungdo or Usando was referring to Dokdo/Takeshima, which is ninety-two kilometers southeast of Ulleungdo. On the contrary, all the evidence suggests that Muleungdo and Usando were neighboring islands that were close enough to each other to cause name confusion.

What is the history of Ulleungdo? (Ch. 19)

Hamgil Governor Sent People to Find Yodo

In April 1430, King Sejong sent officials to Hamgil and Kangwon provinces to find a rumored island named "Yodo." More than six months later, on October 23, there is a record that said that the governors of Hamgil and Kangwon provinces were instructed to send people to search for Yodo and were given directions where to look. The record also reported that the four people that the Hamgil governor sent to find Yodo found what appeared to be an island due south of Cape Muji, which was in the area of Gilju. Here is the record:

Source:『世宗實錄』卷五十, 世宗十二年十月庚寅條

October 23, 1430

先是傳旨于江原咸吉道監司曰今所訪蓼島在襄陽府靑臺上通川縣堂山登望則見于子丑間在吉州無時串洪原縣蒲靑社望見則見于巳午間基今詳明勤恪人望見以聞至是咸吉道監司報今殿直田闢等四人往無時串登望海中有東西二峯如島嶼一微高一差小中有一大峯立標測之正當巳午間遂送闢于京.

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이보다 앞서 강원도와 함길도의 감사에게 교지를 내리기를,“지금 조사하려는 요도(蓼島)가 양양부(襄陽府)의 청대(靑臺) 위에서나 통천현(通川縣)의 당산(堂山)에 올라가서 바라보면 북쪽에 있고, 길주(吉州)의 무시곶[無時串]에서와 홍원현(洪原縣)의 포청사(蒲靑社)에서 바라보면 남쪽에 있으니, 자상하고 부지런하며 진실한 사람으로 하여금 바라보고 보고하게 하라.”하였는데, 이 때에 함길도 감사가 보고하기를,“전직(殿直) 전벽(田闢) 등 네 사람을 시켜서 무시곶에 가서 올라가 바다 가운데를 바라보니, 동쪽과 서쪽의 두 봉우리가 섬처럼 생겼는데, 하나는 약간 높고 하나는 약간 작으며, 중간에는 큰 봉우리 하나가 있는데, 표를 세워서 측량하여 본즉 바로 남쪽에 해당합니다.” 하니, 곧 전벽(田闢)을 서울로 보냈다.

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The following instructions came after previous intructions to the governors of Gangwon and Hamgil Provinces: "If you go to the top of Cheongdae in the Yangyang district or to the top of Dang Mountain in Tongcheon and look out, the Yodo you are investigating will be to the north. If you look out from Cape Muji in Gilju or from Pocheongsa in Hongwon-hyeon, the island will be to the south. Have a diligent, attentive, and trustworthy people go look and report." The Hamgil governor reported, "I sent four people, including Jeon-jik and Jeon-byeok, to Cape Muji and had them climb up and look out into the middle of the sea. There were two peaks, one to the east and one to the west that looked like an island. One peak was a little smaller than the other. In the middle, there was one large peak. When a marker was set and a measurement taken, the island was reported to be due south." Jeon-byeok was immediately sent to Seoul.

The above record implies that King Sejong had heard that Yodo was located somewhere south of Cape Muji in Hamgil Province and north of Dang Mountain, which was near Tongcheon in Gangwon Province. Cape Muji was probably just north of present-day Kimcheak City in North Hamgyeong Province, and since Dang Mountain was reported to be near Tongcheon, it would be in the North Korean part of Gangwon Province.

If Yodo was north of Tongcheon, as King Sejong presumed, that would mean that neither Ulleungdo nor Dokdo/Takeshima could not have been Yodo, since they are southeast of Tongcheon. Also, it is unlikely that the island spotted by the people at Cape Muji was Ulleungdo or Dokdo/Takeshima since Cape Muji was in what today is North Hamgyeong Provice, which is almost certainly too far away to see even Ulleungdo.

I suspect that the people at Cape Muji were just reporting what they thought King Sejong wanted hear because there are no islands due south of where they were. Or maybe they spotted peaks on the mainland in Gangwon Province and presumed them to be part of an island? Whatever they spotted, it was not an island since there are no islands due south of Kimchaek City.

What is the history of Ulleungdo? (Ch. 18)

Sin In-son Sent to Hamgil Province to search for Yodo

Just three days after the governor of Hamgil Province was ordered to search for Yodo and just two days after General Hong Sa-seok was sent to Kangwon Province to do the same thing, an official from the Office of Royal Grain Supply was sent to Hamgil Province to search for Yodo, as well. Here is the record announcing his dispatch:

Source: 世宗 48卷 12年 4月 7日 (丙子)

April 7, 1430

遣典農尹辛引孫于咸吉道, 尋訪蓼島

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전농 윤(典農尹) 신인손(辛引孫)을 함길도에 보내어 요도(寥島)를 찾아보게 하였다.

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Shin In-son, an official from the Office of Royal Grain Supply, was sent to Hamgil Province to search for Yodo.

Notice that the official sent to Hamgil Province to search for Yodo was from the Office of Royal Grain Supply, which seems like an unlikely person for such a task. A general was sent to Kangwon Province to find Yodo, but a "grain expert" was sent to Hamgil Province to do the same thing? Why did King Sejong send an official from Seoul just three days after instructing the Hamgil governor to search for Yodo? Maybe, the king did not trust the Hamgil governor to do a thorough job?

What is the history of Ulleungdo? (Ch. 17)

Hong Sa-seok Sent to Kangwon Province to Find Yodo

One day after the governor of Hamgil Province was ordered to search for Yodo, General Hong Sa-seok was sent to Kangwon Province to search for the island, as well. Here is the record describing the dispatch of Hong:

Source: 『世宗實錄』卷四十八, 世宗十二年四月甲戌條

April 5, 1430

遣上護軍洪師錫于江原道尋訪蓼島.

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상호군(上護軍) 홍사석(洪師錫)을 강원도에 보내어 요도(蓼島)를 찾아보게 하였다.

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General Hong Sa-seok was sent to Gangwon Province to search for Yodo.

Since the above record was recorded just one day after instructing the governor of Hamgil Province to search for Yodo off his coast, we can assume that King Sejong was not 100 percent sure that Yodo would be found there. Maybe King Sejong had several leads and was just trying to cover all the bases, from Hamgil Province to Gangwon Province? At any rate, the king seemed determined to find the mystery island.

What is the history of Ulleungdo? (Ch. 16)

King Instructs Hamgil Governor to Search for Yodo

On January 26, 1430, King Sejong instructed the governor of Hamgil Province to send to Seoul Kim Nam-ryeong, a local man who was reported to have traveled to Yodo, a mysterious island in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) that the king was trying to get information on. Apparently, Kim Nam-ryeong was sent to Seoul and gave the king information about the island because the following record, which is dated about 70 days after Kim was sent for, includes information on where to go to see the island. We know that Kim traveled to Seoul because the records said he was on his way back home.

Source:『世宗實錄』卷四十八, 世宗十二年四月癸酉條

April 4, 1430

傳旨咸吉道監司鏡城無地串洪原補靑社使人登望則可見蓼島其今首領官或詳明守令一人偕今去金南連望見蓼島形勢及水路夷險以啓若有偕南連往還蓼島者居海邊望見者詳問本島形勢遠近以啓.

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함길도 감사에게 전지하기를, "경성(鏡城) 무지곶(無地串)과 홍원(洪原) 보청사(補靑社)에 사람을 시켜 올라가 바라보게 하면 요도(蓼島)를 볼 수 있을 것이니, 그 수령관(首領官)이나 혹은 자상하고 밝은 수령(守令)으로 하여금 지금 가는 김남련(金南連)과 함께 가서 요도의 지형과 뱃길의 험하고 편함을 살펴보고 아뢰라. 만약 남련과 함께 요도에 갔다가 돌아온 자와 해변에 살면서 바라본 자가 있거든 본도(本島)의 지형과 멀고 가까운 것을 물어서 아뢰라." 하였다.

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The governor of Hamgil Province was instructed as follows: "If you send someone to Mujigut (The Cape of Muji) in Gyeongseong or to Bocheongsa (Bocheong Village) in Hongwon and have them go up and look out (to the sea), they should be able to see Yodo. Have the local magistrate or a bright, attentive official go there with Kim Nam-ryeon, who is now returning, and inspect the topography of Yodo and whether the sea route is difficult or not and then report. If there is someone who has travelled with Nam-ryeon to Yodo or who lives on the coast and has seen the island, ask him about the island's topography and whether it is near or far away and then report."

Notice that the record says that Yodo could be seen from two places: Mijigut and Bocheongsa. Mijigut was in Gyeongseong, which appears to have been in what today is North Hamgyeong Province, and Bocheongsa was in Hongwon, which appears to have been in what today is South Hamgyeong Province. Both areas are on the east coast in the northern section of North Korea, which means that the only islands that could have been seen would have been coastal islands. Yodo could not have been Dokdo/Takeshima or Ulleungdo since not even Ulleungdo can be seen from the coast of either of the two Hamgyeong provinces. The mystery of Yodo continues.

By the way, notice that Koreans seem to have put a great deal of importance on being able to see islands from the mainland.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

What is the history of Ulleungdo? (Ch. 15)

Hamgil Governor Ordered to Send Man with Knowledge of Yodo

About a month after King Sejong sent Lee An-gyeong to Kangwon Province to visit Yodo (see here), the king sent a message to the governor of Hamgil Province (in the northeastern part of Korea) to send to him a man named Kim Nam-ryeon, who was reported to have knowledge of Yodo. If the man was too old to travel, the king told the governor that he could interview the man and send a report, instead. The following is the record of the king's instructions to the governor of Hamgil Province:

Source: 『世宗實錄』卷四十七, 世宗十二年一月丁卯條

January 26, 1430

奉常寺尹李安敬訪問蓼島而還傳旨咸吉道監司前此往見蓼島之人及素見聞本島之狀者悉訪之咸興府蒲靑社金南連會往還本島其給傳以送若老病則詳問本島形狀及人居殘盛衣服言語飮食之類以啓.

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봉상시윤(奉常寺尹) 이안경(李安敬)이 요도(蓼島)를 방문하고 돌아온 건에 대하여 함길도 감사에게 전지하기를, "과거 요도(蓼島)에 가본 적이 있는 사람이나, 이 섬의 상황을 전부터 보고 들은 사람을 모두 찾게 하니, 함흥부(咸興府) 포청사(蒲靑社)에 사는 김남련(金南連)이란 사람이 일찍이 이 섬에 갔다가 돌아왔다고 하므로, 그 사람을 보내도록 하되, 만약 늙고 병들었거든 이 섬의 생김새와 주민들의 생활은 어려운지 넉넉한지, 의복·언어·음식 등의 사정은 어떠한지 그 사람에게 자세히 물어서 아뢰라." 하였다.

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The following instructions from the king were sent to the governor of Hamgil Province concerning the visit to Yodo of Bongsangsi Official Lee An-gyeong: "Having ordered a search for all the people who have either been to Yodo or who have heard about the island, it is reported that there is a man named Kim Nam-ryeon, who lives in Pocheongsa in Hamheungbu, who has been to the island. You can send the man, or if he is too old and feeble, you can thoroughly interview him about the features of island and about its inhabitants, including whether their lives are difficult or not and about their clothing, language, and food, and send a report, instead."

Notice that King Sejong had ordered a search for all the people who had knowledge of the island, "Yodo," which shows he had a great interest in finding the island. It is not mentioned how many people the king was able to find, but the above record shows that he found, at least, one person who was reported to have been to the island. Since the above record was made one month after Lee An-gyeong was ordered to "visit Yodo," it appears that Lee was unable to find the island, which prompted King Sejong to start looking for people with knowledge of it.

There is no record of how King Sejong came to hear of Yodo, but, judging from the above record, he assumed that people were were living on the island. The record shows King Sejong was quite interested in finding the island, but even with all of his interest and efforts, he never found Yodo or any other island in the East Sea (Sea of Japan).

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

What is the history of Ulleungdo? (Ch. 14)

Lee An-gyeong Ordered to Visit Yodo

On December 27, 1429, an official from the "Office of Posthumous Titles" was sent to Kangwon Province to find a place known as "Yodo" (蓼島), a mysterious island believed to be somewhere in the East Sea (Sea of Japan). Though the official did not find the island, the search would continue unsuccessfully off and on for more than thirty years. The following is the first reference to the ghost island known as "Yodo."

Source:『世宗實錄』世宗 46卷, 世宗 11年 12月 27日 (己亥)

December 27, 1429

遣奉常寺尹李安敬于江原道, 訪問蓼島。

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봉상시 윤(奉常寺尹) 이안경(李安敬)을 강원도에 보내어 요도(寥島)를 방문하게 하였다.

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Bongsangsi Official Lee An-gyeong was sent to Kangwon Province to visit Yodo.

Notice that the official sent to find the island was from Bongsangsi "The Office of Posthumous Titles," which was an office charged with deciding on posthumous titles for Chosun officials. That seems strange to me since such an official seems unqualified to search for a mysterious island. Maybe Lee An-gyeong was sent to confirm claims made by a dead Chosun official that would help in deciding that official's posthumous title? At any rate, subsequent records will show that King Sejong became somewhat obsessed with finding Yodo.

I have included this record in "The History of Ulleungdo" because it is possible that Yodo was another name for Ulleungdo. It is also possible that Yodo could have been a reference to Dokdo/Takeshima, but the records suggest that the island was bigger and much farther north, somewhere in the sea east of Hamgyeong Province.

The significance of "the search for Yodo" is that it shows that King Sejong, especially, was interested in finding new territory in the East Sea (Sea of Japan). Considering such interest, it seems unlikely that the discovery of any island in the East Sea would go unmentioned in Chosun records. The fact that there was never any mention of Yodo or any other island, besides Ulleungdo, being discovered in the East Sea seems to support the claim that the Chosun government did not know about Dokdo/Takeshima.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

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.

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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.

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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."
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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.

Saturday, June 17, 2006

What is the history of Ulleungdo? (Ch. 12)

Memorial Service for Dead Sailors

On August 8, 1425, Kim In-u was sent to "Muleungdo" to bring back people who had moved there illegally. After his return, on October 20, it was reported that one ship carrying 46 men was lost during the voyage. One month after that report was made, the following record mentions that the king ordered memorial services for the dead sailors.

Source: 『世宗實錄』卷三十, 世宗七年十一月乙卯條
November 20, 1425

傳旨禮曹戶曹茂陵入歸時敗船物故江原道船軍招魂致祭致賻金麟雨云漂向日本上以謂敗船故有是命

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예조와 호조에 전지(傳旨)하여, 무릉도(茂陵島)에 들어갈 때 배가 파손하여 사망한 강원도 선군(船軍)의 초혼제(招魂祭)를 지내어 치제(致祭)하고 치부(致賻)하게 하였다. 김인우(金麟雨)가 일본으로 표류(漂流)하였다고 말하였는데, 임금이 난파한 것이라 생각하였기 때문에 이러한 명령이 있은 것이다.

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The king ordered the Ministry of Protocol and the Ministry of Finance to hold memorial services and pay condolences to honor the Kangwon Province sailors who died when their ship was destroyed while trying to land on Muleungdo. Kim In-u said that they had drifted to Japan, but the King gave the order because he thought they had been shipwrecked.

Muleungdo is the only island mentioned in the above record, but the record refers to Kim In-u, who was known as the Inspector for the Usan-Muleung Area, which suggests it was referring to his recent trip to the island.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind people that, so far, nothing has been mentioned in the records to suggest that either Usando or Muleungdo was a reference to present-day Dokdo/Takeshima. In fact, some records have said that both names referred to Ulleungdo, and other records have said that they are neighboring islands.

The fact that Kim In-u is referred to as the inspector for the Usan-Muleung "Area" instead of the Usan-Muleung "Island" suggests that the two are neighboring islands and not two names for one island. The fact that Usan is mentioned first implies that it is the larger island, but Muleungdo seems to be used more often when referring to the area, which makes things confusing. However, that confusion only reenforces the idea that the islands are near enough to each other to cause it.

Friday, June 16, 2006

What is the history of Ulleungdo? (Ch. 11)

Kim Brings Back 20 People from Muleungdo

On August 8, 1425, Kim In-u was given fifty men, military equipment, and a ship and sent to Muleungdo to bring back people reported to be living there. Almost two and a half months after Kim In-u's departure, the following record reports on his return and the results of his mission.

Source: :『世宗實錄』卷三十, 世宗七年十月乙酉條
October 20, 1425

于山茂陵等處安撫使金麟雨搜捕本島避役男婦二十人來復命初麟雨領兵船二艘入茂陵島船軍四十六名所坐一艘飄風不知去向上謂諸卿曰麟雨捕還二十餘人而失四十餘人何益哉此島別無異産所以逃入者專以窺免賦役禮曹叅判金自知啓曰今此捕還逃民請論如律上曰此人非潛從他國且赦前所犯不可加罪仍命兵曹置于忠淸道深遠山郡使勿復逃限三年復戶

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우산(于山) 무릉(茂陵) 등처(等處) 안무사(安撫使) 김인우(金麟雨)가 본도(本島)에 피역(避役)한 남녀 20인을 수색하여 잡아와 복명(復命)하였다. 처음 인우가 병선(兵船) 두 척을 거느리고 무릉도에 들어갔는데 선군(船軍) 46명이 탄 배 한 척은 바람을 만나 간 곳을 알지 못하게 되었다. 임금이 여러 대신들에게 이르기를, 인우가 20여 인을 잡아왔으나 40여 인을 잃었으니 무엇이 유익하냐, 이 섬에는 별로 다른 산물도 없으니, 도망해 들어간 이유는 단순히 부역(賦役)을 모면하려 한 것이로구나, 라고 하였다. 예조 참판 김자지(金自知)가 계하기를, 지금 잡아온 도망한 백성을 법대로 논죄하기를 청합니다, 라고 하니, 임금이 말하기를, 이 사람들은 몰래 타국을 따른 것이 아니요, 또 전에 범한 바를 사면(赦免)해 준 일도 있으니 새로 죄주는 것은 불가하다 하고, 곧 병조에 명하여 충청도의 깊고 먼 산중 고을로 보내어 다시 도망하지 못하게 하고 3년 동안 복호(復戶)하게 하였다.

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Usan-Muleung Area Inspector Kim In-u reported that he searched out and captured twenty men and women who went to "the island" (either "the island" or "main island") to escape government service. In the beginning, In-u commanded two military transport ships, but one ship, with forty-six sailors on board, disappeared after encountering winds on the way to Muleungdo.

The king said to his ministers, "What do we gain by capturing twenty people when we lose more than forty? There are no special products on the island, so the reason people go there is simply to avoid government service."

When Kim Ja-ji, the Minister of Rites, Protocol, Culture, and Education, requested that those captured on the island be judged according to the law, the king said, "These people did not secretly follow someone to a foreign country. Moreover, such transgressions were pardoned in the past, so giving out new punishment would be wrong."

The king ordered the Ministry of Military Affairs to send the people to a village far away and deep in the mountains of Chungcheong Province so that they cannot run away again. He also ordered that they be exempt from government service and taxes for three years.

The above record describes Kim In-u as being the Inspector for the Usan-Muleung Area, and then says that he brought back people who had be living on "the island," which grammatically is a little strange since no island had previously been mentioned. I assume "the island" is referring to the "Usan-Muleung" reference in Kim In-u's title, which would imply that Usan and Muleung are one island. However, besides meaning "the island," the Chinese characters, 本島, can also mean "main island," so it is possible that the phrase could be translated as "people who had been living on the main island," though I do not think this is what was meant. Later in the passage, Muleungdo is specifically referred to, so we can assume that the people had been living on Muleungdo. However, Muleungdo sometimes seems to refer to the island group as a whole, which might have been the intended meaning.

I do not think the above passage is clear enough to proclaim that the people were living on the main island of Ulleungdo or a neighboring island, but two and a half months earlier in this report, seven people had reported that they had left their wives and children on Muleungdo, which means the twenty people mentioned above were probably captured on Muleungdo. So the question is, "Was Muleungdo referring to the main island of Ulleungdo or a neighboring island?"

By the way, the seven people mentioned above said that twenty-eight of them had gone to Muleungdo in 1423. If you add the seven people caught on the main to the twenty people brought back from Muleungdo, it totals only twenty-seven, but twenty-eight were reported to have gone to the island in 1423. That means that one person is missing from the original group. Maybe the person died or was able to hide from the soldiers searching the island.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

What is the history of Ulleungdo? (Ch. 10)

Evicted Residents Return to the Muleungdo

In 1416, Kim In-u was appointed "Inspector of the Muleung Region" and sent to "Muleungdo" to bring back to the mainland people living there. However, when he returned in 1417, it was reported that he returned from "Usando," not Muleungdo, suggesting that the people he met on the island referred to their island as Usando instead of Muleungdo. After receiving Kim In-u's report, ministers started referring to the island group as "Usan-Muleung," suggesting that Usan and Muleung were neighboring islands and that Usan was the larger of the two.

In the following 1425 report, Kim In-u is sent back to the region, but instead of being referred to as "Inspector for the Muleung Region," he is referred to as "Inspector of the Usan-Muleung Region."

Source: 『世宗實錄』卷二十九, 世宗七年八月甲戌條
August 8, 1425

甲戌以前判長鬐縣事金麟雨爲于山武陵等處按撫初江原道平海人金乙之李萬金亐乙金等曾逃居武陵島歲丙申國家遣麟雨盡行刷還癸卯乙之等男婦共二十八名復逃入本島今年五月乙之等七人留其妻子於本島乘小船潛到平海郡仇彌浦發覺監司囚之本郡馳報於是復爲刷還麟雨率軍人五十名備軍器齎三月粮浮海而去島在東海中麟雨三陟人也

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전 판장기현사(判長鬐縣事) 김인우(金麟雨)를 우산도(于山島)·무릉도(武陵島) 등지의 안무사(安撫使)로 삼았다. 당초에 강원도 평해(平海) 고을 사람 김을지(金乙之)·이만(李萬)·김울금[金亐乙金] 등이 무릉도에 도망가 살던 것을, 병신년에 국가에서 인우를 보내어 다 데리고 나왔는데, 계묘년에 을지 등 남녀 28명이 다시 본디 섬에 도망가서 살면서, 금년 5월에 을지 등 7인이 아내와 자식은 섬에 두고 작은 배를 타고 몰래 평해군 구미포(仇彌浦)에 왔다가 발각되었다. 감사가 잡아 가두고 본군(本郡)에서 급보(急報)하여 곧 도로 데려 내오기로 하고서, 인우가 군인 50명을 거느리고 군기와 3개월 양식을 갖춘 다음 배를 타고 나섰다. 섬은 동해 가운데 있고, 인우는 삼척(三陟) 사람이었다.

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Kim In-u, a former panjanggihyeonsa, was made inspector for the Usan/Muleung region. In 1416, the government sent In-u to Muleungdo to bring back former Pyonghae residents Kim Ul-ji, Lee Man, Kim Ul-geum, and others who had run away to live on Muleungdo. In 1423, twenty-three men and women, including Ul-ji, ran away back to the island. In May this year, seven people, including Ul-ji, left their wives and children on the island and came secretly in a small boat to Kumi-po in Pyeonghae County, where they were discovered. The governor arrested them, and sent an urgent message from his village to bring back immediately the people still on the island. With fifty men, military equipment, and 3-months of rations, In-u got on a ship and left. The island is in the middle of the East Sea. In-u was from Samcheok.

The report says that people were living on Muleungdo, but was Muleungdo referring to Ulleungdo or to one of its neighboring islands? We cannot be sure, but Kim In-u was referred to as the "Inspector of the Usan-Muleung Region," suggesting that Usan and Muleung are neighboring islands and that Usan is the larger. Also, in 1417, it was reported that Kim In-u returned from Usando with three residents and tribute that included bamboo and other plant and wood products, however, he had been sent to Muleungdo, not Usando. Again, this suggests that Usando and Muleungdo are neighboring islands that are close enough together to cause name confusion.

So far, records have told us that there are two islands: Usan and Muleung. Records have also suggested that people have lived on both islands at one time or another, and that Usan was the larger of the two. However, if Usan was Ulleungdo and Muleung was a neighboring island, then one might wonder why the people mentioned in the above record chose to live on the smaller of the two islands? Was Muleung a specific reference to the smaller island or a general reference to the area? Or did the people prefer to live on the smaller island for security reasons or some other reason? It is unclear, but what is clear is that Muleungdo and Usando were either right next to each other or two names for the same island. Another thing that seems clear is that neither Muleungdo nor Usando was referring to Dokdo/Takeshima, which was too insignificant and too far away to cause the kind of name confusion that existed between Muleungdo and Usando.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

What is the history of Ulleungdo? (Ch. 9)

Evicted Muleungdo Residents Go Hungry on the Mainland

On April 1, 1419, records mention that seventeen people from Muleungdo were starving in Gyeonggi Province. It is impossible to know for sure, but these people may have been part of those evicted from the Usan-Muleung area in 1417. Here is the passage.

Source: 『世宗實錄』卷三, 世宗元年四月乙亥朔條
April 1, 1419

上以武陵出來男婦共十七名, 到京畿＾平丘驛里絶糧, 遣人救之, 乃下王旨曰: “側聞, 武陵島出來人等, 今到平丘驛絶糧, 而無人救恤。以京畿路邊而如此, 況遐方乎? 因念各官人民, 必有飢饉, 其令戶曹移文各道, 嚴加檢察, 俾民免於飢困, 以副予至懷

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임금이 무릉도(武陵島)에서 나온 남녀 도합 17명이 경기도 평구역리(平丘驛里)에 당도하여 양식이 떨어졌다 하므로 사람을 보내어 구원케 하고 이내 왕지(王旨)하기를, 듣건대 “무릉도에서 나오는 사람들이 지금 평구역에 당도하여 양식이 떨어졌는데 구원해 주는 사람이 없다고 한다, 경기도 한길가가 이와 같은데 하물며 먼 지방이야 어떻겠느냐, 이로 미루어 각군 백성들을 생각하면, 반드시 굶주리는 자가 있을 것이니 호조로 하여금 각도에 공문을 내어 세밀히 검찰하여, 백성으로 하여금 굶주리고 곤궁한 일이 없게 하여 나의 지극한 향념에 부응케 하라"고 하였다.

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The king ordered that someone go to Pyeongguyeok-ri in Gyeonggi Province to help a total of seventeen former Muleungdo residents who he heard were now there without provisions.

The king said, "I've heard that the people from Muleungdo who are now in Pyeongguyeok are without provisions and anyone to help them. Not only do they seem to be on a roadside in Gyeonggi Province, they are far from home, so what are they supposed to do? Judging from this, there are sure to be other people in other counties who are also starving, so to improve the situation, send official instructions to each province to investigate and ensure there is no one is starving or in need. See that my utmost concerns are satisfied.

Notice that the above passage mentions people from Muleungdo, which suggests that they were relocated to Gyeonggi Province after being evicted from the island. Though the passage specifically mentions Muleungdo, it is difficult to know if it was referring to a specific island or to the Usan-Muleungdo area in general. The passage does, however, seem to confirm that people were being evicted from the islands.