Lee Su-kwang's recognitions of external world in Chibongryuseol
Han, Myung-gi
Lee Su-kwang's knowledges of overseas and western world in 17th centuries are clearly advanced. He came to have many chances to meet foreign things through diligent re ...
Lee Su-kwang's recognitions of external world in Chibongryuseol
Han, Myung-gi
Lee Su-kwang's knowledges of overseas and western world in 17th centuries are clearly advanced. He came to have many chances to meet foreign things through diligent readings, the experiences of Japanese invasion in 1592, the three round formal visits to Ming dynasty. He also had the opportunity to meet the Vietnamese diplomat, during his stay in Beijing and to come into contact the western books and maps which the Jesuit mission had brought. Those encounters and experiences enabled him to have more knowledges and broader understandings of external world than any other contemporary intellectuals had.
In 15th centuries, Korean intellectuals had much knowledges of western world, which were brought to Yuan dynasty by Arabian merchants and crews. In spite of having that knowledges, most intellectuals were obsessed with the China-centered world order. In 16th centuries, Portuguese and Spanish have made inroads into East Asian areas, which served as a another momentum to have the Chinese and Japanese intellectuals' understanding of world changed. The Portuguese merchants and the Jesuit missionaries introduced western style bird guns and Roman Catholicism, which was encountered by Korean intellectuals like Lee Su-kwang who were staying in Beijing.
Lee Su-kwang's experiences of Japanese invasion in 1592 was a paradoxical opportunity for him to have keen senses of China, Japan, and Jurchen Manchus. After war Lee Su-kwang laid great emphasis on taking a proper steps to prepare against another possible invasions from Japan and Manchus.
Considering the frequencies and widths of contemporary Chinese and Japanese contacts with external world, it is inadequate for us to regard Lee Su-kwang's knowledges of overseas and western world in 17th centuries as being advanced. The Korean intellectuals's external recognitions were smaller and narrower than those of Chinese and Japanese's.
There had been an atmosphere to put a high value on mercantilism, circulation of money, foreign trade, and the use of commerce, during the Japanese invasion, but the trend was not succeeded to postwar period. In contrast to Choseon Korea, Tokugawa Japan made much efforts to increase foreign trade and by which she came to contact more and more countries and obtain much more informations about external world. Under the such circumstances, it was impossible for Koreans to be able to abolish the gap of foreign informations.
In short, I think it is necessary for us to revaluate Lee Su-kwang's recognitions of external world in view of the whole East Asian perspectives.
Key Words : Lee Su-kwang's recognitions of external world, Chibongryuseol, Japanese invasion in 1592, The Jesuit missionaries, Senses of China, Japan, and Jurchen Manchus, Mercantilism, Matteo Ricci, China-centered world order, Kim Man-seong, The gap of foreign informations