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@article{ART001540241},
author={Lee Sang Kyun},
title={A Study on Mt. Kumgang Travel of Foreign Envoys' and Evils in Early Joseon Dynasty},
journal={The Review of Korean History},
issn={1225-133X},
year={2011},
number={101},
pages={127-169}

TY - JOUR
AU - Lee Sang Kyun
TI - A Study on Mt. Kumgang Travel of Foreign Envoys' and Evils in Early Joseon Dynasty
JO - The Review of Korean History
PY - 2011
VL - null
IS - 101
PB - The Historical Society Of Korea
SP - 127
EP - 169
SN - 1225-133X
AB - Mt. Kumgang was called as human's clean land(淨土) with graceful scenic places and buddhist world(佛世界) in 『Hwaeomgyeong(華嚴經)』 . Travelers have never stopped visiting the mountain since Koryo Dynasty. Even after Joseon dynasty came, this mountain has been a representative tourist attraction. Therefore, enjoys who came from Ming dynasty and Japan wanted to visit Mt. Kumgang. During the early Joseon dynasty, 17 envoys from Ming and one envoy from Japan visited this Mt. Kumgang as you can recognize in 『Annals of the Joseon Dynasty(朝鮮王朝實錄)』 . Among 17 envoys from Ming, 15 people came from eunuch(宦官) and among 15 people, total 9 envoys were chosen to visit Joseon and they were Hwajas(火者). In case of Japanese, a lot of envoys asked visiting Mt. Kumgang but the government of Joseon dynasty hardly made permissions for them to visit due to the leak of national information. Envoys tried to visit Mt. Kumgang as they came to Joseon. Typically, those envoys asked visiting this mountain for a Buddhist service(禮佛) which was individual's religious faith. The period they traveled the mountain was more of less of 10 days. At that moment, 6 days were spent for going tomountain from the capital(都城) and the actual staying period in the mountain was 2 or 3 days. Traveling the Mt. Kumgang was one of their personal askings and Joseon Hwajas' favors were the largest. Envoys' traveling Mt. Kumgang led lots of side effects such as huge expensive costs. Before envoys leave for traveling, people were asked to deal with everything as applying the rules of law(事目). All the documents from government office that existed in the middle of the street that envoys were passing and trail works(事跡) were supposed to be hidden and buildings'signboards had to be pulled down. These kinds of orders from the government were because the officers were worried about loss of national prestige in case the foreign envoys watch harming Joseon's traditional customs or claiming official policies. Moreover, that was also because to provide envoys' impractical asking about wonderfully great materials. Envoys' traveling the Mt. Kumgang was very complicated and cumbersome from the preparation. Joseon officials threw a party and gave some compensative gifts for foreign envoys when they were about to leave. The officials were made as Jeopbansa (接伴使) and soldiers had to gollow to protect(扈從). It was a precedent(慣例)for foreign envoys that the King sent the officials and made them to entertain envoys and care itinerary(旅程). After the envoys finished traveling from the mountain, the officials gave compensatory gifts just like the envoys left and the King or the officials had to go middle of the road(中路) personally and gave a party for them. While the party was being held, farmers could be damaged because of hunting. Traveling for envoys' the biggest damage was an expensive cost. When the envoys visited the mountain, many entourages had to follow them and formal party's expense for state guests(國賓) was unbelievably expensive. The government did not assign the charges for envoys so people in countryside had to meet the demand for each time. There were not so many people in Gangwon-do where the Mt. Kumgang is placed and stored grains were not that much. At that time, the government had to welcome envoys with war chest(軍資) and had run out of provisions during the bad year. With this moment and reason, all the expenses for travel made the Gangwon-do's financial affairs bad. The local residents had to assist the event, either. This practice(慣行) that the local residents had to assist the event for main officials or envoys has been continued since Goryo dynasty. The local residents assisted those events frequently, as a result, their actual ordinary lives got damaged as they lost the opportunity for farming. For this reason, residents lamented their local mountain. Even during the Joseon dynasty, the preparation to entertain envoys was absolutely the each countryside's work. This has been since Goryo dynasty like that. As a result of this, the traveling of Mt. Kumgang for envoys was all about foreign envoys' personal favors, not about benefits for own Joseon. Moreover,it caused a waste and damage of national administration. The financial affair became worse and because of the frequent entertain, the local residents became poorer.
KW - Envoy(使臣);Mt. kumgang(金剛山);Travel(遊覽);Buddhist service(禮佛);Entertain(接待);Evils(弊害)
DO -
UR -
ER -

Lee Sang Kyun. (2011). A Study on Mt. Kumgang Travel of Foreign Envoys' and Evils in Early Joseon Dynasty. The Review of Korean History, 101, 127-169.

Lee Sang Kyun. 2011, "A Study on Mt. Kumgang Travel of Foreign Envoys' and Evils in Early Joseon Dynasty", The Review of Korean History, no.101, pp.127-169.

Lee Sang Kyun "A Study on Mt. Kumgang Travel of Foreign Envoys' and Evils in Early Joseon Dynasty" The Review of Korean History 101 pp.127-169 (2011) : 127.

Lee Sang Kyun. A Study on Mt. Kumgang Travel of Foreign Envoys' and Evils in Early Joseon Dynasty. 2011; 101 : 127-169.

Lee Sang Kyun. "A Study on Mt. Kumgang Travel of Foreign Envoys' and Evils in Early Joseon Dynasty" The Review of Korean History no.101(2011) : 127-169.

Lee Sang Kyun. A Study on Mt. Kumgang Travel of Foreign Envoys' and Evils in Early Joseon Dynasty. The Review of Korean History, 101, 127-169.

Lee Sang Kyun. A Study on Mt. Kumgang Travel of Foreign Envoys' and Evils in Early Joseon Dynasty. The Review of Korean History. 2011; 101 127-169.

Lee Sang Kyun. A Study on Mt. Kumgang Travel of Foreign Envoys' and Evils in Early Joseon Dynasty. 2011; 101 : 127-169.

Lee Sang Kyun. "A Study on Mt. Kumgang Travel of Foreign Envoys' and Evils in Early Joseon Dynasty" The Review of Korean History no.101(2011) : 127-169.