KJCKorea
Journal Central

This article aims to examine the background of the creation of the Gasa (a type of Korean verse) <Gwansuhbyeolgok> and the nature of the “path” depicted in the work. <Gwansuhbyeolgok> is the first travel Gasa written by Baek Gwang-hong when he was appointed as the military official of the Pyeongan military camp in 1555. In this article, two aspects of the background to the creation of <Gwansuhbyeolgok> are examined. First is the specific historical context of 1555, the year when <Gwansuh- byeolgok> was written, particularly focusing on the Northern and Southern invasions (Bukro Namwae) in china and the Eulmyo Waebyeon in Chosun. At that time, the Ming Dynasty was suffering from attacks by the Mongol Altan Khan in the north, while new Japanese pirates were invading from the south, a situation historically known as Bukro Namwae. Shortly after Baek Gwang- hong’s appointment to the Pyeongan military camp, the Eulmyo Waebyeon occurred in Jeolla Province in the south, around May to June 1555 in the lunar calendar. These two events not only form the background for the creation of <Gwansuhbyeolgok> but also leave distinct traces of war within the work, determining its purpose and ideological orientation. Second is the special relationship between Baek Gwang-hong and influential figures connected to <Gwansuhbyeolgok>. The most notable among them is Min Eung-seo, Baek Gwang-hong’s superior in Pyeongan military camp. Min Eung-seo was a friend of Iljae Yi Hang, Baek Gwang-hong’s teacher who lived in Taein, Jeolla Province. It seems likely that Min Eung-seo, in need of talent, recommended Baek Gwang-hong, the disciple of his friend, to the court. Iljae Yi Hang, although a military officer in his youth, embarked on the path of Neo-Confucianism after the age of 30. The combination of literary and military qualities in Yi Hang is deeply rooted in <Gwansuhbyeolgok>. Additionally, just a year before the creation of <Gwansuhbyeolgok>, in October 1554, Baek Gwang-hong's first teacher, Yeongcheonja Shin Jam, passed away. The noble legacy of this teacher, who lived a life of righteousness as a prominent figure of the Gimyo faction, likely permeates the profound love for the homeland expressed in <Gwansuhbyeolgok>. Following the examination of the background, this article also explores the structure of <Gwansuhbyeolgok> and the nature of the “path” embodied in the work. The article distinguishes between two types of “paths” depicted in the work. The first is the path experienced directly in reality, and the second is the path associated with the aesthetic emotions of sublimity and royal authority. These two paths appear differently in <Gwansuhbyeolgok>, corresponding to the first half's journey to the new post and the latter half's royal tour. The structure of <Gwansuhbyeolgok> is determined by the characteristics of the “path” portrayed in the work, achieving a complex perspective and an equally profound praise of the homeland.

<Gwansuhbyeolgok>, Baek Gwang-hong, Bukro Namwae, Eulmyo Waebyeon, Gasa