白頭山定界碑와 間島問題

Mt. Paektu Demarcation Stone and the Kanto(Chentao) Question

When Nurhachu(努爾哈赤) unified the Juchen(女眞) in Manchuria and his influence was growing, he was planning to invade China proper and made the whole area of north of Yalu River, Mt. Paektu and Tuman River(豆滿江) no-man’s-zone by calling it an administratively prohibited area. Later, during Manchu Emperor Sheng Tsu(聖祖), China made several surveys of Ml. Paektu as the cradle of Manchu ancestors, and because or frequency of Koreans’ enterance into the open space, Sheng Tsu, recognizing the necessity of defining the boundary line, sent Mu K’o-téng (穆克登) and had him build a demarcation stone there. This is the first demarcation stone ever built between Korea and China(Ch’ing or Manchu China). Since that time for one and one-half centuries there was not any boundary dispute between the two countries. Then in around 1870 Koreans entered across Tuman River into the open land and began to cultivate it. The Chinese also encouraged the cultivation of this open land, and at the same time their authorities demanded naturalization of Koreans there and expelled those Koreans who did not comply with their request. But, according to the stone letters as engraved on the Mt. Paektu Demarcation Stone-“West is Yalu River and east is T’umen River”(西爲鴨綠東爲土門)-it became known that north of Tuman River(豆滿江) is clearly Korean territory. Korean settlers to the north of this river, pointing out above stone letters, said that they were living on Korean territory and asked why Chinese authorities tried to expell them from the area. This question, then, led to the negotiations of Sino-Korean governments, and in 1885 and 1887 representatives of both governments had meetings without finding out any solution. Korean side said that boundary line had to be the T’umen River(土門江) as shown in the stone letters, and therefore, North Kanto (North Chentao, 北間島) area had naturally to be included in the Korean territory. Chinese side said that T’umen River(土門江) meant Tuman River(豆滿江), and therefore Tuman River had to be made the boundary. However, there clearly existed T’umen River (土門江), not Tuman River(豆滿江), which started in the Mt. Paektu and joined Sungari River(松花江). But, Chinese side said that the Mt. Paektu Demarcation Stone was either forged or the original stone site was removed by later people. Anyway, both meetings on boundary dispute failed, and both nations sent administrative officials to Kanto (Chentao). Then, Japan, which took over Korea’s foreign affairs by the Treaty of Protectorate in 1905, negotiated in place of Korea with the Peking government on this question. The Japanese strengthened the argument of Korean government and forced China to expose its weakness in the boundary dispute. However, Japan gave up Korea’s territorial rights over Kanto (Chentao) in 1909 as a price for acquiring the railway concession for Antung-Mukden line and other concessions in Manchuria. Since this time for 60 years this question was not raised again until several years ago when the Red China demanded the territorial rights over Mt. Paektu. The Formosan government also takes the same attitude with Peking on this question.