5세기말의 백제와 倭國

Paekje and Wa in the late 5th century - With focus on the relationship between Paekje and Wa during the reigns of king Tongs^ong

This article is intended for reviewing the relation of Paekje(百濟) to Wa(倭) in the late 5th century through the activities of King Tongsông(東城王) and in so doing locating the origin of the 6th-century relationship between two states based on a mercenary system. First, the enthroning of King Tongsông by Wa was mainly proposed by the Japanese scholarship who considered Peakje as subjective to Wa. Here, I criticize the notion by going through the similar examples that range from King Chônji(腆支王) to Pungjang(豊璋). Second, we can entertain a possibility in which the inter-state relation between Paekje and Wa during the reign of King Tongsông was settled less in a fully amicable way than conventionally believed. And, in the late period of King Tongsông the communication between the two states went less active than before, for the Paekje-Silla alliance made Paekje move much closer to Silla(新羅) and there were some changes in the royal succession of Wa state to the throne and the political instability was followed by it. Lastly, the beginning period of King Munyông’(武寧王) reign and the dispatch of Siagun(斯我君) to Wa signifies a necessity where Paekje wanted to re-establish its political relation with Wa to hold Silla in check as it came to confront Silla, and Wa was able to have a new dynasty after the political instability. And, after this period Paekje and Wa took a relationship of reciprocity where Peakje offered the advanced cultural products and Wa, in return, provided the military support for Paekje, a kind of mercenary system which was stemmed from Paekje’s diplomatic policy towards Wa. So, importantly it was Siagun that served as a medium to re-strengthen the relationship between Paekje and Wa.