조선후기 왜관에서의 倭學譯官의 정보수집

The Information Collection by the Japanese Interpreter at Waegwan in the Early Mordern Period

Waegwan is the Japanese settlement in Joseon and also the place for diplomacy and exchange between the Joseon and Japan. There are about 150 Joseon people at Waegwan in order to operation of Waegwan and surveillance of Japanese residents. Among them, government officials who understood and spoke Japanese as counterpart’s language were the Japanese Interpreters. It is crucial roles of Japanese Interpreter that are simultaneous interpretation between the Joseon and Japan, intermediation for diplomatic negotiations and collection of information about Japan and oversea countries. The collection of oversea information is the most essential role with three reasons. First, it was not easy for Japan people and Joseon people to connect with each other because the zones of Japanese activities after Japanese Invansion of Korea in 1592 were limited within Waegwan located in Busan. Second, contacting between Head official of Dongrae-bu in Busan and Head official of Waegwan was also limited and they were not able to exchange freely official documents. Third, as a closed country to outside world, routes for gathering oversea information were narrow. The source of Japanese Interpreter to gather information was the Head official of Waegwan, the Korean Interpreter of Japan and the Envoy of Japan. The Head official of Waegwan was the highest executive accredited by Tsushima to Busan. He grasped all issue that happened within Waegwan such as diplomacy between Joseon and Japan, the facts of exchange and so forth. The Korean Interpreter of Japan was a government official who can communicate with Joseon people in Joseon language. They contacted frequently in bilateral relationship with the Japanese Interpreter of Joseon. The Envoy of Japan was a temporary officer accredited to Waegwan to perform his duties of exchange and diplomacy between Joseon and Japan. These officers were able to provide the most precise information about pending issues between Joseon and Japan and circumstances of Tsushima. The contents of information collected by the Japanese Interpreter of Joseon were extensive including circumstances of Waegwan, Tsushima and Edo as well as information gathered in Japan through Dutch and Chinese people who traveled a lot back and forth in Nagasaki. Information collection was fulfilled not only through order of Joseon dynasty Court and Head Official of Dongrae-bu but also through Japanese people in advance or Japanese Interpreter with interest. The Japanese Interpreters fundamentally have characteristic as a hand-on worker in diplomacy way. They had no a final decision about any policies, but all information collected by them had a large impact on administration of Waegwan by Joseon and decision coupled with performance of policies toward Japan. Furthermore, they were important basis on that Joseon Dynasty comprehended oversea situation and deal with it.