陸路 使行과 漢文學

Envoy Trips through Land Routes and Sino Korean Literature

The foundation of a state is naturally followed by the happening of international dynamic relations and consequent comings and goings between the countries. In Korean history as well, there are ancient records showing the state’s exchange with foreign countries, but the oldest record extant on experience in an envoy trip through a land route is Binwangrok, which sketched an envoy trip to the Yuan Dynasty. Following this, envoy travel records were written continuously including those recording envoy trips to Beijing in the relation between the early Joseon and Ming Dynasties, envoy trips to Shenyang in the relation with Houjin through the period of Ming Qing transition, and envoy trips to Beijing in the relation with the Qing Dynasty. In particular, envoy travel records created in companionship with the Qing Dynasty marked the height of envoy travel literature in terms of volume and contents. Envoy travel records describing the envoys’ overseas experiences through their trips have literary features that can be viewed from four aspects as follows. First, in the situation where mass media were not developed as today, envoy travel records documented and spread international situations witnessed and experienced in a foreign country. In this sense, envoy trip experience literature bears the feature of reportage. Second, records on troubles in the journey of an envoy trip and on the author’s impressions at historic sites along the route bear the feature of travel literature. Third, factual descriptions of new culture and things found in a foreign country carry detailed records of the realities in those days, and in this sense envoy travel records bear the feature of documentary literature. Fourth, envoy travel records not only in the form of Chinese poetry but also in prose express the author’s emotions without reserve, and this suggests their feature of lyrical literature. Records on overseas experiences through an envoy trip expanded the space of literature creation. In the medieval era when it was extremely difficult for people to get out even of their hometown, an overseas travel, which was regulated strictly, was a very rare opportunity. In such a situation, records on feelings throughout the journey of an envoy trip to a foreign country, reflections at historic sites along the route, what was learned from the trip, and foreign culture and things experienced were meaningful in that they enlarged the space of literature creation from domestic to overseas and expanded opportunities for indirect experience.