병자호란에 대한 기억의 왜곡과 그 현재적 의미

Abstract

Examined in this article are some distorted recollections or improper understanding of facts related to the “Byeongja Horan” war with the Manchurian troops, which we can find from the Joseon people’s own records such as the Royal edict of “Boycotting peace negotiations,” and memories of the “Three scholar-officials.”BR This royal edict, issued in March of the 14SUPth/SUP year of king Injo’s reign(1636), was in fact not an elucidation that the Joseon government would sever all diplomatic relationships with Hu-Geum, nor a declaration of an impending retaliatory strike against it. It was an order clarifying why the Joseon government refused to receive the diplomatic communique from Hu-Guem, while also urging the society to prepare itself for a war, that may or may not break. BR Similarly misunderstood were the circumstances surrounding the Three scholar-officials. Considering the fact that they were handed over to the enemy by their own government, the atmosphere of honoring them should be understandable, but a blind commemoration of them, based upon a black or white perspective that usually lacks sufficient appreciation of all the nuances and subtle details, will not only lead us to microscopic distortion of facts, but also lead us away from an objective and comprehensive review of the war itself.BR The history of the time should be reviewed with all the exaggerations and distortions filtered out, and examined with the Joseon society’s own internal situations in mind. Only by doing so the 500 years worth of peace and warfare of Joseon could be objectively reviewed and appropriately analyzed.