Yu Deuk-gong, Joseon Diplomat and History Expert
조선의 역사 전문 외교관, 유득공
May 27, 1790, the Joseon diplomatic delegation begins their trip the Qing capital, Beijing.
The Joseon kingdom’s diplomatic delegation is ordered to arrive in Yeolha [Chengde] before July 10 and attend the banquet.
An official letter arrives from the Qing Empire on June 21, crossing the Yalu River on its way. Initially, the delegation was to attend a banquet in Beijing on August 13. However, foreign delegations from all over, including Joseon, were invited to celebrate Emperor Qianlong’s birthday in Chengde.
This event would result in a change to the official parade route. The delegation would separate in Shenyang. Their bulky luggage would take the main roads to Beijing while the diplomats headed to Chengde with a few items. The Joseon delegation had never taken this route before.
Among the group was Yu Deuk-gong, a Silhak scholar. He wrote about this trip in the work, “Yeolhagihaengsiju.“ Because this was their country’s first time on this road, he wrote a guide for those who might make this trip in the future. Yu had visited the Qing Empire before. His first diplomatic trip took him through Liaodong. The trip sparked an interest in the Balhae Kingdom, prompting him to write the book “Balhaego.“
Yu believed Balhae was established by the Goguryeo people on Goguryeo land, and that it and the Silla Kingdom should be considered the history of the northern and southern regions of Korea. He wrote “Balhaego“ because he believed leaving out the history of Balhae was like taking away half of his people’s history. Yu Deuk-gong visited the Qing Empire three times. These trips were a tremendous help to his historical writing. His second trip to Qing was in 1790. He left this opinion about the delegation’s duties.
He said, “Good job! A look at the state of other countries,“ This is the duty of an envoy. (...) As one looks to deceive the other, we must be able to distinguish between truths and lies.
He lamented that, although delegation members must faithfully perform their duties regardless of rank, some seemed irresponsible or selfish. Yu was also interested in foreign languages as he believed listening and watching everything on the parade route was a reason for these trips and a way of gathering intel. As a diplomat, he didn’t just travel between the two countries but also sought ways to help his country.
He left many notes about this. He wrote his thoughts of the kings and diplomats he met in Chengde, which helped him infer regional tensions and power dynamics. He also carefully discovered who the most influential subjects of the Qing empire were in Beijing. This would be the precursor to modern espionage. Yu’s Chinese skills proved useful in this area.
Later, when he reaches Fancheng Fortress at the last stage of his return to Joseon, his knowledge of history makes yet another appearance. Yu believed the Khitan people could cross the Yalu and invade the Goryeo Kingdom because the two nations used the river as a boundary. If Goryeo had taken control of Fancheng Fortress, that attack never would have happened. This led Yu to see Fancheng Fortress as an entrance to the country.
In “Balhaego,“ he states that the Goguryeo Kingdom was the foundation of the Korean nation, and Goguryeo and the Balhae Kingdom are one country. When the great Jin Dynasty fell, Yu felt Goryeo could acquire the land west of the Yalu. It is a shame Goryeo land was divided at the river.
Although all was quiet in Liaodong at the time, the Xing dynasty had not forgotten the attention given to Fancheng Fortress and the fortress near the Juliuhe River. Even in private, Yu showed interest in foreign affairs. In the work “Goeundangpilgi,” he left his thoughts about not only Xing, Mongolia, and Japan but also the Ryukyu Kingdom (present-day Okinawa), Russia, the Netherlands, England, and more.
Yu traveled to China again on the order of King Jeongjo to find good wood-block copies of works by Zhu Xi. However, he was unsuccessful as Neo-Confucian texts were not in circulation in the Qing empire.
40 years later, Qing lost the war with Great Britain. This would spark the Qing’s diplomatic relationship with the West. This would lead to an unpredictable future for the Joseon Kingdom.
With this big world home to so many nations, there is a stark difference between countries that actively engage with one other and countries that maintain the status quo in blissful ignorance. What did Yu Deung-geuk foresee for Joseon’s future when he crossed the border and saw the world outside?
The Joseon kingdom’s diplomatic delegation is ordered to arrive in Yeolha [Chengde] before July 10 and attend the banquet.
An official letter arrives from the Qing Empire on June 21, crossing the Yalu River on its way. Initially, the delegation was to attend a banquet in Beijing on August 13. However, foreign delegations from all over, including Joseon, were invited to celebrate Emperor Qianlong’s birthday in Chengde.
This event would result in a change to the official parade route. The delegation would separate in Shenyang. Their bulky luggage would take the main roads to Beijing while the diplomats headed to Chengde with a few items. The Joseon delegation had never taken this route before.
Among the group was Yu Deuk-gong, a Silhak scholar. He wrote about this trip in the work, “Yeolhagihaengsiju.“ Because this was their country’s first time on this road, he wrote a guide for those who might make this trip in the future. Yu had visited the Qing Empire before. His first diplomatic trip took him through Liaodong. The trip sparked an interest in the Balhae Kingdom, prompting him to write the book “Balhaego.“
Yu believed Balhae was established by the Goguryeo people on Goguryeo land, and that it and the Silla Kingdom should be considered the history of the northern and southern regions of Korea. He wrote “Balhaego“ because he believed leaving out the history of Balhae was like taking away half of his people’s history. Yu Deuk-gong visited the Qing Empire three times. These trips were a tremendous help to his historical writing. His second trip to Qing was in 1790. He left this opinion about the delegation’s duties.
He said, “Good job! A look at the state of other countries,“ This is the duty of an envoy. (...) As one looks to deceive the other, we must be able to distinguish between truths and lies.
He lamented that, although delegation members must faithfully perform their duties regardless of rank, some seemed irresponsible or selfish. Yu was also interested in foreign languages as he believed listening and watching everything on the parade route was a reason for these trips and a way of gathering intel. As a diplomat, he didn’t just travel between the two countries but also sought ways to help his country.
He left many notes about this. He wrote his thoughts of the kings and diplomats he met in Chengde, which helped him infer regional tensions and power dynamics. He also carefully discovered who the most influential subjects of the Qing empire were in Beijing. This would be the precursor to modern espionage. Yu’s Chinese skills proved useful in this area.
Later, when he reaches Fancheng Fortress at the last stage of his return to Joseon, his knowledge of history makes yet another appearance. Yu believed the Khitan people could cross the Yalu and invade the Goryeo Kingdom because the two nations used the river as a boundary. If Goryeo had taken control of Fancheng Fortress, that attack never would have happened. This led Yu to see Fancheng Fortress as an entrance to the country.
In “Balhaego,“ he states that the Goguryeo Kingdom was the foundation of the Korean nation, and Goguryeo and the Balhae Kingdom are one country. When the great Jin Dynasty fell, Yu felt Goryeo could acquire the land west of the Yalu. It is a shame Goryeo land was divided at the river.
Although all was quiet in Liaodong at the time, the Xing dynasty had not forgotten the attention given to Fancheng Fortress and the fortress near the Juliuhe River. Even in private, Yu showed interest in foreign affairs. In the work “Goeundangpilgi,” he left his thoughts about not only Xing, Mongolia, and Japan but also the Ryukyu Kingdom (present-day Okinawa), Russia, the Netherlands, England, and more.
Yu traveled to China again on the order of King Jeongjo to find good wood-block copies of works by Zhu Xi. However, he was unsuccessful as Neo-Confucian texts were not in circulation in the Qing empire.
40 years later, Qing lost the war with Great Britain. This would spark the Qing’s diplomatic relationship with the West. This would lead to an unpredictable future for the Joseon Kingdom.
With this big world home to so many nations, there is a stark difference between countries that actively engage with one other and countries that maintain the status quo in blissful ignorance. What did Yu Deung-geuk foresee for Joseon’s future when he crossed the border and saw the world outside?
