An Yong-bok

An Yong-bok
Hangul 안용복
Hanja 安龍福
Revised Romanization An Yong-bok
McCune–Reischauer An Yong-pok

An Yong-bok (fl. 1692 - 1697) was a Korean oarsman in 17th century Joseon Dynasty who became known for his travels to Japan during which his activities were instrumental in determining fishery rights in the waters of two islands in the Sea of Japan (East sea): Ulleung Island and Dokdo.

Capture and activities in Japan

The An Yong-bok incident occurred in the spring of 1693 about 40 Korean fishermen from Busan and Ulsan clashed with the Otani and Murakawa fishermen at Ulleung-do. An Yong-bok, and Pak Eo-dun, (박어둔) were captured and taken to the Yonago in the Tottri clan (modern-day Yonago city and Tottori Prefecture).

An was detained at Otani's house in Yonago for two months, and investigated by the Tottori clan. The shogunate ordered to send them to the Nagasaki magistrate place, and to send them to Tsushima clan in addition. An was held hostage by the lord of Tsushima clan (So Yoshitsugu) again. When An was repatriated to Korea, the Tokugawa Shogunate demanded the prohibition of Koreans going to Ulleung-do.[1] This led to diplomatic friction between Japan and Korea.

After An was repatriated to Korea, he testified that "the Kanpaku (Imperial regent) of the Tokugawa Shogunate made a note that confirmed Ulleungdo as Korean territory and I was in possession of the note until I was seized en route to Korea by the lord of Nagasaki, where it was confiscated and I was held on the grounds of trespassing onto Japanese territory."

Korean scholars allege as a fact this testimony;[2] Japanese scholars, however, insist that this testimony is An's claim, because he did not go to Edo where the Shogunate lived, and the Shogunate demanded Koreans prohibited from going to Ulleung-do.[3][4]

As result of diplomatic negotiation, senior statesmens of shogunate issued the following instructions to the load of Tsuhima clan in January 1696 (translated into English):

  1. Ulleungdo(Takeshima) is about 160-ri (640 km) from Oki but only about 40-ri (160 km) from Korea; therefore, it can be considered that Japanese Takeshima is same island as Korean Ulleungdo.[5]
  2. Japanese are forbidden henceforth to make passage to Takeshima for the Japan-Korea friendship because the island is useless.[6]
  3. The lord of Tsushima should communicate this to Korea.

Though Tottori clan reported to the shogunate that Takeshima does not belong to Inaba state (因幡) nor Hoki state (伯耆). There are no other islands belonging to the two states including Takeshima (Ulleungdo) and Matsushima (Liancourt Rocks),[7] the shogunate did not order a prohibition of Japanese going to Matsuhima (Liancourt Rocks). In the diplomatic negotiation between Japan (Tsushima clan) and the Chosun government, they never discussed the Liancourt Rocks.

In 1696, Ahn visited Japan again. According to a Japanese record found in May 2005, the Bafuku is the investigation on Anyongbok who arrived in Hokishu in May 1696 via the Oki Islands. The document has a total of 15 pages. The fifth page records Anyongbok's statement that Jasando (Usando) is Matsushima (松島) The last page records the eight provinces of Korea. The document specifically states that Takeshima (竹島 Ulleungdo) and Matsushima (松島 Liancourt Rocks) are part of Gangwan Province (江原道).[8]

The principal retainer of the shogunate directed the Tottori clan to send him away because only the Tsushima clan has the right about diplomacy with Joseon.[9] According to the Sukjong Sillok, Ahn testified as follows after he had banished from Tottori clan and returned to Joseon.

I sailed to Ulleung-do and the Usando again with the company of sixteen fishermen, disguised as a naval officer, and clashed again with the Japanese at Ulleung-do. The Japanese said they were living on Matsushima and strayed onto Takeshima (Ullungdo) while fishing and would return. I fulminated at this, demanding to know why the Japanese were living on a Korean island. When I was arriving in Japan, I said to the lord of the Tottori clan that "though it was confiscated by the Tsushima clan, I got the Tokugawa Shogunate's edict that the both islands were Korean possessions before visit.　When I said that I will appeal for this to the Kanpaku, the lord of Tsushima clan came to Tottori and he entreated me to stop it.
—Ahn[10][11]

The Joseon government answered the Tsushima clan about the An Yong-bok incident by oral as follows.

Joseon government told Japan not to admit Ahn's activity in Japan with an official document in March, 1698:

It was a good thing, Your country is forced the ban Japanese fishing there.... His(Ahn's) petition is guilty of the lie.(Ahn did not authorized to work for government official) Therefore, he was imprisoned.
—Joseon government[12][13]

Joseon government did not accused him of Liancourt Rocks matter. Ahn accused of false personation. He represented himself to be a government official.[14]

Notes and references

  1. ^ [?馬藩政史料　（?元表書札方）?日記　元?六年六月三日?] "向後?不?候?二堅堅朝鮮表江被仰遣候?二御?元江被申越候?二と相模守申付候"
  2. ^ See Japanese government reconfirms Dokdo and Uleungdo as Korean territories at the end of 17th century on the Cyber Dokdo site.
  3. ^ See 鳥取藩政資料からみた竹島問題Shimane Prefectural Government, Accessed 24 July 2008
  4. ^ See Ahn Yong-bok's statement This is an image of the Japanese 1695 documents recording Ahn Yong-bok's statement. In this chart of Korea's eight provinces (highlighted in blue) he declared Takeshima (竹島 Ulleungdo) and Matsushima (松島 Dokdo) as part of Korea's Gangwon Province.
  5. ^ (Japanese) "道程ノ儀相尋候ヘハ伯耆ヨリハ百六十里程有之 朝鮮ヘハ四十里程有之由ニ候 然ハ朝鮮國ノ蔚陵島ニテモ可有之候哉" See 公文??像. 明治十年三月 公文? ?務省之部一　日本海?竹島外一島地籍編纂方伺　一?. Archived 2009-10-25.
  6. ^ (Japanese) "?取ニ?リ候?ニテ無益島ニ候處此儀ムスホホレ年?ノ通交絶申候モ如何ニ候 御威光或ハ武威ヲ以テ申勝ニイタシ候テモ筋モナキ事申募リ候儀ハ不入事ニ候　竹島ノ儀元シカト不仕事ニ候 例年不?候" See 公文??像. 明治十年三月 公文? ?務省之部一　日本海?竹島外一島地籍編纂方伺　一?. Archived 2009-10-25.
  7. ^ Shimane Prefecture site on TakeshimaShimane Prefectural Government, Accessed 24 July 2008
  8. ^ This is an image of the Japanese 1695 documents recording Anyongbok's statement. In this chart of Korea,s eight provinces highlighted in blue) he declared Takeshima (竹島 Ulleungdo) and Matsushima (松島 Dokdo) as part of Korea's Gangwan Province (江�) (original URL (check page 26 image 13 of 23)), General facts of Dokdo, Accessed 24 July 2008
  9. ^ 老中より「朝鮮国通用之儀」は対馬以外では取り上げない「御大法」であるので、国外へ追い返すよう指示が伝えられ、朝鮮人、鳥取より退去。Shimane Prefectural Government, Accessed 24 July 2008
  10. ^ New Destroyer to Be Named `An Yong-bok', Korean Times, March 28, 2005.
  11. ^ Japan Twice Admitted Korean Sovereignty Over Dokdo, Digital Chosun Ilbo, March 4, 2005.
  12. ^ 竹島紀事５巻　"貴國下令 永不許 入往漁採 辭意丁寧 可保久遠 無他良幸良幸. 당신 나라가 명령을 내려 일본인으로 하여금 그곳에 가서 고기잡이하지 못하도록 영구히 금지한 것은 실로 다행스러운 일입니다. (It was a good thing, Your country is forced the ban Japanese fishing there.)" "若其呈書 誠有妄作之罪 故已施幽極之典(작년에 표류한 백성들이 (귀국의) 바닷가에 간 일은 배젓는 일을 업으로 하는 사람들이 홀연히 큰 바람을 만나 배가 뒤집힐 뻔해서 먼 바다로 불법 월경하여 귀국으로 흘러들어가는 데 이르렀던 것이니, 어찌 이로써 定約을 어기고 다른 길을 두었다고 의심을 펼 수 있겠습니까. 만약 그 呈書(上疏 奉呈)로 말할 것 같으면, 참으로 妄作의 罪가 있으므로 이미 幽極之典을 시행해서 징계했다고 생각하고 있습니다. 그리고 연해에는 칙령으로 禁令을 포고했습니다. (He did not authorized to work for government official) His petition is guilty of the lie. Therefore, he was imprisoned.)pp. 200-225(Japanese),Shimane Prefectural Government, Accessed 24 July 2008
  13. ^ 도쿠가와 막부장군의 竹島가 조선영토임을 재인정한 외교문서, 1697년 1월.(Korean), Dokdo Guardian, Accessed 24 July 2008, Accessed 24 July 2008
  14. ^ 則領敦寧尹趾完以爲 龍福私往他國 猥說國事(Ahn did not have right for government work, but he represented himself to be a government official) 知事申汝哲曰 龍福之事 雖極痛駭 國家所不能爲之事 渠能爲之 功過足以相掩 不可斷以一罪也.(even if he did false personation, Ahn worked for country's official affairs. his achievement exceeds his guilty), 1696년(丙子, 조선 숙종 22) page ?(Korean), Dokdo Museum, Accessed 24 July 2008

External links