Throughout history, envoys typically traveled via safe routes over land for their diplomatic missions. However, due to the constraints of the era, such as blocked routes or when the destination was an island nation like Japan, they had no choice but to navigate the perilous paths of the sea. Envoys who undertook these risky maritime journeys often documented their experiences. Let us now explore some historical records related to these diplomatic missions, particularly focusing on our neighboring countries of China and Japan. We will begin by examining the documents related to missions to China.

The first document is "Daily Records of Joseon Envoys to Ming” by Lee Duk-hyung. This chronicle, written by Lee Duk-hyung, focuses on the major events that occurred during these maritime diplomatic missions. Lee Duk-hyung himself was an envoy who traveled to the Ming Dynasty between June and October 1624 for the investiture of King Injo.

During the Joseon Dynasty, most diplomatic missions to China traveled via land routes. However, the period when Lee Duk-hyung visited the Ming Dynasty coincided with the transition from the Ming to the Qing Dynasty. This era saw ‘Later Jin’ occupied the Liaodong region, temporarily closing the land routes and necessitating the use of sea routes for diplomatic travel.

Indeed, the fear of the sea was particularly heightened for Lee Duk-hyung and his delegation as they embarked on their maritime journey. This apprehension stemmed from the tragic events of 1620 and 1621, when all the envoys sent via sea routes either drowned or suffered a devastating shipwreck. A passage in the book reads, "A whirlwind suddenly arose, and mountainous waves reached the sky. Our ship was swept up by the waves, rising a hundred feet before plummeting down a thousand. There was nothing we could do but pray to the heavens." Vividly describing these fears, these words paint a stark picture of the life-threatening challenges and crises faced by the envoys on their sea voyages. They resorted to prayers, hoping for divine intervention to overcome the perilous conditions encountered at sea.

The text pertains to a significant historical document titled "Jukcheon Yi Gong Haengjeok.” It is currently recognized as one of the earliest known Korean-language records of diplomatic missions to date. The document holds immense value not only for the study of the Korean language but also for the history of maritime culture.

Next, let's look at some of the Korean diplomatic missions to Japan, known as 'Joseon Tongsinsa.' Geographically nearby, Japan has a long history of active exchanges with Korea. The Joseon Tongsinsa represents a significant aspect of these interactions during the Joseon Dynasty. Following the Imjin War, diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan had deteriorated. The Joseon Tongsinsa was established to restore these relations and to promote cultural exchanges between the two nations. A national delegation was subsequently sent from Korea to Japan for diplomatic and cultural missions.

The "Records of the Gyeongsang-gamyeong Provincial Office" are a compilation of various documents issued or received by the Gyeongsang Gamyeong(provincial government) from the late 18th to the early 19th centuries. These records include details of special products that the diplomatic envoys, known as Tongsinsa, were required to carry on their missions.

The "Painting of Joseon Envoys Procession" depicts the procession of a Tongsinsa mission. The Joseon Tongsinsa was a large-scale diplomatic delegation, which typically included 400 to 500 members, including official positions such as regular, vice, and assistant envoys, and support staff like artists, physicians, interpreters, and horsemen. They traveled to Japan aboard multiple ships.

“The Joseon Tongsinsa ship” displayed on the right is a model of an actual vessel used during the last Joseon Dynasty diplomatic mission to Japan in 1811. This model, recreated at half the original size, is based on actual drawings and descriptions of the ships used by the Tongsinsa. Opposite the Tongsinsa ship model is a video installation titled "Painting of Joseon Envoys Sea Route from Japan to Joseon." This work reconstructs the Tongsinsa delegation's return journey from Edo(now Tokyo) in Japan to Busan in Korea. It features a red line, marking the sea route taken by the ship, along with information about major Japanese cities, temples, and scenic spots they encountered en route.

This concludes our tour of the first areas of the exhibition, the Maritime hall, where we explored Our Sea in Records.