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영어

At the initial stage of Hideyoshi’s Invasion of Korea (Imjin Waeran), Joseon was defeated by Japan in every battle, and Seoul was delivered to Japan only 20 days after the invasion. It is said that Joseon engaged in party strife and enjoyed a peaceful reign, so it was not possible to prepare for the invasion of Japan. But regarding its backgrounds, the followings are considered. First, small wars were occurring in northeastern areas in the 1580s and therefore Joseon was already in quasi-war. The 1583 January rebellion by Nitangeu from Yeojin against the Joseon government lasted until July, so Joseon was not peaceful and tranquil at all, which cannot make a full defensive preparation toward Japan. Second, there was a strategic mistake. That is, Joseon designated the whole areas of the southern coast as the virtual war zone, in particular, reinforced the security on the coastal areas of Jeolla province, because Joseon expected that the riots (similar with riots which happened in the year Ulmyo) would be happened again by Japan. Also, Joseon held fast its opinion on ‘Jeseungbangryak (military defensive system)’, because Joseon did not expect the invasion of the regular army by Hideyoshi. Third, the Ming dynasty doubted that Joseon connected to Japan, based on information from Okinawa 2 years before Hideyoshi’s invasion, and Joseon tried to explain that it is wrong, which does not concentrate on invasion of Japan. Fourth, at that time, the Japanese army was the most elite group in the world. Meanwhile, when reviewing the other data except for ‘the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty’, regarding the conditions in Gyeongsang Province at the initial stage of Hideyoshi’s invasion, it is shown that there are new and positive facts. For instance, Joseon made all efforts to deliver promptly information on invasion of Japanto the central areas or the neighboring regions, or Joseon tried to respond to the invasion by sending the armies of 13 towns in Gyeongsang Province. Therefore, if the officer or commander took the initiative in responding to the invasion, the initial development would be different. It is expected that Joseon secured huge military forces and provisions in the northeast regions until the eve of the Hideyoshi’s invasion. But, the regions did not play their role in defending the nation at the initial stage of invasion. Rather, two princes were sent to the Japanese general Kato-Kiyomasa. It is estimated that securing the military forces and provisions facilitated exploitation by the local officers and commander toward the general public, and when the invasion happened, the local people expressed hostility. However, righteous armies by Moon-Boo Jung started to turn the tide of the war.