Criticism of Jeong Yak-yong’s Perception of Territory

Jeong Yak-yong wrote two “Japan Theory” 『日本論』 which argued that there was no need to worry about Japanese invasion, but the fact that these arguments were nothing more than armchair theories is evidenced by the results of Japan’s invasion and subjugation that occurred about 40 years after his death. In “Liaodong Theory” 『遼東論』, Jeong Yak-yong also wrote that “it is fortunate that Liaodong was not restored”, and that “if Liaodong were occupied by a country that does not respect military force, the harm would be great.” Jeong Yak-yong’s view of Liaodong seemed to have been specified in his work, “Abanggangyeokgo” 『我邦疆域考』. Although it is clearly recorded in the official history “History of Goryeo” 『高麗史』 that after the fall of Balhae, Crown Prince Dae Gwanghyeon crossed over to Goryeo with tens of thousands of households, Jeong Yak-yong expressed the opinion without providing any evidence that Dae Gwanghyeon may not had been the Crown Prince of Balhae. In addition, according to Chinese historical books such as “History of Ming” 『明史』, there is considerable evidence that in the issue of Cheolyeongwi, which was the subject of the conflict at the end of Goryeo, Cheolyeong referred not to Cheolyeong in Gangwon-do but Cheolyeong in Liaodong, and that the border at that time was also Liaodong. Nevertheless, Jeong Yak-yong insisted that Cheolyeong at that time referred to Cheolyeong in Gangwon-do.