At a time when Korea and Japan’s relationship is turning sour, Korean viewers find themselves captivated by “Jingbirok,” a TV show that portrays Korean Adm. Yi Sun-shin’s sinking of the Japanese naval fleet during the invasion of Korea in 1592. 

Critics point out that some battle scenes are overinflated, exaggerating the enemies’ casualties while reducing our own. Nevertheless, the historical drama succeeded in providing a sort of catharsis to the Korean people whose wounded pride needed to be soothed after the inconsiderate remarks made by extreme right-wing politicians in Japan, who insolently deny responsibility for the Japanese colonization of Korea in the early 20th century.

However, it would be a mistake if the viewers watching the show simply applauded the Japanese navy’s defeat at the hands of Adm. Lee. In fact, they should lament the incompetence of the 16th century Korean politicians that led to a devastating war that could have been avoided.

In fact, “Jingbirok” was written right after the war by Prime Minister Yu Song-nyong in order to inspire the Korean people to reflect on the war and prevent similar disasters from happening in the future. Instead of applauding the scenes of victory on the TV show, we need to delve into what went wrong and why such a tragic war was not prevented.

The English title of “Jingbirok” is “The Book of Corrections: Reflections on the National Crisis during the Japanese invasion of Korea, 1592-1598.” In this monumental book, Yu denounced the government for its factional brawls between the Dong-in (Easterners) and the Seo-in (Westerners) in times of national crisis. In 1591, the Dong-in further splintered into the Nam-in (Southerners) and the Buk-in (Northerners) factions. As a result, the nation was thrown into turmoil, even as it faced an imminent war.

He lamented that although war was at their doorstep, Korean politicians did nothing but quarrel and antagonize each other. In 1591, King Seonjo dispatched two envoys to Japan to observe the situation there.

The two envoys witnessed Japan preparing for war. When one envoy who belonged to the Seo-in reported that Japanese invasion was just around the corner, the other who belonged to the Dong-in faction refuted the report simply in order to crush his political foe. National security was offered up as a sacrifice at the altar of political gain.

Yu also pointed out that while war was imminent, Korean politicians’ primary concern was China’s reaction to Korea’s friendly gesture to Japan. In other words, the Korean Cabinet was more worried about China being displeased with Korea having a friendly relationship with Japan, even in times of national crisis. Due to their incompetence, timidity and incredibly myopic vision, Korean politicians lost the chance to avoid war with Japan, whose army devastated the Korean Peninsula for seven long years.

Interestingly, experts point out that Korea is now facing a similar situation, unwittingly caught in the crossfire between China, Japan and the United States. They point out that we still cast side glances at China, trying to gauge its expression, while trying to read America’s mind. And, once again, provocative Japan is in between.

Another book I came across recently was “Admonitions on Governing the People: Manual for All Administrators (Mongmin Simso)” written in 1821 by Chong Yak-yong, whose pen name was Dasan. In the book, Chong poignantly criticized the corruption of local government officials who easily manipulated the district magistrate. Chong argued that since local officials were not on the government’s payroll, they had to exploit ordinary people, appropriate taxes or take bribes in order to survive and flourish.

The author pointed out that an incoming magistrate may think he was the boss, but in reality, he was nothing but a temporary guest at a village inn where the local officials were the innkeepers ― the term for local magistrates was usually 2 years or less. He deplored the situation where local officials frequently laughed at the magistrate behind his back.

In his guidebook, Chong taught administrators how to govern better and how to control incompetent and corrupt local officials. For example, he wrote that a magistrate should ride his horse slowly and gallantly; if he rode too hastily, he might look frivolous, thereby losing respect. According to him, a magistrate should be an expert in his field, be honest, and never let his subordinates see his weakness because they would immediately try to play on it.

Sadly, those problems still seem to persist even today in some sectors of the government. When an inexperienced man is appointed as head of an institution, experienced senior officials try to control him. That is why I believe all newly appointed high-ranking government officials should read Chong’s manual to learn how to govern better. Reading the two books mentioned above will surely help us find the right direction for South Korea.

By Kim Seong-kon

Kim Seong-kon is a professor emeritus of English at Seoul National University and president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. ― Ed.