姜瑋의 燕行과 對中國 認識의 변화 (Gang-wi(姜瑋)’s Traveling in Peking and Change in Perception of China)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 고려대학교 아세아문제연구원
· 수록지 정보 : 아세아연구 / 60권 / 4호 / 7 ~ 38페이지
· 저자명 : 이헌주

초록

본 논문에서는 강위가 남긴 연행록을 통해 그의 대중국 인식을 밝혀보고자 하였다. 「북유일기」에는 그가 북학적 전통을 계승하여 개방적 대청인식을 하였음이 잘 드러난다. 그는 청의 발전상을 편견 없이 인정했을 뿐 아니라 대명의리론이나 북벌대의론에서 벗어나 자유로웠다. 병자호란의 치욕을 연상하게 하는 청석령, 심양 등 기억의 장소를 지나면서도 호란을 떠올리는 시문조차도 짓지 않았다. 이는 실현 가능성도 없는 북벌이나 소중화의식보다는 청국과의 현실적인 사대관계를 더 중시한 그의 인식이 반영된 결과였는데, 북학자들의 대외인식보다 한층 더 진전된 것으로 서양에 대해서까지 확대될 여지가 있었다. 「북유담초」･「북유속담초」는 북경에서 만난 사람과의 필담을 정리한 것이다. 강위는 이때 얻은 정보를 통해 중국의 위상에 대해 재인식하게 되었다. 그가 목격하고 필담으로 확인한 중국의 모습은 종래의 대국적 면모와는 큰 괴리가 있었다. 중국의 힘은 서양 열강의 침략은 물론 일본의 대만침략에조차 강력히 대응하지 못할 정도로 보잘것없었다. 이러한 상황에서 조선이 외침을 받을 경우 중국이 별 도움을 줄 수 없음은 너무도 자명한 일이었다. 그가 연행 과정에서 확인한 조선의 상황은 고립무원으로 강력한 적들에 둘러싸여 그야말로 풍전등화와 같은 위태로운 형국이었던 것이다. 그는 조선이 살아남는 길은 승산 없는 전쟁이 아니라 외교적 해결에 있다고 믿게 되었고, 2차 연행에서 돌아온 직후부터 공공연히 합종연횡을 말하였다. 그는 1876년 대일수교 교섭 과정에 참여하여 평화적인 조약 체결을 위해 노력하게 되었다.

영어초록

Gang-wi(姜瑋) was one of the representative poets in the time of enlightenment and also a pioneering intellect succeeding to Silhak(實學) as Kim Jeong-hui’s disciple and developing it into the idea of enlightenment. Although he adhered to theory of naval defense right before Byeonginyangyo (丙寅洋擾), going through Byeongin･Sinmiyangyo and traveling in Peking twice, he changed to a theorist of opening ports. His experience of traveling in Peking influenced him becoming a theorist of naval defense from that of opening ports crucially. The purpose of this study is to focus on the records of traveling in Peking(燕行錄) that Gang-wi left such as 「Bukyuilgi(北游日記)」, 「Bukyudamcho(北游談草)」, and 「Bukyusokdamcho(北游續談草)」 and understand his perception of foreign lands, particularly China.
From the 18th century, Bukhak(北學) became very popular in Chosun society centering around the academic circles of Gyeonghwa. Due to the influence his master, Kim Jeong-hui(金正喜), Gang-wi was very open about Qing.
「Bukyuilgi」 contains what he felt and thought during his journey to Peking mainly. From it, we can see that he was very open about Qing as an extension of Bukhak tradition. He not only accepted the aspects of development in Qing just as it was without any prejudice but also was completely freed from either Daemyeong Euiri Discourse based on justification or Bukbeol Daeui Discourse of Boksuseolchi. In his traveling in Peking, even when he passed the places of memory reminding him of the humiliation from Byeongjahoran like Cheongseokryeong(靑石嶺) or Simyang(瀋陽), he did not look back on the time of Horan and write any poem for it. This may have reflected his idea that practical Sadae relations with Qing would be more important rather than fictional Bukbeol having no possibility of realization or the perception of Sojunghwa(小中華意識) that was just specious. Such opened attitude of his was even more advanced than Bukhakja’s previous perception of foreign lands, and there was also possibility that it could be extended to Westerners and Western civilization as well.
「Bukyudamcho」 and 「Bukyusokdamcho」 are the summary of his written conversation with those he met in Peking. Information from the written conversation does not define Gang-wi’s perception of China just as it is; however, information he acquired then did let Gang-wi reconsider the status of China. There is a big gap between the aspects of China that Gang-wi did witness in person and found out through conversation by writing and the previously known aspects of it as a grand land. China’s power was so weak that it could not even react to the invasion of Western powers or even Japan’s invasion into Taiwan properly. In that situation, it was so obvious that China could not be any aid for Chosun when it was attacked by another country. In his traveling in Peking, he learned that Chosun was in such a risky situation like a candle before the wind as being surrounded by powerful enemies all alone.
In that condition, he believed that the only way to let Chosun survive would not be in a hopeless war but find diplomatic solutions by opening the door. Right after coming back from his second traveling in Peking, he mentioned Hapjongyeonhoeng(合從連衡) so openly with no regard to the eyes around. Also, in the process of having negotiations for diplomatic relations between Chosun and Japan in 1876, he joined and made efforts to conclude treaties peacefully.

참고자료

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