朝鮮後期의 鄕村防衛實情과 民堡論 (The State of the Rural Defense and Public Defense Discussion(Min Bo Ron) in the Late Chosŏn)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 역사교육연구회
· 수록지 정보 : 역사교육 / 114호 / 325 ~ 393페이지
· 저자명 : 하명준

초록

조선후기는 양란 후의 대내외적 혼란을 수습하는 것을 과제로 하고 있었다. 이른바 國家再造의 問題였다. 이에 정부는 사회·경제적 발전을 촉진시켜 국가적 역량을 제고하기 위한 방안을 강구하였다. 군사 전반에 대한 조정도 뒤따르지 않을 수 없었다. 그것은 중앙군의 戰力을 더욱 증강시키는 방향으로 추진되었다. 17세기 후반 五軍營體制의 확립은 그러한 노력의 소산이었다. 하지만 중앙위주의 군사정책은 상대적으로 지방군의 허소화를 초래하는 배경이 되었다. 지방군은 국방의 일선에 위치하여 外敵을 방어함과 동시에 內亂을 진압하고 향촌민을 통제하는 역할을 담당하였으므로, 지방군의 기능 저하는 향촌방위를 위태롭게 만드는 중대 사안이 아닐 수 없었다. 이는 국가의 존립과 보전에도 직결되는 사항이었다.
그런데 조선후기 지방군의 허소화는 단순히 군사부면에 국한된 문제가 아니었다. 즉 신분제와 부세제도가 밀접하게 연관되어 있었던 것이다. 사태 해결의 복잡성은 여기에 있었다. 당시의 官人·儒者들은 지방군의 허약을 국가의 총체적인 위기로 간주하면서 이를 수습·타개하기 위한 방안이 절실하다는 점에서는 대체로 인식을 같이하였다. 그러나 문제를 해결하고 실천하는 측면에 있어서는 논자의 당색이나 신분적 처지에 따라 차이가 있었다. 또한, 지방군의 역할과 상관되는 民亂의 진행 정도나 대외관계의 안정 여부에 의해서도 그 대책의 범위와 강도는 달라질 수 있었다. 따라서 지방군의 약화 문제를 처리·극복하기 위해 제시된 政論家들의 鄕村防衛策을 검토하면 전통 국방사상에 대한 계통적·단계적 이해의 폭과 깊이를 더하고 아울러 그것을 배태한 朝鮮後期의 歷史像을 계기적·종합적으로 파악하게 하는 단서를 마련할 수 있을 것으로 기대한다.
이와 같은 鄕村防衛策에서 특히 주목되는 것은 茶山 丁若鏞이 제시한 民堡論이다. 다산은 19세기 초반 통신사 교섭이 난항을 겪는 것을 일본 침략의 前兆로 간파하고 그 대비책으로 자신의 鄕村自衛論이 집약된『民堡議』를 저술하였다. 이 저작은 在來의 향촌방위책을 정리·소화하고 당대의 군사역량 및 향촌사회의 동향을 고려하는 가운데 案出된 것이었다. 이후 다산의 민보론은 19세기 중반 제국주의 열강의 침략이 본격화되는 시기에 공식적인 국가 비변책으로 채택되었으며, 韓末에 이르기까지 영향력을 발휘하였다. 이런 까닭에 다산의 민보론을 중심으로 그 전후의 향촌방위책을 살펴보게 되면 앞서 언급한 所期의 성과를 어느 정도 거둘 수 있을 것으로 여겨진다.
그간 다산의 민보론에 관한 연구는『민보의』의 작성 배경, 내용, 의미, 영향, 성격에 대해 전반적인 사항을 설명하고, 거기에 더하여 귀중한 견해와 시사를 제공해 주었다. 이제는『민보의』가 제출되고 국가적으로 그 적용이 강구될 수 있었던 제반 요인을 조선후기의 군사정책과 향촌방위책, 사회적 동향, 거시적인 역사 전개 양상과 결부시켜 체계적으로 파악하고, 그 속에서『민보의』의 시대적 의미를 摘出하는 것이 과제이다. 이에 대해 本稿에서는 다음과 같은 구성을 통해서 다산의 민보론을 보다 면밀하게 검토하고자 한다. 첫째, 중앙위주의 군사정책 등으로 인한 지방군의 허소화 실태를 진단하고, 이러한 문제를 해소하기 위하여 향촌자위책이 요청되는 사정 및 그 대책의 내용을 계통에 입각해서 밝힐 것이다. 둘째, 19세기적인 內憂와 外患의 상황에서 재래하는 향촌방위책을 집성하여 정립된 민보론의 목표 및 기반, 골격과 승계 사정을 구명하고자 한다.

영어초록

This article discusses the state of the rural defense in the late Chosŏn, problem and its various tasks, then investigates the usage of Dasan’s Min Bo Ron as the official National Defense system.
Chosŏn’s military system was traditionally carried out with a focus on the Central Guard. The reason for this was that state desired establishment of a Centralized system by a strong Central Guard. This policy was fixed by the completion of the Five Military Corps in the late 17th century. But, the policy brought about the weakening of the Local Military Forces. Due to the aggravation of the National finance, the purpose of the Military Service System was preferred for the reason of taxation rather than for the reason of the national defense. Also, as threats from outside decreased, concerns about Local Military Forces became less important. Moreover, Military Posts system was initially made to look after training of Sog’o militia. However, it often resulted in confusion of the Military Command system and brought about several ill-effects both to the military and the people. Measures for the rural defense were urgently desired in situations where Sog’o militia and Military Posts system caused a nuisance to the people and lost its military function.
Under these circumstances, two opposing issues on the Rural Defense Policy were raised. The first was argued by the government officials called the “No-ron”. They regarded the weakness of the Local Military Forces was caused by mismanagement of the Military System. They also argued that problems in the management should be corrected and improved or to reinforce the Rural Defense by training the Local Government Officials(Suryong)’s Personal Guard. These arguments had limits because it was not based on the desire of the land reform by farmers’ Principles of Farmer-soldier Service(byeongnongilchi). The second was argued by Confucians called the “Nam-in” in the opposition. They found the cause to be the lack of a basic reward system. Therefore, they wanted to make an attempt to reform the Military System which was based on the farmers’ land ownership. In addition, they wanted to defend the rural areas by combining the Local Organization and the Military Organization. These arguments also had some limitations in that it is not able to remove a social status of a noble family. The above mentioned arguments remained as problems of the Rural Defense Policy. Also, the Rural Defense Policy in the 18th century was very general and superficial because it was formed while the state of the foreign affairs was steady. Moreover, this policy considered Cheong to be more of a military threat than Japan.
However, in the late 18th century Japan’s hostility toward Chosŏn was becoming bad to worse. As the western influence began to strengthen, Japan put forward the idea that the invasion of Chosŏn was necessary in order to protect themselve. In reality, the Friendly-neighbor Policy between Chosŏn and Japan had already come to an end at the time. So, Chosŏn had to make sure to set up a solid defensive measures from an attack from Japan. However, Se-do Government in the 19th century was abandoning such responsibilities. Defense against Japan’s attack was becoming a problem at the time.
In the face of these difficult military problems, Dasan Jeong Yak-Yong put forward a solution in the『Minboŭi』in his book which the Rural Defense Discussion was intensely included. Through the management of Public Defense(Min Bo), he desired to preserve the life of people and property. Also, he wanted to defend the country by cooperating with the government forces as well as to stabilizing the existing Local society. This Dasan’s Public Defense Discussion(Min Bo Ron) standed on the confidence about the people in that it is based on the people’s arm that put under taboo. In addition, the style of electing people by ability, managing an organization by unbiased view can predict that Public Defense and is consists of a rational and democratic organization. The total capacity of the Public Defense may be multiplied by duty assignment and a part assignment of specialization. Then Principles of Farmer-soldier Service’s community life except privilege of a social position can increase production, military activity’s efficiency and strengthen a Public Defense’s unity. Above all, this was a proper plan to reduce finances burden and can be policy to stop insurrection of the people. The realistic organizational basis for the Public Defense System may have been active using local self-government structure like a Hyangyak or Lin-Bo organization.
On the other hand, Dasan’s Public Defense Discussion(Min Bo Ron) needed the armourment of people. It required the removal of statesmen’s distrust and deliver their decisions. However, as the first half of the 19th century was Se-do Government period, the statesmen didn’t permit Public Defense Discussion(Min Bo Ron) that can break up military power and didn’t have a will to elect the Public Self-Defense System either. But, as Dasan’s Public Defense Discussion(Min Bo Ron) was still considered useful, his ideology was continually developed towards the direction of increasing the use of firearms appropriately.
Since the 1860’s, as the western influence was realized, the Public Defense Discussion(Min Bo Ron) was attracting much attention in the royal court. Sin-Heon the follower of Dasan also received strong trust from Taewongun at the same time, claimed the Public Defense’s operation. As a result, the Public Defense Discussion(Min Bo Ron) was implemented to be the Nation’s Official Defense policy in 1867(Year 4 of Go-Jong). But, in spite of Taewongun and Public Defense claimant’s effort, the nationwide practice of the Public Self-Defense System failed. The reason was that the critics of the Public Defense establishment obstructed an overall practice because they thought that the Public Defense brings out a social unrest and become the reason for the collapse of local society. However, at the end of the 19th century, as Chosŏn government needed the establishment of the Public Defense system. Efforts for nationwide practice was being continued. Moreover, as this period was a point of time when the most systematic and massive peasant uprising was prepared, it was felt that local defense was essential more than at any time.
This Public Defense Discussion(Min Bo Ron) may have been an aid in the search of the Gabo Reforms’ period, the end of the Korean Empire military system reforms and the establishment of independent Modern State establishment. As a result, since the discussion of the of Public Defense Discussion(Min Bo Ron) in the 19th century, the power of the military became an origin which promoted the Righteous Troops Activity and the Revolutionary War under the Japanese regime.

참고자료

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