이병도의 「이조(李朝) 초기(初期)의 유학(儒學)」(1930)과 조선 유학사 서술의 특징

강경현 한국사상사학회 2023 한국사상사학 Vol.- No.74

"Confucianism in the Early Joseon Dynasty," authored by Lee Byung-do and serialized in <The Dong-A Ilbo> in 1930, illuminates the early Joseon period as a fundamental cornerstone for understanding the history of Joseon Confucianism, providing essential viewpoints for approaching this subject matter. During this era, a pronounced cognizance existed concerning how to address Joseon's decline. Within this historical milieu, Joseon's Confucian history is depicted as an ongoing progression of ideological movements, societal critiques, and philosophical advancements. In contrast, "Confucianism in the Early Joseon Dynasty" redirects focus to Joseon's Confucian history, accentuating the establishment and operation of Joseon as a Confucian state. The text specifically spotlights distinguished figures Jung Do-jeon and Gwon Geun. Jung Do-jeon emerges as an incisive critic of Buddhism, grounded in Neo-Confucian literature, and Gwon Geun is portrayed as an individual who expresses his perceptions of the world and human nature through diagrams. Furthermore, the document meticulously explores the traits of Joseon Confucianism, influenced by the Confucian traditions of the Song and Yuan dynasties. The text accentuates the impact of diagrammatic literature from the Yuan dynasty's Confucianism, which catalyzed the growth of diagrammatic expression within Joseon's Confucian context. This instance reveals a critical moment when Joseon's Confucianism actively participated in the contemporary academic debates of that time, while also forging its unique trajectory. Ultimately, "Confucianism in the Early Joseon Dynasty" furnishes an additional perspective on the history of Joseon Confucianism, as proposed during the early 20th century in Korea.

조선 초기 지식인의 선비(鮮卑) 인식 고찰-『조선왕조실록』 기사를 중심으로-

강준영 한국몽골학회 2026 몽골학 Vol.- No.85

This study examines references to the Xianbei (鮮卑) and Xianbei-affiliated polities in the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty (Joseon Wangjo Sillok, 朝鮮王朝實錄) in order to analyze how early Joseon intellectuals understood Xianbei history and used it in discussions of state affairs. The study focuses on thirty-six relevant entries from the reign of Taejo (太祖) to that of Yeonsangun (燕山君). In this article, “perception of the Xianbei” does not refer only to ideas about the Xianbei as an ethnic group. It also includes the ways in which the historical experiences of Xianbei-affiliated polities, such as Former Yan (前燕), Northern Wei (北魏), and Northern Zhou (北周), as well as their figures, institutions, and policies, were received and used by early Joseon intellectuals. The ability of early Joseon intellectuals to refer to Xianbei-related cases was closely connected to the reception and circulation of Chinese historical texts, the reading of works such as the Zizhi tongjian (資治通鑑), and the institutional environment in which historical knowledge was treated as a resource for statecraft. In the Veritable Records, Xianbei-related cases were cited by various speakers, including kings, high officials, censorial officials (臺諫), government offices, and students of the Seonggyungwan. These cases were used in discussions of Buddhist policy, ritual and institutions, administration, personnel management, remonstrance, diplomacy, and political judgment. In contrast to references to the Xiongnu (匈奴) and the Göktürks (突厥), which tended to be invoked mainly in connection with military and frontier issues, Xianbei-related cases were repeatedly cited in debates concerning the internal order of Joseon governance. These patterns show that early Joseon perceptions of the Xianbei were not limited to a simple understanding of a foreign people. The Xianbei were recognized as a group of northern origin distinct from the Hua-Xia (華夏) cultural order, yet this distinction did not serve as the final criterion of evaluation. Early Joseon intellectuals interpreted cases concerning the Xianbei and Xianbei-affiliated polities in relation to political conduct, institutional operation, ritual practice, and bureaucratic ethics. Xianbei-related records therefore functioned not only as knowledge of an ancient northern people preserved in historical texts, but also as historical precedents supporting political and institutional judgment in early Joseon.

臺灣 知識人 魏淸德의 20世紀初 朝鮮 認識

우재호(禹在鎬) 동북아시아문화학회 2016 동북아 문화연구 Vol.1 No.47

Some perspectives of Chinese intellectuals on colonial Joseon are occasionally found in several travel records written in the early 20th century, whereas those of Taiwanese intellectuals on it are scarcely found. This paper intends to analyze the perspective of a Taiwanese intellectual Wei Qing-de on early 20C Joseon. Since Wei Qing-de is little known to Koreans, this paper intends to briefly look at his life in the first place, and then to review his travel routes in Joseon, the purpose of his travels, and Travels in Manchuria and Joseon and Collection of Poetry about Manchuria and Joseon, which are his writings descriptive of Joseon. Further, this paper intends to express Joseon’s scenery through his eye and his perspective on Joseon. Wei Qing-de travelled in Joseon as a newspaper reporter and wrote a significant amount of literary works about the situation in Joseon he saw and heard. While Wei Qing-de’s interest in Joseon ranged over so many subjects as to make even miscellaneous impressions, he refrained from expressing his personal feelings of Joseon and made a relatively large amount of descriptions of Joseon’s general situation. This paper, centered on Wei Qing-de’s literary works about Joseon, divides the perspective of a Taiwanese intellectual Wei Qing-de on early 20C Joseon largely into 4 categories such as the fall of the Joseon, the history of the Joseon, the geography and status of Joseon, and the scenery and people of Joseon. Wei Qing-de is a Taiwanese person who travelled around Joseon, Japan, Mainland China and Manchuria, and has left a significant amount of travel records that he wrote as a newspaper reporter. Such travel writings of Wei Qing-de will show the perspective on Northeast Asia that he had as a Taiwanese intellectual in the early 20th century.

안확의 조선미(朝鮮美) 탐구

이난수 한국유교학회 2018 유교사상문화연구 Vol.0 No.72

The purpose of this study is to explore how discourses on Korean beauty consciousness were produced in early modern times. To this end, this study analyzed Ahn Hwak's Joseon beauty and his artistic view which were at the center of this discourse for the discourses of Joseon‐Ness and Joseon beauty, which have been formed since the 1910s. First, this study explored Ahn Hwak's ‘Joseon' study, and his 'Joseon' study started from the subject's awareness of spiritual civilization rather than material civilization. He argued that the result of autonomous acts of individuals with reason is culture, and that spiritual civilization is developed based on this culture. Through his awareness, he sought to embody the unique nature of the nation, which can be described as the spirit of subject. This aspiration of his own historically goes to a place to re‐examine culture as a whole. In other words, his quest for 'Joseon‐Ness' was in establishing Joseon's cultural tradition and proving the uniqueness and universality of the nation. His study of culture revealed a series of processes such as formation, development and development of culture. Ahn Hwak recognized art as an indicator of the spiritual development of the nation. Thus, the essence of art is an expression of aesthetic emotion and at the same time it carries the uniqueness and cultural universality of the nation. For example, Ahn Hwak called the idea of ​​'Jong (倧)', the origin of Joseon literature, as uniqueness. He develops the history of literature based on the idea of ​​'Jong'. Historically, the form of transition and development of 'Jong' thought is accomplished through the function of co‐operation (協和), and the unique 'Jong' thought acquires universality through co‐operation. In art, the sketching aspect of prehistoricism becomes uniqueness, and as art history evolves, uniqueness acquires universality through fusion with foreign culture. Ahn Hwak's quest for beauty of Joseon as described above was a journey to discover the Joseon‐like. He unfolded Joseon's beauty around uniqueness and universality. His efforts of these can be seen as a testament to the Joseon‐like beauty by Joseon people. 본 연구는 근대시기 한국적 미의식에 관한 담론이 어떻게 생산되었는가를 살피는데 목적이 있다. 이를 위해 1910년대 이후로 형성된 조선적인 것과 조선미의 담론을 대상으로, 이러한 담론의 중심에 있었던 안확(安廓)의 조선 미와 예술관을 분석하였다. 우선 안확의 ‘조선’연구를 살펴보았는데, 그의 ‘조선’연구는 정신문명을 추구하는 주체의 자각에서부터 시작된다. 그는 이성을 지닌 개인의 자율적 행위의 결과가 문화이며, 이 문화를 토대로 정신문명이 발전된다고 주장하였다. 그는 자각을 통해 주체의 정신이라고 할 수 있는 민족의 고유한 본성을 구현하고자 하였다. 이러한 그의 열망은 역사적으로 문화 전반을 재조명하는 데에로 나아간다. 다시 말해 그의 ‘조선적인 것’의 탐구는 바로 조선의 문화적 전통을 확립하여 민족의 고유성과 보편성을 증명하는 것에 있었다. 그의 문화연구는 문화의 형성과 전개 그리고 발전 등의 일련의 과정을 기술하는 형태로 나타났다. 안확은 민족의 정신발달사를 드러내는 지표로서 예술을 인식하였다. 이에 따라 예술의 본질은 미적 감정의 표현인 동시에 민족의 고유성과 문화적 보편성을 담지하게 된다. 이를 테면 안확은 조선 문학의 기원인 ‘종(倧)’사상을 고유성이라 하였다. 그는 ‘종’사상을 토대로 문학사를 전개한다. 역사적으로 ‘종’사상의 변천과 발전의 형태는 협화(協和)의 작용을 통해 이루어지며, 협화를 통해 고유의 ‘종’사상은 보편성을 획득하게 된다. 미술에서는 선사시대의 사생적(寫生的)인 측면이 고유성이 되고, 미술사의 전개에 따라 고유성이 외래문화와의 융합을 통해 보편성을 획득하게 된다. 이상으로 살펴본 안확의 조선 미에 대한 탐구는 조선다움을 발견하는 여정이었다. 그는 조선의 미를 고유성과 보편성을 중심으로 풀어나갔다. 그의 이러한 노력은 바로 조선인에 의한 조선다운 미에 대한 희구라 볼 수 있다.

조선 초기 국가제사용 제기(祭器)제도의 설계 과정과 성격

구혜인 한국학중앙연구원 한국학중앙연구원 2025 한국학 Vol.48 No.3

조선 초 태종 대부터 성종 대까지 국가제사용 제기제도를 설계하고 정립하는 작업들이 이루어졌다. 태종 대 의례상정소가 운영되고 예제에 능통한 허조가 당송대의 제도를 참고하여 『제사서례도』를 편찬함으로써 국가제사용 제기제도의기본 틀이 설계되었다. 『제사서례도』가 현전하지는 않지만 『세종실록』 「오례」, 『국조오례의』의 제기도설을 비교분석한 결과, 조선 초기 제기제도는 『소희주현석전의도』와 『예서』를 양 기축으로 정립되었다는 사실을 확인했다. 이 제도는 조선의 관점에서 설계되었고, 조선시대 내내 안정적으로 운영되었다. 조선 초기 제기제도 정립에 『소희주현석전의도』와 『예서』를 적극적으로 참고한 목적은 문묘례와 왕조례의 조화시키기 위한 것으로 분석했다. 『소희주현석전의도』를 통해 조선의 국가철학을 표상하고, 통합과 질서를 도모할 수 있었다. 『소희주현석전의도』에 실린 문묘제기는 정치외교적 관계를 초월해 유교국가에서 통용되는 제기이므로 국가제사용 제기로 선택할 당위성이 컸다. 또한 의례상정소를 이끈 허조가 고제를 중시하는 태도도 문묘제기를 조선시대 제기의 중심축으로 선택하는데 큰 영향을 미쳤다. 더불어 『예서』는 『소희주현석전의도』에 실리지 않은 왕실용제기들을 선택하기 위한 문헌으로 활용되었다. 여타의 문헌이 아닌 『예서』의 제기를 선택한 이유는 조선이 왕조 국가로서의 권위를 갖춘 제기제도를 자체적으로 구축하고자 하는 의도가 내재되어 있었기 때문이라고 보았다. 이로써 조선은문묘제기와 종묘제기가 융합한 제도이자 동아시아의 보편성과 조선의 독자성을갖춘 제기제도를 마련했다고 해석할 수 있다. During the Joseon Dynasty in Korea, from the reign of King Taejong to King Seongjong, considerable efforts were made to establish and develop the sacrificial vessel system used by the Royal Court. The Uiryesangjeongso (Bureau for Establishing Ritual Standards), which operated during the Taejong era, compiled the “Jesaseoryedo” by scholar Heo Jo, who was well-versed in ritual protocols and referenced the systems of the Tang and Song dynasties. This study examined the basic framework for the ritual vessel systems of the Joseon royal family. Although the “Jesaseoryedo” is not extant, analyses of the “Five Rites” in the “Annals of King Sejong” and the “Illustrated Ceremonial Rites of the State” suggest that the early Joseon vessel system was designed and established from Joseon’s perspective, considering the “Sohuizhu Xuanshede Yi” and the “Yeseo” as its two main pillars. This system stably operated throughout the Joseon dynasty. The active adoption of “Shao-hsi chou-hsien shih-tien i-t’u(紹煕州縣釋奠儀圖)” and the “Yeseo(禮書)” in the establishment of the early Joseon ritual vessel system was aimed at harmonizing the Confucian temple rites and royal ancestral rites. Through the “Shao-hsi chou-hsien shih-tien i-t’u” Joseon could embody its national philosophy and promote integration and order. The sacrificial vessels in the “Shao-hsi chou-hsien shih-tien i-t’u” were universally used in Confucian states, transcending political and diplomatic relations; hence their selection was justified. Heo Jo’s reverence for ancestral rites influenced the choice of Confucian temple vessels at the core of Joseon’s ritual vessel system. Furthermore, the “Yeseo” was used as a reference to select the vessels that were not included in the “Shao-hsichou-hsien shih-tien i-t’u” The selection of vessels from the “Yeseo” over the other texts is viewed as an indication of Joseon’s intent to build their own vessel system. Thus, Joseon established a ritual vessel system that integrated Confucian temples with royal ancestral rites, aligning East Asian universality with Joseon’s uniqueness.

일본 근세 연극과 조선 - 지카마쓰 작품의 조선 관련 용례를 중심으로 -

박려옥 일본어문학회 2019 일본어문학 Vol.85 No.-

The paper reviewed example sentences with a work of Chikamatsu Monzaemon under the themes of Early modern Japanese drama and Joseon. First of all, examples related to Joseon varied, for example, ‘高麗(kourai/koma)’, ‘百済(hakusai)’, ‘新羅(sila)’, ‘朝鮮(chosen)’, ‘三韓(sankan)’, ‘韓国 (karakuni/karakoku)’ etc. ‘高麗’ which is most widely said to represent Joseon was often recognized as a foreign country with a negative image. What is noteworthy is that reality and contemporariness were emphasized, using ‘Joseon朝鮮’ for an objective and geographical view of world, distinguished from ‘Goryeo高麗’ which is a conceptual representative foreign country. This shows an aspect of recognition on foreign countries for early modern Japanese people. In the aspect, ‘foreign country of dream’ which the traditional view of world had, and ‘foreign country in real world’ obtained by various information on foreign countries in early modern period coexist. On the other hand, Chikamatsu Monzaemon sensitively responded to information and trend of foreign countries so that he was very interested in The Joseon Tongsinsa(goodwill missions sent intermittently, at the request of the Japanese authority, by Joseon Dynasty Korea to Japan). Whenever The Joseon Tongsinsa visited Japan, he put a work related work on stage. However, the writer’s attitude shown on his works was sometimes contrary. It seems that Chikamatsu’s recognition on Joseon was flexible or fluid in front of the destiny of drama world which is a request and an interest from the audiences, and focusing on performance success.

일본근세 고증수필 속 조선관련 기사

김미진 단국대학교 일본연구소 2018 일본학연구 Vol.53 No.-

Joseon was a country which had formal diplomatic relations with the Edo shogunate. Joseon and Edo had a active cultural exchanges. Japanese literatians of the 17th and 8th centuries interested in Joseon cultures and wrote in what they thought about it. Joseon articles in the research essay of the early modern japan have not been attracting much attention in studying Japanese modern literature. The articles related to Joseon in the research essay are Joseon goods(ink stick, tortoiseshell, shoes etc), Joseon books(『Jingbirok(懲毖錄)』『Jinbeob(陣法)』『pyohaelog(漂海錄)』 etc), Joseon characters (such as Hangul notation of “Namiamidabu” engraved on a stone monument), Joseon person(the person who came to buy Japanese books in Nagasak and Park sa-bu, Lee Me-gae etc). Among these the characteristics of ink stick form and the characteristics of Joseon shoes sole are are very important materials in the study of Joseon culture and customs. It should also be noted that there was an intellectual exchange about the Joseon’s money ‘Sangpyeongtongbo(常平通寶)’and the paintings of the tiger etc. 조선은 일본 근세기의 에도막부가 유일하게 정식 국교를 맺은 나라로 양국은 활발한 교류를 이루었다. 조선의 문물은 일본에 전파되었으며, 이를 접한 근세 문인들은 자신의 수필집에 이에 대한 고증내용을 기술하게 된다. 고증수필집에 기록된 조선관련 문물은 조선의 물건(조선의 먹, 대모갑 비녀, 신발 등), 문자(비석에 ‘나무아미타불’ 한글표기 등), 조선본(『징비록』,『진법』,『표해록』등), 조선인(나가사키에 온 조선인, 이매계, 박사부 등)이 있다. 또한 이와 같은 일본 문인들 사이에서 조선의 상평통보, 호랑이 그림, 조선통신사 행렬도에 대한 지적 교류가 이루어 졌음을 알 수 있다. 특히 조선에서 건너간 먹의 모양, 조선 신발의 밑바닥 모양 등에 관한 조선 측 자료는 찾아보기 힘든 귀중한 자료라 할 수 있다. 근세중후기의 고증수필 속 조선 관련 기사는 그들이 어떠한 조선 문물을 접했는지에 관한 것뿐만 아니라, 이를 통해 우리가 알지 못했던 조선 문물의 일면을 엿볼 수 있는 귀중한 자료라 할 수 있다.

조선 전기 腹藏의 특징

이선용 불교미술사학회 2024 불교미술사학 Vol.37 No.-

한국의 복장과 점안이 다른 나라와 차별화되는 독자성을 지닐 수 있었던 것은 바로 조상경을 통해 의식을 체계화시켰기 때문이다. 이에 조상경이 한국 복장에 어떻게 반영, 체계화시켰는지 조선전기 복장의 후령통을 중심으로 살펴보았다. 첫째, 후령통의 형태가 1575년 용천사 조상경 이전 완성된 만큼 오보병의 형식에는 어떠한 영향을 미쳤는지 제시하였다. 조선전기에는 후령통의 형태와 오보병의 형식이 일원화되지 않고 혼재된 양상으로 전개되었다. 이는 용천사판에서 용어 및 형태, 형식을 구체화 시키지 않음으로써 야기된 결과, 또는 다원화시키는 원인 등으로 추정하였다. 둘째, 용천사판 「제불보살복장단의식」의 복장입물초록과 소입제색에 나타나는 오방 물목의 이원적 구조와 조선전기 복장의 특징을 비교하였다. 복장입물초록은 고려시대의 오보병 안립 물목을 수용·정리한 것으로 「묘길상대교왕경」에 근거하여 새롭게 정리한 소입제색보다 시기적으로 선행하는 형식이었음을 제시하였다. 조선전기 복장의 오방 안립 물목은 이러한 양상을 수용하였으며, 그 변화시기가 용천사판이 간행되기 이전부터 나타나고 있음을 확인하였다. 셋째, 방위 관련 물목이 조선전기 복장에서 어떻게 변화하였는지 추정하였다. 오륜종자와 진심종자 대신 조선전기 사방주와 오방경이 새롭게 등장하였으며, 물목 형성에 있어 오방경이 가장 늦게 정립된 것으로 판단하였다. The practices of bokjang(腹藏, the enshrinement of votive objects in Buddhist images or deposited votive objects) and jeoman(點眼, the eye-opening of Buddhist images) in Korea were developed and sustained in a completely different manner compared to similar practices in other countries because their related rituals were systemized by Josanggyeong(造像經, Sutras on the Production of Buddhist Images). This paper explores how Josanggyeong systemized and was reflected in the bokjang practices of Korea by focusing on huryeongtong(喉鈴筒, throat-bell containers) from among the early-Joseon bokjang items. First, the paper discusses how the form of a throat-bell container, which was developed before the publication of Josanggyeong by Yongcheonsa Temple in 1575, influenced the style of obobyeong(五寶甁, five treasure bottles). In the early Joseon Dynasty, the form of a throat-bell container and the style of five treasure bottles were not unified, and diverse patterns existed. This diversification is presumed to be a result of Josanggyeong not specifying terms, forms, or styles. Second, the characteristics of early-Joseon bokjang are compared to the binary structure of the lists of five-directional objects presented in the ‘List of Selected Bokjang Items to Be Enshrined’(腹藏入物抄錄) and ‘All the Objects to Be Enshrined’(所入諸色) entries of the “The Ritual of the Bokjang Altar for All the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas”(諸佛菩薩腹藏壇儀式) section of the Josanggyeong as published by Yongcheonsa Temple. The ‘List of Selected Bokjang Items to Be Enshrined’ adopted and reorganized the Goryeo Dynasty-era list of objects placed inside the five treasure bottles. It preceded the newly organized ‘All the Objects to Be Enshrined’ based on the Myogilsang taegyowang gyeong(妙吉祥大敎王經, Sutra on the King of the Great Teaching Which Is Sublime and Auspicious). The list of deposited five-directional objects in early-Joseon bokjang incorporated the binary structure of the lists from the Yongcheonsa Josanggyeong. This incorporation, however, occurred before the publication of the Yongcheonsa Josanggyeong. Third, the paper guesses at how the list of objects related to the directions changed in the early-Joseon bokjang. In the early Joseon Dynasty, sabangju(四 方呪, four directional spells) and obanggyeong(五方鏡, five directional mirrors) emerged, replacing oryunjongja(五輪種子, five-wheel seed syllables) and jinsimjongja(眞心種子, true-mind seed syllables). The five directional mirrors appear to have been the last to be added to the list.

조선 전기 서거정의 회화 관련 기록

홍선표(洪善杓) 한국미술연구소 2011 美術史論壇 Vol.- No.32

It was during early Joseon in the 15th and 16th century that the Joseon dynasty established and developed the ideology, theme, basic style and institutional basis for the art of Joseon. It was also in this period that the tendency of collecting and appreciating antiques and art works that started during the mid Goryeo Period began to develop dramatically. Literati artists in this period established aesthetic principles while the government established and expanded the Dohwawon (Academy of Paintings), training and producing distinguished court painters in a systematic manner. The artists established new themes and styles in different genres including Banggo(Immitative) Landscapes which sought after beauty from old masterpieces and Silgyeong(Actual View) Landscapes which valued the true-view landscapes, contributing to the establishment of the Joseon’s art tradition. It is not easy to understand and restructure the real situation of the art world in this period because few art works from this period are remaining today. Most of the few works known to have come from the period are either anonymous or putative, causing controversies regarding whether they are genuine. It is necessary therefore to find the works of this period which had been flown out the country through many different channels and research the old documents related with them, comparing and analysing the works from the East Asian point of view. It is in this context that the records in the collected writings of the literati elites who played a key role in the production and consumption of the paintings of their time are particularly important for the restoration and in-depth understanding of the art history of mid Joseon. These records are valuable primary sources of information required for the study of the art in this period as these contain the ideas, theories, criticisms, aesthetic trends, creativity, distribution of works, titles and themes, subject matters, and the artists’ life, philosophy and friendship. The literary collections of early Joseon known so far are 222 titles in total, and there are 2,312 art-related passages contained in them. As part of the effort to give a comprehensive look at the art of mid Joseon, I will focus on the records on paintings contained in Sagajip(The Collected Writings of Saga) by Seo Geo-jeong(1420-1488). Seo Geo-jeong is a great writer representing the literary world of the mid 15th century. Also renowned connoisseur of his time and enthusiastic collector of paintings and calligraphic works, the literati artist left a lot of poems and commentaries on art of his time, helping understand the art history of early Joseon.

조선 전기 조명(朝明)외교관계의 함수, 예의지국(禮義之國)

구도영 ( Do Young Koo ) 성균관대학교 대동문화연구원 2015 대동문화연구 Vol.89 No.-

This study is aimed to analyze the discourse of yeeuizigook``(禮義之國) arising out of the exchange of Joseon with Ming Dynasty in 15th and 16th centuries and its impact on the diplomacy between the two countries in order to examine the characteristics of the relationship of Joseon with Ming Dynasty in the early periods of Joseon Dynasty. Joseon was privileged by Ming in many respected compared to other tributary states. This is because Joseon obtained the national status of ``Joseon = yeeuizigook(禮義之國)`` as the accumulated consequences of toadyism toward Ming in 15th century. As Joseon was privileged in diplomatic relationship with Ming with the national status of ``Joseon = yeeuizigook(禮義之國)``, the discourse of ``yeeuizigook(禮義之國)`` became the national image of Joseon toward Ming and the catch phrase in the practical diplomacy of Joseon to Ming. In addition, it became a dogma for Ming which had to be taken into account in the diplomacy with Joseon so a ``special diplomatic relationship`` was established between Joseon and Ming. There is a tendency to understand that the historical concept of tributary state is one way relationship in which China had strong influence on the tributary states. However, in the relationship between Joseon and Ming in the early Joseon Dynasty period, Ming also respected and trusted the demands of Joseon and was considerate for Joseon. With such privileged treatment, Joseon established stronger relationship with Ming Dynasty. There existed ``mutual cause`` behind the toadyism toward Ming for the hypocrites of Joseon to facilitate toadyism among the elites in the 16th century.