From ancient times many of our ancestors had lived in northeastern part(called Manchuria) of China. But after Goguryo and Balhae perished the sphere of their activities shrinked within the Korean Peninsula. Subsquently Goryo-dynasty tried to recover t...
From ancient times many of our ancestors had lived in northeastern part(called Manchuria) of China. But after Goguryo and Balhae perished the sphere of their activities shrinked within the Korean Peninsula. Subsquently Goryo-dynasty tried to recover the territory of Goguryo in vain. But in early times of Yi-dynasty old territory in South of the Yalu and Tuman River was recovered.
Even in this time our ancestors living near the frontier went to Manchuria and came home. Particularly inhabitants near two rivers did so often because geographical and economic conditions of Manchuria were better than those of any other place.
In the beginning of the seventeenth century Juchen scattered in Manchuria were united and founded Ch'ing China. From that time on between two countries facing the frontier diplomatic disputes caused by inhabitants crossing the frontier took place without cease. It was because Ch'ing China executed the policy to prohibit other people to come into Manchuria and especially our ancestors severly making no-man's-zone in the northern frontier of the Korean Peninsula. In spite of this severe policy peoples of two neighbouring countries crossed the frontier without cease during the period of Yi-dynasty.
In case of our ancestors they went and came over the frontier because of political, economic, and social unrest. But the biggest reason of having crossed the frontier was for picking Ginsengs, hunting, and felling in Manchuria. At first they crossed the frontier on a small scale. But afterwards they moved there by tens even with weapons. At times local public officers were included among them.
As the situation developed like this Ch'ing China rebuked Yi-dynasty and demanded that our ancestors should not come into Manchuria. Yi-dynasty which took policy to have friendly ties with China accepted Ch'ing China's demand and reinforced regulations against the people who crossed the frontier without permission. And also Yi-dynasty increased guards, dispatched royal emissaries, confiscated weapons, and forced the inhabitants near the frontier to take responsibilities to watch the border. But these measures could not be effective and were only temporary remedies to help Yi-dynasty escape Ch'ing China's pressure.
On the other hand Chinese also continued to cross the frontier. But they were seldom regulated thanks to their strong fatherland.
But after Mt. Paektu Demarcation Stone was erected in 1712, Yi-dynasty which suffered from unilateral loss got out of previous position. It was also because Ch'ing China reinfored that policies which prohibited both our ancestors and Chinese to come into Manchuria and demanded that Yi-dynasty would support the policies. This change of situation enabled Yi-dynasty to escape from the diplomatic low posture and to settle the border incidents in the equivalent status with Ch'ing China when people of Ch'ing China crossed the frontier. And further Yi-dynasty was enabled to prepare even the policy to protect themeslves in the emergency.