17세기 倭學譯官의 제도 정비와 위상 = The Organization and Status of Joseon Korea’s Japanese Language Interpreters System in the Seventeenth Century

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The topics and issues discussed and explained in this study are as follows.
First, the Japanese language interpreter Hong Hee-nam(洪喜男) suggested to Ministery of Rites(禮曹) that the ministry textbooks that were primarily composed in the literary style the 1650s be changed to textbooks that focused on everyday conversational style, and his suggestion was accepted. Through this, it was possible associatively infer when the dialogue style Japanese language textbook ‘Cheophae Shineo(捷解新語)’ was published. Ueocheong(偶語廳), or the Bureau of Interpreters, which was the government office in charge of training foreign language interpreters in the Office of Interpreters(K. Sayeokwon 司譯院) in the Joseon Dynasty, implemented translation, interpretation and foreign language education institute in 1682. The office selected local people or Koreans who had been captured and subsequently returned to Joseon to be instructors at the end of King Hyeonjong’s reign and beginning of King Sukjong’s reign and to recommend foreign language interpreters.
Second, the Joseon government, which had experienced wars with foreign countries adopted foreign language interpreter recommendation policies within a limited scope throughout the seventeenth century. On the other hand, the foreign language interpreters suggested restoring the number of positions, which had been reduced due to financial issues, and requested soothing burdens by purchasing rare palace medicinal herbs.
Third, Japanese language interpreters were ranked low in importance among four groups of foreign language interpreters, but the number of thirty-month appointments as Yokhak hundo (譯學訓導, or positions in charge of foreign language interpretation and education in the Joseon Dynasty), and the number of twelve-month Yokhak gyeomgungwan positions (譯學兼軍官, which were treated as military officer positions but were in charge of foreign language Interpreter duties) was equal to or higher than the Mongolian and Qing Chinese language interpreter positions. The rank was given nominally, but the duties regarding foreign affairs were not ranked low. The Yokhak gyeomgungwan positions required officials to work far away from central government, and those officals were in charge of diplomatic matters and cadet training, while being treated merely as a military officer, thus most language interpreters avoided this position.