Book XII 727
subjects. Bestowing the certificate of minor merit subject, the king said [to
Kwŏn Kŭn], “Previously when merit subjects were selected, your name was
accidentally left out.”
At that time, Sŏl Changsu had also submitted a memorial to the king
requesting that he be enrolled on the list of minor merit subjects.
25th Day (Kyemyo)
A meteor emerged from the east of Gemini (Chŏngsŏng) and approached
the corner of the northwestern sphere of Capella (Ogŏsŏng).
The king ordered every high official above senior rank 2 of the Chancellery
and the Security Council to recommend men of ability and integrity.
When Eihan and Eikaku, Japanese envoys sent by Yoshihiro, regional chief
of Six Prefectures in Japan, returned home, the king sent Pak Tonji, former
director of the Palace Library (pisŏgam), to Japan as envoy on a mission to
pay a courtesy visit and ordered the Privy Council to reply to the letter sent
by Yoshihiro. The letter basically read as follows:
“We appreciate the information that your premier (daishokoku) was mak-
ing efforts to prohibit the people from practicing piracy in neighboring coun-
tries. We believe that such efforts are quite laudable, for they show your
determination to bring about peace and good relationship between neigh-
bors. However, the residents of two islands, Iki and Tsushima, are crafty
enough to continue to practice piracy, violating the prohibition. They keep
invading our territories, damaging the good relationship between the two
countries. They also travel afar to invade the territory of China, so everyone
in the world calls them island pirates. Therefore, there is no one among our
navy soldiers who does not feel outraged about them. They have repeatedly
made requests that battleships be prepared on a massive scale and that our
armed forces be dispatched to exterminate the bandits from the islands and
thus remove the trouble by the roots. Our sage king, however, wants to exert
his virtues in treating faraway neighbors well, and also, because your country
sent us envoys and told us about your efforts to prohibit piracy, our military
campaign against the pirates on those islands is temporarily suspended.
“If Your Excellency consults with your premier with the intention of pro-
moting peace and makes people rest and develop a friendly relationship by
suppressing the wicked gang, your beautiful honor and righteous spirit will