Book XIV 805
29th Day (Kapchin)
There was another drill.^21 Earlier, the emperor of Ming China believed that
in the memorials submitted by the Korean government there were some insult-
ing words deliberately hidden in the text and thereupon demanded that Chŏng
Tojŏn appear at the imperial court. Tojŏn pretended to be ill and did not
comply with the order of the emperor. Then he was afraid that he would be
accused of committing a crime [against Ming China as well as Korea] in the
days ahead. So he submitted a proposal to the king, saying, “It is essential
for the soldiers and officers to learn the art of war.” Thereafter, he wrote and
submitted to the king a manual for military training titled Diagram of Troop
Dispositions. Having decided the rules and movements for the provincial
commanders and troops, he suddenly had them practice these, beating and
lashing the soldiers, so there were many who complained about him.
Kim Kwa, Administrator of Cheju Island, submitted a memorial to the king
concerning a private matter:
“In terms of loyalty, nothing is greater than the relationship between sov-
ereign and subject, and in terms of attachment, nothing is deeper than the
bond between mother and son. If both loyalty to the king and filial duty to
the mother can be carried out without conflicts, what can be better than that,
which is the way that creates peace in all the states under heaven?
“As I respectfully reflect, from the days prior to your enthronement, Your
Majesty did not abandon this worthless person and allowed me to aid you
from close by. After ascending the throne, you appointed me inspector of
Ch’in’gunwi [one of Five Guards] and military commissioner of the Three
Armies Headquarters and let me join the ranks of minor merit subjects
along with Yi Hwa and Yi Yŏng.
“Thereafter, I have served at various posts until I reached vice bureau
section chief of the Board of Taxation, and your grace and generosity were
indeed great. Then I was determined to pay back your kindness, even if it
on him. However, it happened that the surrendered Japanese suddenly captured a local magis-
trate and carried him away to their country. As he failed to prevent the incident and to retrieve
the magistrate from the hands of the enemy, he was demoted to a private soldier and assigned
to the navy. His punishment could have been heavier except that Chancellor Kim Sahyŏng and
Grand Councilor Nam Ŭn interceded on his behalf.
- Military training to practice the Diagram of Troop Dispositions.