Building the Framework of Peace in the Waters around the Five Islands in the West Sea of Korea

초록

The Five Islands in the West Sea and its surrounding waters, which connect to China's Shandong Peninsula, have historically been the center of exchange for people, goods, and culture. Baengnyeong Island, situated at the mouth of the Yeseong River, flourished as a port for international trade. Indangsu, the maritime area where, according to a Korean folktale, Hyonyeo Shim-Chung (the filial daughter, Sim-Cheong) sacrifices herself by jumping into the sea in exchange for bags of rice to heal her blind father, is thought to be located somewhere between Baengnyeong Island and Jangsang Cape. The tale describes the presence of a wealthy merchant engaging in trade and transactions across these waters. The Five Islands also drew interest from European ships with the intervention caused by the Opium War that brought traffic to East Asia. Furthermore, in 1816, when the British Amherst delegation visited China, Captain Basil Hall from the Lira sailed to Baengnyeong Island to survey the sea routes and brought the first Bible to Korea. In the following year, this incident was recorded in Basil Hall's Account of a Voyage of Discovery. © 2023 selection and editorial matter, James Kraska and Hee Cheol Yang; individual chapters, the contributors. All rights reserved.