Thoughts on Tsushima

After reading Kenneth R. Robinson's work on the island of Tsushima, a few things struck me as quite interesting and unique. For one, the Choson government's balancing act between territorial sovereignty and not wanting too much of a jurisictional presence in Tsushima was astonishing. Korean Kings treated the area as royal territory but did not interfere with Japanese jurisdictional sovereignty in terms of taxation and military installations. These issues made me wonder why Choson treated the sitaution as it did. Was it because Koreans felt subservient to the Japanese and believed they were ill-equipped to challenge them in Tsushima? This may relate to concepts in Storey's discussion of culture and civilization. Could it have been that education had taught Koreans where they were socially in relation to the Japanese. Or was it simply that Tsushima's geographical contribution was in and of itself important to the Choson elite.

The other feature that was really unique was the way in which Choson Korea went about claiming their territorial possession of Tsushima. They attempted no violent or militaristic actions, but instead they used very precise, strategic and intelligent methods. They asserted history and tradition to strengthen their claim to original possession. Maybe the most unique technique was through cartography. Showing the island closer to the Korean Peninsula was certainly sneaky yet ingenious at the same time. Endowing the governor of Tsushima with the authority to issue travel permits was another example. I question though whether or not the Choson elite were intentionally trying to outsmart Japan in Tsushima or whether they were simply following their own agenda for territorial expansion the most effective way they could. Was trade and the growth of their economy more relevant than governing the inhabitants of Tsushima? It seems more than likely.