<論説>馬建忠の朝鮮紀行 : 一八八二年、清朝・朝鮮・日本関係の転換

Abstract

一八八二年前清朝・朝鮮・日本の関係が大きく転換した年である。その過程はすでに少なからず研究がなされてきたが、この年三たび朝鮮に使した馬建忠という人物の役割は、顧みられていない。本稿は同年はじめ、清朝の仲介のもと、朝鮮とアメリカが締結したシューフェルト条約調印の立会いのため、朝鮮に派遣された馬建忠の活動をあとづけて、かれの役割を明らかにしようとしたものである。その結果、条約交渉でなかんずく問題となった「属国自主」の条項に、清朝の立場からあらたな定義を与えて、以後の清朝と朝鮮の関係を決定的に方向づけたのは、馬建忠であった事実が判明した。

The year of 1882 was a crucial turning point in the relations between Korea, Japan and the Chinese Empire. Ma Chien-chung, one of Li Hung-chang's proteges, proved to be important to the march of events of that year. This paper is to inquire into his role with special reference to the U. S.-Korean Treaty of 1882. The original object of Ma's first mission to Korea was to let the Americans recognize Chinese suzerainty over Korea, which Li Hung-chang was anxious to preserve in his negotiations with Commodore Robert W. Shufeldt in Tientsin. Ma had been planning to request the king of Korea to send a letter to the president of the United States to the effect that Korea was a state tributary to China. After arriving at Inch'on, however, he recognized the arrogant attitude of Korean officials regardless of Korea's dependent status towards China. In the traditional suzerain-dependency relationship between China and Korea, the kings of Korea had exercised full autonomy in all matters of internal administration and foreign relations. In 1876, moreover, the Koreans had concluded the Kanghwa Treaty with the Japanese stipulating that "Chosen [Korea] being an autonomous state enjoys the same right as does Japan." In view of these facts, some Korean officials at that time, such as Kim Yun-sik, a Korean envoy to China, though never opposed to Chinese suzerainty over Korea, interpreted it as China's protection of Korean autonomy. As a matter of fact, it is unclear whether the arrogant attitude towards the Chinese was caused only by the interpretation mentioned above. But Ma found that the Koreans had been influenced by the Japanese enough to lose their respect for China. Therefore, he sought a rupture between the Koreans and the Japanese and a reorganization of Sino-Korean relationship. In order to make the Koreans submit to the Chinese, on one hand, he favored the Korean interest the Korean-Japanese negotiations of the Tariff and Trade regulations. On the other hand, he enhanced the dependence of Korea on China, stating that her autonomy was only in name. China's policy of intervention in Korea after the outbreak of the Imo Revolt of 1882 was based on Ma's views against Japan's Korean policy and Korea's autonomy.