Treaty of Gyehae
Encyclopedia
Also called in Japan, the Gyehae Treaty was signed in 1443 (the gyehae year) between the Joseon dynasty
and Sō Sadamori
as a means of controlling Japanese piracy
and legitimizing trade between Tsushima island
and three Korean ports.
, private trade started between Goryeo
, Tsushima, Iki
, and Kyūshū, but halted during the Mongol invasions of Japan
between 1274 and 1281. The Goryeosa
, a history of the Goryeo dynasty, mentions that in 1274, an army of Mongol troops that included many Korean soldiers killed a great number of people on the islands.
Tsushima became one of the major bases of the Wokou
, Japanese pirates, also called wakō, along with the Iki and Matsuura
. Due to repeated pirate raids, the Goryeo dynasty and the subsequent Joseon Dynasty
, at times placated the pirates by establishing trade agreements, as well as negotiating with the Muromachi shogunate and its deputy in Kyūshū, and at times used force to neutralize the pirates. In 1389, General Pak Wi (朴威) of Goryeo attempted to clear the island of Wokou pirates, but uprisings in Korea forced him to return home.
On June 19, 1419, the recently-abdicated king Taejong of Joseon
sent general Yi Jong-mu to an expedition to Tsushima island to clear it of the Wokou pirates, using a fleet of 227 vessels and 17,000 soldiers. After months of fighting, the Sō clan
surrendered on September 29, 1419, submitting to Korean vassalage.
of the So clan of Tsushima island was granted rights to conduct trade with Korea in fifty ships per year, in exchange for sending tribute to Korea and aiding to stop any Japanese coastal pirate raids on Korean ports.
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
and Sō Sadamori
So clan
The Sō were a Japanese clan claiming descent from Taira Tomomori. The clan governed and held Tsushima Island from the 13th-century through the late 19th-century, from the Kamakura period until the end of the Edo period and the Meiji restoration....
as a means of controlling Japanese piracy
Wokou
Wokou , which literally translates as "Japanese pirates" in English, were pirates of varying origins who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century onwards...
and legitimizing trade between Tsushima island
Tsushima Island
Tsushima Island is an island of the Japanese Archipelago situated in the middle of the Tsushima Strait at 34°25'N and 129°20'E. The main island of Tsushima was once a single island, but the island was divided into two in 1671 by the Ōfunakosiseto canal and into three in 1900 by the Manzekiseto canal...
and three Korean ports.
Precedents
Tsushima was an important trade center during this period. After the Toi invasionToi invasion
The Toi invasion was the invasion of northern Kyūshū by Jurchen pirates in 1019. Toi meant barbarian in the Korean language at the time....
, private trade started between Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
, Tsushima, Iki
Iki Island
Iki Island is an island lying between the island of Kyūshū and the Tsushima islands in the Tsushima Strait, the eastern channel of the Korea Strait. It is currently part of Nagasaki Prefecture of Japan. The city of Iki is the centre of the local government. The island has three ports.The island’s...
, and Kyūshū, but halted during the Mongol invasions of Japan
Mongol invasions of Japan
The ' of 1274 and 1281 were major military efforts undertaken by Kublai Khan to conquer the Japanese islands after the submission of Goryeo to vassaldom. Despite their ultimate failure, the invasion attempts are of macrohistorical importance, because they set a limit on Mongol expansion, and rank...
between 1274 and 1281. The Goryeosa
Goryeosa
The Goryeosa or History of Goryeo is the principal surviving history of Korea's Goryeo Dynasty. It was composed nearly a century after the fall of Goryeo, during the reign of King Sejong...
, a history of the Goryeo dynasty, mentions that in 1274, an army of Mongol troops that included many Korean soldiers killed a great number of people on the islands.
Tsushima became one of the major bases of the Wokou
Wokou
Wokou , which literally translates as "Japanese pirates" in English, were pirates of varying origins who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century onwards...
, Japanese pirates, also called wakō, along with the Iki and Matsuura
Matsuura
Matsuura is a Japanese name, and can refer to:Companies:*Matsuura Machinery, an international heavy machinery manufacturing company in Fukui, Fukui Prefecture, Japan*Matsuura Railway, a railway company in Nagasaki and Saga Prefecture in Japan...
. Due to repeated pirate raids, the Goryeo dynasty and the subsequent Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
, at times placated the pirates by establishing trade agreements, as well as negotiating with the Muromachi shogunate and its deputy in Kyūshū, and at times used force to neutralize the pirates. In 1389, General Pak Wi (朴威) of Goryeo attempted to clear the island of Wokou pirates, but uprisings in Korea forced him to return home.
On June 19, 1419, the recently-abdicated king Taejong of Joseon
Taejong of Joseon
King Taejong was the third king of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea and the father of King Sejong the Great.-Founding of Joseon:...
sent general Yi Jong-mu to an expedition to Tsushima island to clear it of the Wokou pirates, using a fleet of 227 vessels and 17,000 soldiers. After months of fighting, the Sō clan
So clan
The Sō were a Japanese clan claiming descent from Taira Tomomori. The clan governed and held Tsushima Island from the 13th-century through the late 19th-century, from the Kamakura period until the end of the Edo period and the Meiji restoration....
surrendered on September 29, 1419, submitting to Korean vassalage.
Treaty terms
After 24 years of Joseon suzerainty, the peace treaty was signed during the reign of Joseon dynasty king Sejong the Great in 1443, and the daimyoDaimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of the So clan of Tsushima island was granted rights to conduct trade with Korea in fifty ships per year, in exchange for sending tribute to Korea and aiding to stop any Japanese coastal pirate raids on Korean ports.