The Change And Contradiction Of Choson Korea’s Foreign Policy For Ming And Japan Before Imjin Waeran(1587—1592)

Since the second half of the 16 th century, there had been an upheaval of the international order in northeast Asia. The Ming Dynasty, as the core of the Huayi Orders, had entered into a period of decline and lost its deterrence to nations nearby. Choson Korea, at the same time, was busy with infighting, which made its national defense lax. In contrast, Japan, of which national power had reached the peak throughout history, became vigorously under the ruling of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He even planned to dominate Ming and change the old order of northeast Asia.In 1587, Hideyoshi dispatched an envoy to Choson Korea, which broke its peaceful status. Facing Japan- the country that had been out of the Huayi Orders-Choson Korea preferred to neither be beneath its dignity as a noble country, nor be against with Japan. In order to maximizing its benefits, Choson Korea recovered diplomatic relations with Japan and tried to attract it into a mini Tributary System, which was Korea-centered. A few of years before Imjin Waeran, Choson Korea took contradictory foreign policies, which were continually paying tribute to the Ming Dynasty as a vassal nation and communicating with Japan secretly at the same time. Under the inner and international situation, Before the Imjin Warean, Choson Korea fell into hesitation between Ming and Japan. According to the historical records of these three countries before the Imjin Waeran, the hesitation of Choson Korea performed as follows: Choson Korea reduced its loyalty to Ming’s Sadaejuui Policy and then became fidelity again, while it changed its attitude to Japan from despising to contacting, and then breaking.Motivated by national interest and the change of situation, Choson Korea once gave up the principle of Tributary System, which was “vassal state has no diplomacy”, and brought negative impact to the security and stability of northeast Asia. It not only accelerated the outbreak of Imjin Warean and led to the crisis of confidence between Ming and Choson Korea. This article would be helpful to both review the international relations in Northeast Asia and contribute to researches of the expansion of Huayi Oreder and reasons of Imjin Waeran.