The purpose of this study is to find a piece of war experience shown in 『Gi-in-gi-sa-rok(奇人奇事錄)』 a banned book under the rule of Japanese colonialism, through the presence of Kim, Chung-seon story. Edited in two volumes by Muljae(勿齋) Song, Soon-gi(宋淳夔), 『Gi-in-gi-sa-rok』 is a collection of historical stories printed in old type, which was published in 1923.
Of the two volumes of 『Gi-in-gi-sa-rok』, only the last volume was banned. It was presumably due to Kim, Chung-seon story. Mohadang(慕夏堂) Kim, Chung-seon (金忠善:1571~1642) was a Japanese surrenderer. His other name was Seonji(善之), and family origin was Saseong(賜姓) Kimhae(金海). He had been a Japanese with the name of Sayaga(沙也可). Kim was a leading general of Gato Kyomasa(加藤淸正) when Japan invaded Korean in 1592. However, deeply impressed with Chosun’s customs and civilization, Kim, Chung-seon became naturalized as a Korean with his 3,000 soldiers to Kim, Eung-seo(金應瑞), and initiated how to produce fowling guns, gunpowder, etc. into Koreans. Afterwards, he became a meritorious retainer of the three rebellions when he performed a remarkable service during the Lee, Gua(李适) revolt and Byungja-horan(丙子胡亂).
The reason that Kim, Chung-seon story has not been seen in Korean collections of historical stories(野談集) so far can be explained by the fact that he had been a general of Japan, a country that invaded Korea. For about 300 years since the Hideyoshi invasion, the name Kim, Chung-seon has been faded away from Chosun. Then, during the Japanese colonial period, he appeared in the historical stories telling the period of the Japanese invasion in the late 16th century. To throw this point into relief, Kim, Chung-seon’s appearance might imply a relative superiority over the Japanese rule. On the contrary, ‘Chosun Research Association(朝鮮硏究會)’ presided by CheongryuKang Taerang(靑柳綱太郞) in 1915 made clear that Kim, Chung-seon’s 『the collection of Mohadang’s works(慕夏堂 文集)』 was a fake book, and Kim was a national traitor. It suggested that Kim, Chung-seon was a bitter figure to them. Putting all this together, the last volume of 『Gi-in-gi-sa-rok』 was supposed to become banned under the Japanese colonial rule.
Based on national consciousness, Song, Soon-gi made up Kim, Chung-seon story as a historical story by adding a bit rhetoric words properly. This is obvious evidence that the historical-story literature of old printing type(舊活字本) in the 1920s cannot just be seen as a commercial one. It is because 『Gi-in-gi-sa-rok』 includes a clear national consciousness. Another one century after that, Kim, Chung-seon is achieving a new presence. Kim is now being read as “a peaceful figure” to open a new future for both of Korea and Japan.
It is Urok(友鹿) village, Dalseong-gun, Daegu city, a common rural village surrounded by low lines of mountains out of the central Daegu city, where the descendants of the Kims of Saseong Kimhae(賜姓金海金氏) have resided collectively all the way since Kim, Chung-seon’s lifetime. Since 1992, Japanese tourists have visited this village inhabited by Kim, Chung-seon’s offspring. In addition, movements to review him are emerging in Japan. In symposia, documentary productions and various other books, Kim, Chung-seon is under the spotlight as a humanitarian who rejected causeless wars of aggression. Also in Korea, the “Ethics” textbook forthe third grade of middle school includes the story of Kim, Chung-seon as a 22 year-old precocious pacifist, which means that the interest in him carries presence.
Kim, Chung-seon is now a figure that is much expected to resound with the ringing to awaken such common languages as “peace,” “humanity,” “future,” etc. as well as an angular point that enables both Korea and Japan to co-exist hostily. At this time when we are going over to the future beyond history, I wish to reconsider the long return of Kim, Chung-seon who loved “peace,” walking with hard steps in the battlegrounds 400 years ago. Thus, I hope that many people from both Korea and Japan will get into productive conversations with the presence of Kim, Chung-seon story.