이순신을 폄훼하는 ‘원균 명장론’의 실체

• 영문명: Substance of the Won Gyun as the Great Commander Theory which Belittles Yi Sun Sin
• 발행기관: 순천향대학교 이순신연구소
• 저자명: 송우혜(Song Woo Hye)
• 간행물 정보: 『이순신연구논총』제6호, 1~13쪽, 전체 13쪽
• 주제분류: 인문학 > 역사학
• 파일형태: PDF
• 발행일자: 2006.06.30

국문 초록

요즘 이순신에 대한 관심이 커지면서 오히려 자주 듣게 되는 것이 이순신을 억울하게 궁지에 몰아넣었던 원균에 대한 재평가의 결과라는 ‘원균 명장론’이다. 전쟁의 양상과 전공은 한정되어 있는 것이기에 ‘원균 명장론’은 결과적으로 이순신의 전공과 명성을 희생물로 삼게 된다. 그런데 요즘 유행되는 ‘원균 명장론’에는 시기적인 제한을 두었다는 특징이 있다. 원균이 함경도 육진 시절에 매우 용맹한 장수였다는 것이다. 임진왜란 당시 수군 장수로서 원균의 행적과 전공은 이미 상세하게 알려져 있기에 감히 ‘명장’이라고 주장할 수 없자, 원균의 육진 시절로 소급해서 원균이 육진 시절에 명장이었다고 주장하는 것이다. 그러나 그런 주장은 단순히 󰡔선조실록󰡕의 원문을 오역한 데서 빚어진 어처구니 없는 주장에 불과하다. 이 글에서는 그간 이순신과 원균의 생애에 대해서 사실인 양 자리잡은 몇 가지 오해에 대한 분석과 함께 ‘원균 명장론’의 실체를 󰡔선조실록󰡕 원문을 통해서 고찰해 보기로 한다.

영문 초록

The recent controversy that Won Gyun was a great commander has rised from the distortion of history about the period of six regions(六鎭) in Hamkyoung-do(咸鏡道) when Yi Sun Shin and Won Gyun were in their military services. Those who allege that Won Gyun was a great commander insist that During that time, Won Gyun was a famous commander who had been winning speedy promotions, while Yi Sun Shin was merely a petty positioned military officer. But this is not true. Such assertions have no true grounds in history what so ever. Yi Sun Shin was an outstanding military commander who rapidly climbed up the chain of command much faster than Won Gyun. In the 16th year of the King Seon Jo s reign(AD 1583), Yi Sun Shin obtained a brilliant reputation for his bravery during the war that Ni-Tang-Kae s rebellion caused in six regions of Hamkyoung-do. It was in that war that Yi Sun Shin won a great military merit by decapitating Wu-Eul-Ki-Nae, who was one of the highest leaders of the enemy troops. The death of Wu-Eul-Ki-Nae ended that war and the nation freed from the faced severe crucial situation. Hence when King Seon Jo wanted to select some excellent commanders to defend the nation from the attack of the foreign invaders before the outbreak of Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592, Yi Sun Shin was recommended by the powerful vassals in parliament while none recommended Won Gyun. Also in 『Seon Jo Sil Lok(宣祖實錄)』, there is a historical document attested clearly by his own ardent supporter that Won Gyun was not an excellent army commander during the period of six regions. In the wartime of Im-jin-woe-ran(壬辰倭亂), Won Gyun was expelled from the navy to the army because he was in serious discord with Yi Sun Shin. Then Kim Eung Nam, the deputy premier, for the sake of Won Gyun made a strong proposal to the king like the following, Won Gyun should be back to the naval forces since he is a man of good capacity as a naval commander not for army. (『Seon Jo Sil Lok』, 1596. 5. 7.) As mentioned above, by such the obvious corroborative facts it is evident that the controversy of Won Gyun being a great commander is a forgery which was fabricated by groundlessly distorting of the truth of history.

목차

Ⅰ. 머리말

Ⅱ. 이순신과 원균에 대한 끈질긴 오해

Ⅲ. 육진에서 확립된 이순신의 명성

Ⅳ. 세상이 주목한 기대주, 이순신

Ⅴ. ‘원균 명장론’의 실체