The Concepts of Independence and Civilization in Yu Kilchun's Segye Taese-Ron 世界大勢論 Comparison with Uchida Masao's Yochi shiryaku 輿地誌略

Yu Kilchun 兪吉濬, who studied at Keio Gijuku from 1881 to 1882 as the first Korean student in Japan, wrote the Segye Taese-ron 世界大勢論 (on the world situation), an introduction to world geography and Western civilization in 1883. In this paper, the author elucidates the fact that Yu used the Yochi Shiryaku 輿地誌略 (12 vols.) of Uchida Masao 内田正雄, especially the general introduction (vol. 1) as a source. On the basis of a comparison of the two works, the author points out the following three points. First, Uchida had described Korea as a dependent state of imperial China, but Yu described Korea on the contrary as an independent state, but did not deny the fact that Korea was a tributary state of imperial China. Yu later argued in his main work, Soyu Kyonmun 西遊見聞, in 1889 that Korea was an independent state in international law, though a tributary state of imperial China. Second, in the Segye Taese-ron, Yu argued that Korea could accept Western technology, but must not accept Christianity and Western political systems. Thus, he did not translate most of the content about religion and political systems of the Yochi Shiryaku. Third, in order to emphasize the independence of Korea and individual character of Korean culture in distinction from Chinese culture, Yu emphasized the superiority of kungmun 國文 (Hangul) over Chinese characters and did not use the era name of the Qing dynasty, but used the kaeguk kinyon 開國紀年 (counting years from 1392, the first year of the Choson dynasty, established by Yi Songgye)