The Book of Corrections

Reflections on the National Crisis during the Japanese Invasion of Korea, 1592–1598

Songnyong Yu

• Publisher: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley
• Year: 2002
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781557292254
• Subtopic: Social Science Biographies
• Index: History

The Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592, known as the Imjin War, was one of the most tragic and traumatic experiences in Korean history. The magnitude of this tragedy was unprecedented. Hundreds of thousands died, and the country was devastated. It took many years for Korea to recover. Looking back upon this tragedy from start to finish, Yu Songnyong, who served as chief state councilor during most of the crisis, vividly portrays all the major developments of the crisis, as well as the men who were involved in it, persuasively demonstrating what went wrong. The purpose of writing Chingbirok (The book of corrections), as the author professes in his preface, was to prevent similar disasters from taking place in the future. His book, however, is much more revealing; it provides a lively perspective of the relationship, which has been often marked by conflicts and wars, of the three neighboring countries involved in the war—Korea, Japan, and China.

Table of contents

• Front cover
• Notes to this edition
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Contents
• Abbreviations Used in the Notes
• Translator’s Preface
• Figures
• Introduction
• Author’s Preface
• Book I
• Book II
• A Brief Chronological Life History of Soae Yu Songnyong
• Glossary
• Selected Bibliography
• Index of Names, Places, and Terms
• Back cover