Examined in this article are the life and family of Yi Jung-hwan,
the author of 『Taek’ri-ji』. Also examined is the internal structure of
『Taek’ri-ji』, and his documentation of the wars with the Japanese and
Qing forces, as well as King Taejong’s repeated dispatching of
emissaries to Yi Seong-gye in Ham’heung, and a person named Hong
Sun-eon. Analysis of his own recording of historical figures and events
would hopefully shed some light upon his own historical point of view.
『Taek’ri-ji』 is primarily a source of geographical information, but
contains many historical details as well. This was because Yi Jung-hwan
was very much interested in history, and wanted to include local
historical references (as well as his own opinions, some thoughts that
came to his mind) in the book as much as possible. But there are some
discrepancies between the documentation in this book and those in
other sources. In this 『Taek’ri-ji』 there are no source of references, so
we cannot confirm what kind of sources Yi Jung-hwan consulted. If he
wrote this book based upon his own knowledge and memories, that
would sure be an extraordinary thing. Also, considering the fact that
『Taek’ri-ji』 was widely circulated at the time, this book may have contained historical details that were known and understood by many
of the Joseon people at the time.
But unfortunately, unlike other historical texts like 『Yeollryeo-shil
Gisul』or 『Seong’ho Sa’seol』, this book is not based on meticulous
confirmation of historical facts, so one should be careful in using it as
a source of historical information. All the things in 『Taek’ri-ji』 should
be compared with the contents of 『Yeollryeo-shil Gisul』or the Annals
of the Joseon dynasty.