The Repatriation of Castaways in Chosŏn Korea-Japan Relations, 1599-1888

In Chosŏn-period Korea, calamities at sea occurred with some frequency, leaving the ships and their occupants to be washed onto the shores of both Chosŏn and Japan. With the large number of Koreans drifting to the shores of Japan, the study of repatriation of castaways illuminates aspects of the historical interactions and relations between the two countries. This article discusses the question of whether the castaways' drifting was predetermined and the effect their repatriation had on Chosŏn-Japan relations.