About the Book
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 Sŏngnyong, 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.