Japan–Joseon Diplomatic Tensions

Timeline

1. 1561–1565Southeastern coast of Joseon · JoseonAlthough wakō had diminished since the late Muromachi period, Japanese pirates and smugglers still operated along Joseon's Jeolla and Gyeongsang coasts in the 1560s; Joseon strengthened righteous army and navy patrols and negotiated through the Tsushima So clan with Japanese authorities to restrain ronin, a recurring source of friction.
2. 1563–1568Busan · JoseonJoseon established Japanese trading posts (wae-gwan) at Busan, Dongnae, and elsewhere, restricting the movement and numbers of Japanese envoys and merchants; in the 1560s trade volumes and tribute standards repeatedly became points of contention, with Joseon's Board of Rites insisting on reciprocal ritual under the investiture system while the Tsushima intermediary maneuvered among Japanese powers to maintain trading privileges, leaving mutual trust thin.
3. 1568–1570Kyoto · KinkiAfter Oda Nobunaga entered Kyoto in 1568, Japan's political center gravitated toward him; Joseon gradually learned of Japan's unification process through communication envoys and Tsushima channels. Nobunaga's interest in overseas trade and military expansion alarmed the Joseon court, and unease about changes in 'Japanese conditions' appeared in diplomatic correspondence and border defense discussions.