Hyeongmyeong refers to military signal systems, whose terminology was first appeared in 『Sonja Byeongbeop』, an ancient literature on military tactics. More specifically, Hyeong collectively indicates visual tools like flags and Myeong, audible ones like drums and gongs. Originally, Hyeongmyeong was a means of communication that delivered military orders or information. Gradually, however, it was developed into something that revealed how dignified and brilliant the procession of noble people was. Even today, Hyeongmyeong is a necessity that guards of honor or military bands use to make remarkably impressed the prestige and stature of the state. During the 17th century, Iyeyasu Tokugawa took over the power of Japan after the demise of Hideyoshi Toyotomi. And then, the new leader called for Joseon to normalize diplomatic relations with Japan. Joseon dispatched a diplomatic mission named Tongshinsa to Japan under the great cause of peace between the two countries. This study aimed to clarify organization features and formative changes that Hyeongmyeong showed in different times by reviewing the procession drawings of Joseon Tongshinsa. During the Joseon period, about 100 types of flags belonged to Hyeong. Of them, seen in those drawings are five, which are, Duk, Gyoryonggi, Yeongjagi, Cheongdogi and Sunsigi. These five-type flags were fabricated differently from one another in terms of size, pattern, letter or character, and color. Myeong was supposed to be played by band members, particularly called Chwigosu and Seaksu who were about 50 in total. The players were differently organized in different times, though seldomly changed in total number. During the 17th century when the diplomatic mission was quite political, its procession had Hyeongmyeong organized in a way that the dignity of credentials was mainly focused. In the 18th century when domestic and foreign circumstances of Joseon were stable, Hyeongmyeong was decorated in a more brilliant way, and dividedly assigned among the three top officials of the mission or Samsagwan, resultantly having a higher visual effect on the entire procession of the diplomatic mission and allowing Hyeongmyeong itself to be more stably organized. Joseon Tongshinsa that was last sent in to Japan in the 19th century when dispatching the diplomatic mission declined, had none of such decorative characteristics of Hyeongmyeong as in the previous century. Moreover, structural organization principles of Hyeongmyeong were a little distracted from those applied before. However, there's one thing unchanged from the 18th century. It is that components of Hyeongmyeong were dividedly allocated onto the lines of Jeongsa and Busa, who were respectively director and deputy directors of Joseon Tongshinsa.
