清代在中國的朝貢和互市體制下，周邊各國派遣使節前往中國；除了與中國官員接觸外，並有機會於北京遭遇他國使節，與之接觸、交流，甚至蒐集其國內外情報。其中朝鮮的朝貢次數為各國之冠，當時其對外往來之國家又僅限於清朝和日本，因此朝鮮使節前往清朝時，無不把握機會，利用各種途徑，獲取外國之政治、外交、風土民情等各種消息。無論是在朝鮮使節的覆命報告書－使臣別單，抑或使節、隨員們的朝貢紀錄－《燕行錄》中，都可見不少有關各國之紀錄，以及與之交流的內容。由此除可見朝鮮經由朝貢與各國往來並獲取消息的積極性外，亦可見北京成為當時各國使節往來和情報蒐集的重要據點。其中朝鮮使節在北京相遇、往來最多的國家是琉球。因此，本文主要探討朝鮮對於琉球情報蒐集的途徑，藉此延伸瞭解在朝貢和互市體制下，各國使節經由何種途徑獲取外國情報。

Under the tribute and mutual trade system in place during the Qing dynasty, surrounding countries would despatch tribute missions to China. Apart from meeting Chinese officials, they also had opportunities to rub shoulders and interact with missions from other countries and collect information about their domestic or international affairs. Of all these countries, Joseon was that the one that most frequently paid tributes to China. Al this time Joseon only maintained official diplomatic relations with Qing China and Japan, and so on their missions to China. Joseon's envoys exploited every opportunity to gather information about the politics, diplomacy and local customs of other countries.The diplomatic reports written by Joseon envoys and the tribute mission's journal, Yǒnhaengnok 燕行綠, contain abundant records regarding foreign countries and Joseon's contact with them. Besides illustrating how Joseon actively acquired information through contact with other countries on their tribute missions, the records also reveal Beijing as an important hub for diplomatic activity and information collection.In Beijing, Joseon's envoys had most contact with their counterparts from the kingdom of Ryukyu. The present study thus intends to discuss the ways in which Joseon's envoys gathered information about Ryukyu, and then attempts to extend this to understand the approaches utilized by tributary countries to elicit information about foreign states under the tribute and mutual trade system.