- ■ Korea Briefing
- ■ History of Korea
- ■ Korean national flag
- ■ Korea's national flower
- ■ Korea Map
- ■ Image of Korea
- ■ CultureㆍArt of Korea
- ■ GeographyㆍPeople
- ■ Sports
- ■ Korea in the World
- ■ Toursim
- ■ Korean News Today
- ■ EventsㆍFestival by Korea
- ■ Photographys of Korea
- ■ Korea Banner Graphic
- ■ FriendㆍGuest Comments
Welfare Programs
The ideal of a Confucian welfare state during the Joseon Dynasty was conceived and implemented by King Sejong in the 15th century, but it was Yi Sugwang who elaborated on the philosophy of welfare in the period following the Hideyoshi invasions. He expounded the idea that the Way of Heaven was to be found among the people, and its noblest realization was to feed and clothe the people properly.
Bak Sedang said he would go to the country and engage in manual labor, since Confucius endured labors more onerous than farming. Since such men espoused egalitarian principles, their concerns were more and more centered upon public welfare programs.
Yi Ik stated that learning or knowledge should not be sought unless it was of benefit to the daily life of the people in general. His sharp analysis of the causes of factionalism stemmed from a deep-seated concern for the welfare of the people.
Kim Yuk, who is known for his implementation of the Daedongeoop, recommended the increased use of vehicles. Hong Daeyong and Bak Jiwon also saw increased vehicular traffic as promising great advantage for the national economy. Bak made a far-sighted statement: "The ruler will be blamed by future generations for not having learned from pragmatic studies."
Jeong Yak-yong was outstanding among the scholars who analyzed the evils of society and made positive proposals for reform. He advocated a system of land distribution based on egalitarian principles, and the placement of people in professions in accordance with their ability.
Exploitation continued, however, and distressed people sought salvation. Catholicism met the needs of many, since its tenets accorded with the new egalitarian principles in addition to stressing salvation. Some scholars were converted to Catholicism, and others benefitted from the scientific learning that accompanied the religion. The number of Catholics in Korea gradually increased.
Since Catholicism was opposed both to Confucian ancestral rituals and to rigid social stratification, Catholics were termed criminals by the state. Many of them, including prominent scholars such as Jong Yak-yong and his brothers, were punished or even executed.
Catholicism prospered secretly nonetheless, especially among artisans such as pottery makers. The negation of traditional values in a quest for salvation was an enigma to the Confucian-oriented yangban officials, and they resorted to various means of suppressing the alien faith. It was evident that the men in power were far behind the people in their social and intellectual consciousness.
For the welfare of the people, medical jurisprudence was emphasized in order to ensure fair practice of medicine. Other significant studies related to the welfare of the people included work on therapeutic practices based on the physical features of mankind. Yi Jema (1838-1900) classified men into four different physical types and developed different therapeutic treatment for each.
Equality, human dignity, opportunity, public welfare, and the advancement of the national economy were conspicuous principles in the philosophy that emerged in this period. This development of the 17th-18th centuries is in some respects reminiscent of the Renaissance period of Western Europe.
In the literary scene, love stories were popular and sold well. Since books printed from metal type were far too costly for commoners, popular demand was met by the use of the cheaper clay-carved plates, in addition to wood-type printing. Anthologies of sijo poems by two intermediary class men were noteworthy. Kim Cheontaek assembled 580 poems, from the Goryeo period on, in his Cheonggu yeongeon (Enduring Poetry of Korea), and Kim Sujang (b.1690) compiled a similar anthology entitled Haedong gayo (Songs of Korea). Jeong Cheol (Songgang, 1534-1593) and Yun Seondo (Gosan, 1587-1671) were talented yangban poets whose individual anthologies were also published.
Korea-centered painting also came into vogue. Jeong Seon (Gyeomjae, 1676-1759), unlike his predecessors, depicted the landscape of Korea, while Kim Hongdo and Sin Yunbok concentrated on themes of the daily life of the masses. White porcelain with underglaze blue line-drawings was produced in quantity to meet public demand. Modern intellectuality dawned in all sectors of 18th century Korea.
