이광 장군의 인격

Abstract

Simaqian left a record of General LiGuang through ShiJi, which was also a bitter narrative about the history of war with the Huns during the Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Simaqian accused Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty’s magical response and tyranny in a metaphorical manner, using the form of a story about General LiGuang and his grandson General LiLing. General LiGuang’s mercenary tactics and military culture revealed the direction of using anomalies rather than regular law. General LiGuang waited for the soldiers to drink water and drank it if there was any water left at the end, and waited for the soldiers to eat rice and ate rice at the end. Soldiers were always prioritized, and military management was carried out based on compassion rather than severe punishment. The narrative related to General LiGuang was a model for discussing military issues in the midst of the war and national crisis of the Joseon Dynasty. This is why General LiGuang’s narrative drew particular attention in the process of considering the postwar history of the Byeongja-Horan. Samacheon evaluated General LiGuang’s character through a proverbial quote, “Peach trees and plum trees have no words, but people gather under them to create a path naturally.” This has the meaning of examining the world of life without decoration and manipulation and examining the nature of silent teaching. Discussing General LiGuang’s personality was not only about the story of the military and war, but also about the essence of the teaching faced in the daily life.