李睟光의 順天府使 재임 시절과 『芝峯類說』

Abstract

This study examines the tracks of Yi Su-kwang(李睟光) during his service as governor of Suncheon(1616-1619) and analyzes the articles related to Suncheon in Chibong Yuseol(芝峯類說). Such attempts were inspired by the notion that his experiences as the governor of Suncheon are reflected in Chibong Yuseol despite it has been long believed that Chibong Yuseol was completed in 1614. In particular, this study explored the articles related to Suncheon in Chibong Yuseol and referred to a town chronicle, Seungpyeongji(昇平誌), compiled by Yi during his service to analyze how his experiences in Suncheon were incorporated to Chibong Yuseol. Yi was appointed as the governor of Suncheon to avoid conflicts with Gwanghaegun(光海君) regime. Suncheon was the main battleground during the Jeongyu War(丁酉再亂) and it recovered a peaceful state by the time Yi took office. Yi demonstrated his talents as a literary man by praising the beautiful landscapes of Suncheon in his poems. He also successfully performed his duties as a local official and reconstructed the eight horses monument, which was damaged during the Jeongyu War. The monument still remains as a symbolic cultural heritage of Suncheon. These show that Yi left significant footprints in Suncheon. The town chronicle of Suncheon, Seungpyeongji, was compiled out of the need to record the historical sites of Suncheon, and it shares the common features with Yi’s representative work, Chibong Yuseol. Some parts of Seungpyeongji also are written in Chagiche(箚記体) writing that Yi learned while writing substantial part of the Chibong Yuseol. This writing style is not found in other town chronicles written in the same period. Yi’s experience of writing Chibong Yuseol influenced the compilation of Seungpyeongji and knowledge and information he obtained in Suncheon also reflected in Chibong Yuseol too. The Chibong Yuseol records the information on historical sites, figures, literary works, local products, plants, and animals he had never seen before, and Yi obtained such information while compiling Seungpyeongji. In the process of compiling Chibong Yuseol, Yi actively edited and incorporated the information from Seungpyeongji based on structure and purpose of Chibong Yuseol. In addition, Yi went beyond simple rearrangement of information recorded in Seungpyeongji. Instead, Yi used the information in various ways, such as supplementing the information in Chibong Yuseol and suggesting the evidences for his deductions or opinions. As a result, Chibong Yuseol contains various experiences Yi gained from Suncheon. His years of serving as the Suncheon’s governor and compilation of Seungpyeongji provided considerable amount of knowledge and information to Chibong Yuseol in order to make it more diverse and abundant.