잠곡 김 육의 행정개혁론 연구

Abstract

The full-fledge skepticism and awareness towards the ruling ideas of confucianism started in the 17th century as a result of invasion by both Japanese and Qing Dynasty, the weakening of political system due to conflicts among aristocrats, and the worsening of social inequalities in Chosun Dynasty. The prominent figure who stood out at this time was Kim Yook. Kim Yook was able to accomplish political achievements because of his abilities often lacked by most bureaucrats at the time. He left a successful political legacy by expanding the Dai-dong(Great Harmony) system nationwide and promoting the use of currency. He upheld the cause but also knew the importance of practicality. When pushing forward political reforms he believed in, he did not give in to oppositions. In all of the Chosun Dynasty, very few came close to Kim Yook with such strong conviction, the power to execute and good deal of expertise. Kim Yook was the first to propose the Dai-dong system in 1638 and worked all his life for expansion. Also, Kim Yook promoted the use of currency for 7 years under the ruling of king Hyojong despite many political difficulties. He first began to contemplate the idea of adopting currency in 1627 and his conviction went stronger after the visit to China. He made his political career not by pursuing partisan and private interests but by executing public policies. His achievements were largely due to his strength in his political theories and his ability to execute public policies. He believed the wide distribution of the nation’s wealth will benefit both government and people. His conviction on practically and public interests was materialized into the Dai-dong system. After 16th century in Chosun, Taoism which emphasize ethics became widely popular. As a result, very few political figures were able to develop economic theory and execute public policies effectively. Although political figures like Teghe and Yulgok are well received for their contribution to the development of confucianism in Korea, less credit is given to figures like Kim Yook that he surely deserves. We now need the balanced assessment of political figures who have developed political theories and those who executed effective economic policies. We came to realize that we have not overcome the negative legacy that Chosun Dynasty left behind us and at the same time have been ineffective in carrying on the positive legacy. During Chosun Dynasty, political reforms were carried out only when big returns were expected. Today, it is not difficult to find cases where important reforms are carried out without careful consideration paying a high price. In today's world of mass democracy, we now need political figures like Kim Yook who have conviction, vision, expertise and most importantly the power to execute.