權漢功의 生涯와 行蹟

Abstract

I suppose the date of birth of Kwon Han-gong(權漢功, ?∼1349) was in 1263(Wonjong 4). He came and went to Gaegyeong from hometown Andong with his father, Kwon Chaek(權頙) and prepare for the state examination in an adolescent period. After passing an examination, he was appointed a Munhangwan(文翰官) but didn’t had risen a high rank for a long time. In 1298(Chungnleolwang 24), he went with Chungsunwang(忠宣王) as an attendant when Chungsunwang went to Beijing after his abdication. Since then, he took charge of the personnel administration with his colleague, Choe-Seongji(崔誠之) when Chungsunwang was restored. And then, he was promoted the prime minister, and enforced an arbitrary rule. As a result, he was purged from Chungsukwang(忠肅王) in 1321(Chungsukwang 8). However, I suppose that Kwon Han-gong was rehired after 1332 (Chungsukwang’s restoration 1) when the king purged the favorite retainers of Chunghyewang. In 1335(Chungsukwang’s restoration 4) he became the minister. From the following year, he was the prime minister for three years and retired from political life in 1339(Chunghyewang’s restoration 1). Since then, he assumed a critical attitude toward the politics for ten years, and then died(about 87). Considering he was the head examiner(主文) with Hong Ryun(洪瀹) in the period of Chungsunwang, and he was a representative scholar in his own age. Existent his poetry and prose have a special feature that have a good command of the scriptures of Confucianism and the ancient history of China. Also, even though he stayed at Yuan Empire and interchanged with the scholars for a long time, there is difference between them in their calligraphy. Maybe he was greatly influenced by Buddhism that not influenced the practical ethics of Neo-Confucianism. Politically, Kwon Han-gong closely exchanged with Choe-Seongji and Chae-Hongcheol(蔡洪哲). But he didn’t received their support when he helped Simwang Go(瀋王 暠) to the throne. While in Yuan, he exchanged with Chao Meng-fu(趙孟頫), Chu Teh-jun(朱德潤) and Feng Zi-zhen(馮子振), and acquired advanced culture under Chungsunwang. Finally, Kwon Han-gong caused trouble as the central figure of enthroning of Simwang Go for a while. It showed his sense of reality and the relation with Simwang Go. However, since the events, he never took part in the enthroning of Simwang Go. Nevertheless, he has been criticized for his action because of his scornful attitudes about the king’s misfortune. It meant that he had a same attitude of the ruling class of Koryo that was content with the management system of Yuan. (Kyungpook National University/dichang@knu.ac.kr)