響山 李晩燾의 생애와 순국

Abstract

A patriot Lee, Man-do’s life can be divided into 3 periods, that is, a period for study, a period of his holding an appointment and a period of his anti-Japanese struggle. As he sacrificed his life for the fatherland performing a fast after the 1910 National Humiliation, he took unlimited responsibility in front of history. As he was faithful to Confucianism, a governing ideology during the Joseon Dynasty, he chose to die for the country. He was a descendant of Toigye Lee Hwang, a master of Confucianism in Joseon. Therefore his faith in the usefulness and value of the system of Confucianism was absolute. Japanese invasion of Korea destroyed his faith and the 1910 National Humiliation was the end of Confucian value and order. Confucian value and order which located in the inner side of his consciousness collapsed, and disgrace and dishonor were left in him. His dying for the country was an exit chosen by him unavoidably in the darkness without any hope due to the 1910 National Humiliation. From this point of view, his dying for the country has a great historical meaning. In the fact that he was one of Lee, Hwang’s direct descendants, it can be said that he came of a absolute authoritative family symbolizing the Joseon’s identity and furthermore, he was a career technocrat with the great portion in the point that he worked for an important office of the central government for more than 10 years. Therefore he was a figure with the great portion as much as symbolizing the Korean Empire in two sides, that is, tradition and authority, and accumulated government power. The fact that he with such a symbolism and authority felt extreme guilty and died for the country to take care of the situation set a vivid historical example for future generations.