1896년 郭鍾錫의 布告天下文 발송 경위

Abstract

In 1896, Five Korean Confucian, including Kwak Jong-seok(郭鍾錫) who was one of famous Confucian leaders at that time, sent a letter named Pogo Cheonhamun(布告天下文: a letter sent to the world) to the Western legations in seoul. Those had to take a bitter criticism from the Confucian and the community, because those activity absolutely was out of the ordinary Confucian thought, so called Hwa-i theoy(華夷論) which distinguished human being(meaning Confucian civilization) from primitive society(meaning Western civilization) strictly. Why Kwak sent such a letter to the legations in spite of forecasting the criticism of the confucian? We could find the reasons in two. Most of all, he seemed to indicate the his support intention on King Kojong's flee to Russian legation and new political power caused from the incident. We need to remind several things of him. He had been appointed to a official in Jenuary 1895, was under the second general of Andong righteous army(安東義兵) in December, and sent Pogo Cheonhamun to the legations after the King Kojons's flee in February 1896. And, he took great interest in protecting Confucian civilization as a confucian leader. It is a fact that he used the international law in the meaning of Western people(萬國公法) to ask for the help of Western powers, but it was limited in the purpose of protecting Korean Confucianism. He insisted that his behaviour was to let Western powers obey themselves. In fact, Pogo Cheonhamun focused that Western powers should protect human being's morality in nature which was stressed in Confucianism.