錦溪 黃俊良의 官歷과 牧民 活動

Abstract

Hwang Jun-ryang(黃俊良) was a government official in the middle Choseon dynasty. This article focuses on his official career and his service as a local governor. His life is restored in this article by examining Geumgyejip(錦溪集), a collection of his literary works, besides letters in Toegyejip(退溪集). The way of his wise government is also scrutinized in the article. Passing the civil service examination, Hwang Jun-ryang began his official career working at various low-ranking official positions in Seonggyungwan(成均館) at the time sarim faction reentered the political world. In his hometown, Punggi(豐基), Ju Se-bung(周世鵬) established the first Seowon(書院), a private school, and Yi Hwang(李滉) developed Seowon during his service as a local governor, gunsu. As Hwang Jun-ryang was a grandson-in-law of Yi Hyeon-ro(李賢老), who was revered by all the factions, he could keep company with Ju Se-bung or Yi Hwang. He filled various local governor positions, such as Shinnyeong hyeongam, Danyang gunsu, Seongju moksa. During the service, he led relief efforts for the starved, solved his former governor's liabilities, and developed education sincerely. Especially, serving as a local governor of Danyang, he proposed tax cut to the king and successfully provided the people with the tax exemption benefit for ten years. This gave him the honorable name, seonchi suryeong(善治守令), that is, a wise government local governor. He exerted every effort in education in Sewon(書院) which was sarim faction's great concern and as Seongju moksa, he finished compiling Jujaseojeolyo(朱子書節要); The Abbreviated Essence of Master Zhu Xi’s Letters which Yi Hwang had begun to compile. It was a great achievement for him to get the tax exemption from the king as Danyang gunsu. Thanks to the tax cut the lives of people in Danyang improved. His fame as a wise governor, however, was not acquired because of his administration process but because of the king's permission for the exemption. At that time as the local governor's administrative work was mostly concerned with collecting products, he just got the fame while leading a leisurely life in Danyang. After all, his fame as a wise governor was made in the social atmosphere of governing by a person. At that time they believed that things could be completely changed not by the system but by the governor's moral virtue and ability. That's why Hwang Jun-ryang was remembered as a symbol of wise governor by the people who looked forward to the beneficent government.