서울 관료 문인들이 주거지에 투영한 자아상의 변모 양상: 임진왜란 이후~17세기 중반에 창작된 작품을 중심으로

Abstract

This paper analyzes the transformation of the self-image expressed through the residences of Seoul’s literati-bureaucrats after the wars. Seoul, home to many bureaucratic literati, was where they aimed to create residential spaces resembling a retreat, balancing bureaucratic duties with reclusive aspirations—a life in harmony with the ideal of retirement and public duty. This phenomenon persisted until the mid-Joseon period. However, following the devastation of the Imjin War, changes began to appear in the self-images these literati projected onto their living spaces. The study focuses on the self-images reflected in the restored or newly built residences of Seoul’s literati-bureaucrats from the late 16th to mid-17th centuries. Compared to the pre-Imjin War era, the self-image projected by these literati-bureaucrats onto their homes can be categorized into three main shifts. First, some portrayed their residences as spaces where they awaited new official appointments. For example, Yoon Doo-soo’s Aesandang and Park Gong’s Manhyangdang expressed the desire to return to public office, even after retirement. Second, others used the names of their residences to indicate their approach to navigating the turbulent political climate. Shin Sik’s Yongjeolheon (literally “humble hermitage”) is a notable example, where he named his residence based on a term Seonjo used to criticize him, reflecting a strategic response to the troubled times. Third, those not interested in public office portrayed their homes as sanctuaries removed from worldly affairs, as seen in Heo Jin’s Dongam and Yoo Jung-ryang’s Sohandang. Before the war, these literati created reclusive spaces within or near Seoul, aiming to harmonize retirement and public duty. Through their homes, they expressed a desire to overcome the chaotic postwar period by retreating from society and finding personal fulfillment. Thus, post-war Seoul’s literati-bureaucrats projected a self-image onto their residences that shifted from their idealistic pursuits to one responding pragmatically to the tumultuous reality they faced.