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Kwŏn Kŭn
Hangul	권근
Hanja	權近
Revised Romanization	Gwon Geun
McCune–Reischauer	Kwŏn Kŭn
Art name
Hangul	양촌
Hanja	陽村
Revised Romanization	Yangchon
McCune–Reischauer	Yangch'on
Courtesy name
Hangul	가원,사숙
Hanja	可遠,思叔
Revised Romanization	Gaweon, Sasuk
McCune–Reischauer	Kawŏn, Sasuk
Posthumous name
Hangul	문충
Hanja	文忠
Revised Romanization	Munchung
McCune–Reischauer	Munch'ung

Kwŏn Kŭn (1352 – 14 February 1409) was a Korean Neo-Confucian scholar at the dawn of the Joseon period, and a student of Yi Saek. He was one of the first Neo-Confucian scholars of the Joseon dynasty, and had a lasting influence on the rise of Neo-Confucianism in Korea.

Background

Kwŏn Kŭn was a Korean Neo-Confucian scholar at the time of the change from the Goryeo dynasty (during which Buddhism was a prominent philosophy) to Joseon.^[1] He was a member of the Andong Kwon clan that was very influential in the Goryeo court. He was a student of Yi Saek, and passed the first level of civil service examinations at the age of fourteen. He later went to Yuan China, and during his six years stay there he passed the second and the third level examinations. After his return to Korea, he became associated with the loyalist faction, and was exiled in 1389 for his defense of the Goryeo loyalist minister Yi Sung-in (1349–1392). While in exile he got involved in the faction's attempt to prevent the rise of Yi Sŏng-gye, by alerting the Ming dynasty. His was acquitted when a flood that stopped the trial was accepted as an omen. A year later he returned from his exile and retired to the village of Yangchon, on which he based his pen name. However, king Taejo (r. 1392–1398) convinced him to devote his talent for the new dynasty.^[2]^{: 219–232}

At first, resentment from Chŏng To-jŏn's faction kept his role minimal, but Chŏng To-jŏn and many of his colleagues were wiped out during the succession straggle of 1398. From that point until his death, Kwŏn Kŭn became the most important scholar in the government. During this time Kwŏn Kŭn directed the education system back toward literary accomplishments.

Importance

Kwŏn Kŭn lived and served during the dynastic change, and became eventually one of the architects of the Neo-Confucian ideology that provided both reasoning for the change, and ideological framework for the Joseon literati. He introduced Zhu Xi to the Korean audience, and his writings served as the basis for future scholars.

Among his writing on Neo-Confucianism, the most influential is probably the Iphak toseol (Diagrammatic Treatise for Entering upon Learning). He created this book for some students who came with questions in 1390 while he was in exile. He also wrote commentaries on the Book of Rites – A task entrusted by Yi Saek. He rearranged the text and added his own commentaries as well as those of Chinese contemporaries. The work began in 1391 but ended only in 1404. Unfortunately his commentaries on the other classics are lost now. Kwŏn Kŭn developed a theory of ritual and emphasized the role of ritual in social order. He rearranged the Classic of Music, taking the first part as the original and the second part as a commentary.^[2]^: 92

Kwŏn Kŭn was a prolific writer, and he is also known for his contributions to several anti Buddhist texts, including his preface to Chŏng To-jŏn's Pulssi Chappyŏn (An Array of Critiques of Buddhism), as well as a contribution to the standardization of the sacrifices to pacify restless spirits.^[3]

Family

Grandfather
- Kwŏn Ko (권고; 權皐)
Father
- Kwŏn Hŭi (권희; 權僖; 1319–1405)
Mother
- Lady Han of the Hanyang Han clan (한양 한씨; 漢陽韓氏; 1315–1398)
Wife and children
- Princess Sukgyeong, Lady Yi of the Gyeongju Yi clan (숙경택주 경주 이씨; 淑敬宅主慶州李氏; ?–1423); Daughter of Yi Chun-o (이존오; 李存吾; 1341–1371)
  - Son - Kwŏn Che (1387–1445)
    - Daughter-in-law - Lady Yi (이씨; 李氏); daughter of Yi Chun (이준; 李儁)
  - Son - Kwŏn Kyu (권규; 權跬; 1393–1421)
    - Daughter-in-law - Princess Gyeongan (경안공주; 1393 – 22 April 1415)
  - Daughter - Lady Kwŏn
    - Son-in-law - Yi Chong-sŏn (이종선)
  - Daughter - Lady Kwŏn
    - Son-in-law - Sŏ Mi-sŏng (서미성)

Works

Iphak doseol - Diagrams and Explanations upon Entering Learning (입학도설; 入學圖說)
Ogyeong cheongyeonnok - Superficial Reflections on the Five Classics (오경천견록; 五經淺見錄)
Saseo ogyeong gugyeol - Mnemonics for the Four Book and the Five Classics (사서오경구결; 四書五經口訣)
Gwonhaksaui paljo - Eight Articles on Recommendations for Learning (권학사의팔조; 勸學事宜八條)
Dongguk ssaryak - Concise History of the Eastern State (동국사략; 東國史略)
Daeganjik imsamok - Admonition to the Appointment of Officials (대간직임사목; 臺諫職任事目)
Yegi Cheon'gyeonnok - Comments on the Book of Rites (예기천견록; 禮記淺見錄)
Sangdae byeolgok (상대별곡; 霜臺別曲)
Yangchonjip - Collected Works of Yangchon (양촌집; 陽村集)

Popular culture

Portrayed by Kim Cheol-ki in the 2014 KBS1 TV series Jeong Do-jeon.

Notes

^ Michael K Ralston, Ideas of Self and Self Cultivation in Korean Neo-Confucianism, PhD diss., UBC, 2001. p. 73
^ ^a ^b Kalton, Michael C. "The Writings of Kwon Kun: The Context and Shape of Early Yi Dynasty Neo-Confucianism." In Wm. Theodore de Bary and JaHyun Kim Haboush, eds. The Rise of Neo-Confucianism in Korea. New York: Columbia University Press, 1985.
^ Boudewijn Walraven, "Popular Religion in a Confucianized Society," in Culture and The State in Late Choson Korea, ed. Jahyun Kim Haboush and Martina Deuchler (Cambridge: Harvard University Asia Center, 1999), 164.