The Letters Exchanged between Yi I (Yulgok) and Song Ikp'il (Kubong) Concerning the Kyŏngmong yogyŏl

Introduction

The purpose of this translation is to introduce the letters exchanged between Yi I and his friend Song Ikp'il concerning the Kyŏngmong yogyŏl 擊蒙要訣 (Essential instructions on rectifying folly), thereby identifying the role Song Ikp'il played in the making of this text. Most previous translators and researchers have been unaware that the Kyŏngmong yogyŏl circulated in a draft version that Yi I revised after intensive review by his close friend Song Ikp'il. This fact is evidenced by letters exchanged between the two in which they discuss the work. I provide translations of these letters to inform readers of the issues raised in the letters and call attention to the differences between the first draft and the published work.

Kyŏngmong yogyŏl: A Reconstruction of its Inception

1. Yi I

Yi I 李珥 (1536–1584), pen name Yulgok 栗谷,¹ was a scholar and statesman. His character is well reflected in his work, the Kyŏngmong yogyŏl, the subject matter of which ranges from learning to working in a government office. Yi I was born in Kangnŭng, Kangwŏn Province and his ancestral home was Tŏksu 德水 (in modern Kaesŏng, Hwanghae Province). He came from a family with a long tradition of producing government officials.² His mother was Lady Sin of Pyŏngsan, better known as Sin Saimdang 申師任堂 (1504–1551).³ She was well versed in the Chinese classics, calligraphy, and painting. Under his mother's guidance Yi I began to study Literary Sinitic and by the time he was seven he could understand the Chinese classics well.⁴ At age nineteen, in 1554, he formed lifelong friendships with Sŏng Hon 成渾 (1535–1598)⁵ and Song Ikp'il 宋翼弼 (1534–1599).⁶ In 1564 he won first place in the classics examination. He then obtained the position of assistant section-chief at the Ministry of Taxation and successively filled the following positions: secretary for the royal embassy honoring the birthday of the crown prince of Ming and king's editor (1568); fifth royal secretary, censor of criminal activities, and governor of Hwanghae province (1574); minister of taxation (1581); and minister of personnel (1582). He died in Seoul at the age of forty-nine in 1584 and was buried near his parents in P'aju, Kyŏnggi Province.

Between his official postings, he offered his resignation numerous times for various reasons including illness and being unfit for duty. Sometimes these resignations were accepted, but several times they were not. King Sŏnjo liked to keep Yi I nearby at all times even though he did not like to follow Yi I's admonitions.⁷ Nevertheless, Yi I succeeded in leaving office temporarily in 1576 when a factional split between Easterners (Tongin) and Westerners (Sŏin) developed.⁸ He went to his wife's hometown Haeju in Hwanghae Province. The next year he built a shrine for the purpose of performing sacrificial rites with his family, which must have been a valuable experience for him as he composed chapter seven of the Kyŏngmong yogyŏl. These years seem to have been the most peaceful time in his life. Meanwhile, he was visited by a few students asking questions about how to learn. He wanted to give them something more than a makeshift answer or a desultory talk about learning. Thus, he came to write the Kyŏngmong yogyŏl in 1577 in which he could provide them, and other students up to the current day, with systematic instructions on learning.

2. Kyŏngmong yogyŏl

The text consists of ten chapters, the topics of which are organized progressively from individual learning to daily family life and finally social and official life. Yi I states in the preface that the ten chapters contain lessons on "how to form one's will, set one's body in order, serve one's parents, and deal with people." More specifically, chapter 1 covers the necessity of resolving to learn and a student's potential. Chapter 2...