The purpose of this study is to consider Bobaekdang Kim Gye-haeng’s noble spirit and sensible deeds. Bobaekdang entered government service at the age of 50 as a Saheonbu Gamchal and maintained his public office for about 20 years. Except for his app...
The purpose of this study is to consider Bobaekdang Kim Gye-haeng’s noble spirit and sensible deeds. Bobaekdang entered government service at the age of 50 as a Saheonbu Gamchal and maintained his public office for about 20 years. Except for his appointment as Goryeonghyeongam, one of the provincial government posts, he passed through all the key posts referred to as Samsa: Saheonbu, Saganwon, and Hongmungwan. Also, in his later years, he served as a Daesaseong and Daesagan, too. In his senescence, he faced a series of political confusion, for example, Yeonsangun’s tyranny and massacre of scholars or Jungjongbanjeong, but despite all the hardships, he cultivated his body and soul grounded on Manhujeong built in his hometown and led his family amicably and stably.
Based on review over advanced research as well as materials including Silgi and Silrok, this author has considered Bobaekdang’s noble spirit and sensible deeds in three aspects: practicing ‘Geojungyakgyeong’, pursuing ‘Nandeukhodo’, and avoiding ‘Seongmungwajeong’. From many parts of them, we can find the fact that he was not a person outdated or narrow-minded but a figure valuing those that are practical and substantial. He said, “I don’t have any treasure in my house, but if I have to choose one, it is integrity.” He never sought decades of wealth and prosperity from his personal embarrassment but always behaved himself for the sake of Yubangbaekse.
Being true to the name, Bobaekdang, he lived his life integrally. Although his posthumous work is hardly left and not much has been transmitted up to now, we can still see his character was noble enough to motivate coming scholars regardless of factions. As a result, around the reign of Cheoljong, he was promoted from Ijochampan up to Ijopanseo, and in the reign of Gojong, he was finally granted the posthumous epithet of Jeongheongong. Going through all the hardships in his government service, he behaved himself consistently to his own faith and lived out his allotted span of life. Therefore, the survivals of his have been constantly maintained in the mind of later generations up until now although hundreds of years have passed since then.