Lee Man-woon was born into the prestigious Lee family of Gwangju in Chilgok, North Gyeongsang Province. His ancestors, Lee Won-jeong and Lee Dam-myeong, were prominent politicians of the Southern faction who advocated a hardline policy toward the West...
Lee Man-woon was born into the prestigious Lee family of Gwangju in Chilgok, North Gyeongsang Province. His ancestors, Lee Won-jeong and Lee Dam-myeong, were prominent politicians of the Southern faction who advocated a hardline policy toward the Western faction, which made it difficult for their descendants to pursue official careers. As a result, Lee Man-woon was unable to remain active in the central political arena for long.
Lee Man-un continued his studies in his hometown, inheriting the academic tradition of his family, which included Han-gang Jeong-gu -- Seok-dam Lee Yoon-woo -- Han-juk-jeong Lee Do-chang・ Nak-chon Lee Do-jang --, Lee Won-jeong -- and Lee Dam-myeong, as well as the academic lineage of Toegye Lee Hwang, Hak-bong Kim Seong-il, Gyeong-dang Jang Heung-hyo, Gal-am Lee Hyun-il, Je-san Kim Seong-tak, and Gusa-dang Kim Nak-haeng.
Lee Man-woon was well versed in various fields of study, including Confucianism, the interpretation of the Book of Changes, the chronological studies on changes, and etiquette. In the interpretation of the Book of Changes and the chronological studies on changes, he accepted Juja and Toegye’s emphasis on the ethical aspects. In etiquette and etiquette studies, he followed the teachings of Nam-in Jeong Gyeong-se and Lee Sang-jeong, while criticizing the teachings of Kim Jang-saeng.
Meanwhile, he actively developed local scholarship through exchanges with scholars not only in the nearby Chilgok area but also in Seongju, Sunsan, Indong, Uiseong, Andong, and other places. As a result, Lee Man-woon was recognized as the foremost scholar in the Confucian community of Yeongnam in the 18th century and was enshrined in the ancestral hall, where the spirit tablets of the deceased are not moved(‘Bulchunwee’), based on the consensus of the Confucian scholars.