여주리씨(驪州李氏) 밀양(密陽) 퇴로가문(退老家門)의 계승과 사회활동(社會活動) = The Thoughts and Social Activities of Yeoju Lee Family(驪州李氏) in Milyang(密陽)

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The ancestors of Yeoju Lee Family in Milyang originally lived in Yeoju of Gyeonggi province. Some sub-lineages of them moved to Gaeseong, the capital of Goryeo dynasty, and then to Seoul, the capital of Joseon dynasty, to obtain posts in the government, in which they were very successful to be bureaucrats. A sub-lineage of them moved to Milyang in Gyeongsang province in late 15th century, which we call Yeoju Yi Family in Milyang. The family founder LEE Sapil(李師弼) married a daughter of Ryu Jagong(柳子恭) who was a leader of a powerful local family. He could fall heir to the landowner and his descendants became a famous family in Milyang area with their wealth and scholarly attainments. A few of them obtained high posts in the government, but the others carried on their lives of local landed gentry.
In late 19th century LEE Ik-gu(李翔九) with his brother LEE Neung-gu(李能九) and Lee Myeong-Gu(李命九) moved to a new town called Toero(退老) to extend their lands, which was very successful. We sometimes call them Toero Lee Family(退老李氏) on behalf of Yeoju Lee Family in Milyang. The family was so rich, learned and respected as to lead the local gentry society.
As the western impact and the invasion of Japanese imperialism threatened Korea, it was hard times for Korean people to live in late 19th century. The Japanese invasion was just beginning in 1880s. Though LEE Ik-gu was a traditional Confucian scholar, he was trained under the influence of Silhak(實學) school and studied history profoundly, so he could see the reality of the epochal crisis and shaped his thoughts. He declared the principle of a scholar’s learning should be what to practice both the old and the new(親斤舊拉進), which means Confucianism and the western studies. And he emphasized the works of a scholar in hard times should not be limited to Confucian studies and literary works but granted to do farming, manufacturing and even commerce and technology(服田力穡通商惠工). His open-minded thoughts influenced much to his son LEE Byeong-hee(李炳熹) and nephew LEE Byeong-gon(李炳鲲).
LEE Byeong-hee was a Confucian scholar and historian who wrote the History of Joseon Dy航펴y(朝鮮史綱目). He as the leader of the family did many business, establishing a modem elementary school and running a printing house. LEE Byeong-gon also was a Confucian historian, though not finished the History of late Joseon Dynasty, left many good historical materials. He kept diaiy through out his life named Toesujae Ilgi(Diary of Toesujae, his pen name), which was published by the National Institute of Korean History in 2007. It tells the history of the family and many interesting informations of the gentry society at that time in Milyang area, though lots of it’s volume were lost.
They ran a traditional Confucian academy for their children in the town, which was called family academy(家塾). But they took the initiative in modem education in Milyang area. LEE Ik-gu opened a small academy in which modem sciences and technology were educated by the Japanese teachers in 1907. But it was abolished when Korea was forced to merge to Japan illegally in 1910. But his son LEE Byeong-hee and nephew LEE Byeong-gon established a modem private elementary school in the town Toero in 1921, which was named Jeongjin school(正進學校). They educated their children and others in this school or the Confucian family academy. Though they preferred to educate them in their Confucian academy, they also granted their descendants to be educated in higher schools in Seoul. In 1946 the Milyang Highschool was established by one of their grandson LEE Ju-hyeong who became the principal himself and then a member of the first National Congress of Republic of Korea in 1948.
The family ran a foundation named Sachang(社倉) for a long time to help the poor people in the town area. That kind of foundation Sachang was originally created by Zhu-hsi, the brilliant Neo-Confucian scholar of Sung(宋) dynasty in 12th century. So we can say the family’s Sachang was a traditional method of the Neo-Confucian social ideology.
The family founded a modem printing factory in 1909 and printed lots of books and documents, most of them were their books. They also constructed a modem mill in 1927 to grind their rice and those of other’s. One of the family member open a shop of general goods in the downtown of Milyang in 1920s, which became the gathering post of the family members and all kind of informations. And two of the members began the sericultural industry in 1940s, which was not so successful. These businesses were not so expectative for a gentry class at that time in Milyang society. But they didn’t mind at all, which was proved to be right and successful.
The studies and social activities of Yeoju Lee Family in Milyang who lived through the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century shows a good example of the Korean Confucian scholars and landlord gentry class confronting the epochal crisis of modernization. Many families and scholars were failed to survive but Yeoju Lee was successful because of their open mind to practice both the old and the new(親斤舊拉進), and the active attitude for farming, manufacturing and even commerce and technology business.