Focus on Jeong Yak-yong: The “Heart” Behind the Great Thinker

By Diane Dooley

Who was Jeong Yak-yong? Jeong Yak-yong (정약용, 1762–1836) was a prominent intellectual in late Joseon Korea (1392–1897). Jeong is also frequently referred to by his pseudonym “Dasan” – a reference to the small mountain valley located here in our very own Jeollanam-do, where he spent some years in political exile from the Joseon court. In this article, I hope to reveal the more sensitive side of this renowned intellectual, who also happens to have a very unique connection to Jeollanam-do!

“Practical” Learning

Dasan belonged to the emerging Practical Thinking (Sirhak, 실학) school of intellectual thought. This school of thought arose out of a growing call for change that swept Joseon society in the wake of several devastating invasions. As noted by various scholars, “intense self-examination and self-criticism inevitably follow in the wake of national calamities, for nothing else so clearly exposes the roots of a society’s ills.” The devastating Japanese invasions of 1592–1598) and the Manchu invasions of 1627 and 1636, during which Joseon Korea was repeatedly laid to waste, exposed long-accepted abuses of power and privilege, gross inequities in society, and the inefficiency of established institutions. These are the things Dasan and his contemporaries hoped to tackle – no small feat!

At the time of these invasions, the Joseon court was consumed with the factional power struggles of the elite, rendering the government incapable of both defending the country against its invaders and restoring it in the aftermath. For some, the only solution was a complete overhaul of Joseon’s governmental institutions, and so the Practical Learning movement arose. Most Practical Learning scholars were from the Southerner faction, whose adherents had been prohibited from taking government posts for generations, but whose status as perpetual outsiders placed them in a good position to call for change. In order to root out what they perceived as their society’s problems, Practical Learning scholars undertook exhaustive studies of Joseon society, including everything from its political and economic institutions to agricultural technology and its language and literature.

For Practical Learning scholars, truths could be verified “factually” through their own studies and lived experiences. Dasan himself produced several studies throughout his lifetime, including Admonitions on Governing the People, which is by far his most celebrated work. This work had a large impact on late Joseon society and is so well known that its title has inspired novels and a television miniseries. Admonitions is a poignant reflection on Joseon society and its perceived shortcomings, as well as Dasan’s solutions. Although its content is focused on late Joseon society, the cases of local government inefficiency, corruption, and irregularities are universal, and much of Dasan’s thought can be applied to problems faced by leaders today. This is all presented to readers in Dasan’s unique style – Dasan does not merely describe social problems and offer some solutions, but he incorporates his own experiences and sincere desire to rectify the social problems of his day.

Power and Exile

Dasan was from a distinguished family of Southerners and became one of the leading Practical Learning intellectuals of his day. His scholarly prowess was evident from a young age. He published his first volume of poems, titled Three-Eyebrow Collection, when he was only nine years old, and successfully participated in various state examinations and received recognition and praise from King Jeongjo, who later became his mentor and friend. This allowed him access to public roles despite being prohibited from the highest of government positions due to his familial background.

King Jeongjo’s favor was, however, both a blessing and a curse. King Jeongjo was, of course, the son of Crown Prince Sado, who was put to death by Jeongjo’s grandfather, King Yeongjo, in 1762. Jeongjo spent the majority of his reign coping with the political and emotional fallout of this incident. Due to the complicated situation surrounding the king’s personal tragedy and the ongoing factional strife, Dasan naturally became a primary target for the king’s enemies. Instead of directly attacking Jeongjo, they chose to weaken him by attacking those who were most loyal and beneficial to him. Dasan’s family history and association with Catholicism made him particularly vulnerable.

Interest in Catholicism, or “Western Learning,” among the Southerner faction was already well established by the time of Jeongjo’s reign. Catholicism had spread among Dasan’s family and friends, too. Dasan’s brother-in-law was baptized by a Western priest in China, who then baptized his colleagues upon his return to Korea. Most of Dasan’s brothers converted to Catholicism. However, King Jeongjo proscribed Catholicism in 1785 when the Roman Catholic Church ruled that ancestor worship and the belief in Christianity were incompatible – placing Catholicism in direct opposition with Confucianism, the thought that underpinned Joseon government and society. Several years later, Dasan’s maternal cousin destroyed the memorial tablet for his mother in accordance with the papal decree of 1742. In a society based strongly on ancestor worship, this naturally outraged the government, as well as the public, due to its challenge to traditional Confucian morality. Dasan’s relative was quickly arrested and publicly executed.

This and similar incidents provided the opposing Old Doctrine faction with the perfect pretext for removing Southerners, who had begun to rise again with Jeongjo’s support. Its members accused Dasan and his associates of violating the royal decree on Catholicism, and many, including Dasan, spent many years in a cycle of being exiled by Jeongjo for their own safety and then recalled to court when it was politically safer to do so, only to be exiled again.

Gangjin: From Tea to Zip Lines

Many of our readers in Jeollanam-do will not be surprised to learn that the province was a popular location to send political untouchables during the Joseon Dynasty due to its relative distance from the center of power.

Gangjin is a county that is famous for its tentative World Heritage Site, the Gangjin Kiln Sites, a complex of over 100 kiln sites that produced Goryeo celadon. Gangjin’s location beside the sea provided easy distribution of Goryeo wares to China and Japan. Today, Gangjin boasts a Goryeo Celadon Museum, several popular restaurants, including Suingwan, a traditional Korean restaurant offering the classic baekban (백반) spread, as well as a zip line, for those looking for a quick trip back to reality after exploring the peace and quiet of Dasan’s place of exile.

Dasan was eventually exiled to Gangjin in the summer of 1802, where he spent almost 18 years in the solitude of a small mountain valley famous for its tea. Today, you can visit the complex of small thatched structures that were built by Dasan, known as Dasan Chodang, or Thatched House on a Tea Mountain. After a short, easy hike, you will find the small thatched house in which Dasan spent most of his exile, continuing his scholarly work, as well as teaching. On the right side, there is a small structure that offers a tranquil view of Gangjin Bay, and a small pond located to the left side.

In the front yard, there is a stone that is said to have been used by Dasan to make tea. Dasan’s health had suffered during his exile in Gangjin, and it is said that, among other things, he suffered from chronic digestive problems. Aware of the potential medicinal value of tea, Dasan wrote a poem/letter requesting tea leaves from a nearby hill. Several letters sent between his students detail Dasan’s tea-making adventures and his unique method of preparation. These have been translated by Brother Anthony:¹ “It is essential to steam the picked leaves three times and dry them three times, before grinding them very finely. Next, that should be thoroughly mixed with water from a rocky spring and pounded like clay into a dense paste that is shaped into small cakes. Only then is it good to drink.” The early 19th century interest and popularity of tea in Joseon is often attributed to Dasan and his experiments with tea-making.

The Personal Cost of Disease: From Smallpox to COVID-19

In the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, we can again turn to Dasan’s work and find an abundance of relevant content. One issue in particular that Dasan passionately evaluated was the Joseon government’s (mis)management of smallpox. Despite his heavy workload and many ongoing projects, Dasan wrote and published the Comprehensive Study on Smallpox, which was designed to save children dying from smallpox. Dasan lost several children to the disease, as well as being a victim himself as a small child. Because of his personal experiences with smallpox, Dasan was especially interested in finding a treatment for the disease.

In one of his more personal prose compositions, My Young Daughter, Dasan commemorates one of his children who died from smallpox. It is an extremely intimate look into the personal life and emotions of this renowned scholar. He writes, “Because her filial devotion for her mother was clearly demonstrated by her smooth birth, we chose the name Hyo-sun.”^2,3 Here, Dasan is implying that his daughter’s birth was so easy that it should be considered an act of filial devotion towards her mother.He continues to list the ways in which her “filial devotion” toward her parents was exemplary: Whenever her mother and father became angry with each other and bickered, her mere presence would cause “both parties’ hearts to melt,” and Dasan admired how she would refuse to eat until her parents had first had a proper meal. Dasan also describes the way in which her adorableness would “twist” his tongue, almost against its will, whenever he or his wife called her name: Hyo-sun became Hoh-dooong. This doting father’s loving description of an idyllic young family is followed quite sharply by a description of her illness: Her skin became “black as charcoal” and, after a particularly severe case of diarrhea, she passed away. The composition ends with the names of two of his sons who also died from smallpox.

It is Dasan’s personal compositions that bring life, as well as a sense of passion and urgency, to his scholarly evaluations, and perhaps what contributes to the longevity of his work. If you ever find yourself in Gangjin, I encourage a visit to Dasan’s place of exile to enjoy some good tea, an easy hike, tranquil views of the river, and to experience what it might have felt like to be Dasan in his moment of exile. And do not forget about the zip line for when you have to be brought back to reality quickly!

Footnotes

¹ Korean Tea Classics. (2010). [Trans. Brother Anthony of Taizé, Hong Keong-Hee, & Steven D. Owyoung.] Seoul Selection.

² The Chinese character used for the first syllable of her name, 孝 [hyo], means “filial piety”; the second, 順 [sun], means “gentle.”

³ Unattributed translations of My Young Daughter are by the author, Diane Dooley.

Cover photo: Jeong Yak-yong’s Dasan Chodang. (By Cho’s; CC BY-SA 3.0)

The Author

Diane Dooley is originally from Glasgow, Scotland, and has a BA in Korean and an MA in Korean literature. She enjoys reading, coffee, and talking about Korea to anyone willing to listen. She currently lives and
works in Gwangju as an English teacher and is passionate about education.
Email: dianedooley@naver.com