Gwon Geun

Gwon Geun (1352 – 14 February 1409) was a Korean Neo-Confucian scholar at the dawn of the Joseon period, and a student of Yi Saek. He was one of the first Neo-Confucian scholars of the Joseon dynasty, and had a lasting influence on the rise of Neo-Confucianism in Korea.

Background
Gwon Geun was a Korean Neo-Confucian scholar at the time of the change from the Goryeo dynasty (during which Buddhism was a prominent philosophy) to Joseon. He was a member of the Andong Gwon clan that was very influential in the Goryeo court. He was a student of Yi Saek, and passed the first level of civil service examinations at the age of fourteen. He later went to Yuan China, and during his six years stay there he passed the second and the third level examinations. After his return to Korea, he became associated with the loyalist faction, and was exiled in 1389 for his defense of the loyalist minister Yi Sungin (1349–1392). While in exile he got involved in the faction's attempt to prevent the rise of Yi Seonggye, by alerting the Ming dynasty. His was acquitted when a flood that stopped the trial was accepted as an omen. A year later he returned from his exile and retired to the village of Yangchon, on which he based his pen name. However, king Taejo (r. 1392–1398) convinced him to devote his talent for the new dynasty.

At first, resentment from Jeong Dojeon's faction kept his role minimal, but Jeong Do-jeon and many of his colleagues were wiped out during the succession straggle of 1398. From that point until his death, Gwon Geun became the most important scholar in the government. During this time Gwon Geun directed the education system back toward literary accomplishments.

Importance
Gwon Geun lived and served during the dynastic change, and became eventually one of the architects of the Neo-Confucian ideology that provided both reasoning for the change, and ideological framework for the Joseon literati. He introduced Zhu Xi to the Korean audience, and his writings served as the basis for future scholars.

Among his writing on Neo-Confucianism, the most influential is probably the Iphak toseol (Diagrammatic Treatise for Entering upon Learning). He created this book for some students who came with questions in 1390 while he was in exile. He also wrote commentaries on the Book of Rites – A task entrusted by Yi Saek. He rearranged the text and added his own commentaries as well as those of Chinese contemporaries. The work began in 1391 but ended only in 1404. Unfortunately his commentaries on the other classics are lost now. Gwon Geun developed a theory of ritual and emphasized the role of ritual in social order. He rearranged the Classic of Music, taking the first part as the original and the second part as a commentary.

Gwon Geun was a prolific writer, and he is also known for his contributions to several anti Buddhist texts, including his preface to Jeong Dojeon's Pulssi chappyeon (Arguments Against Mr. Buddha), as well as a contribution to the standardization of the sacrifices to pacify restless spirits.

Family

 * Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather
 * Gwon Jung-si
 * Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather
 * Gwon Su-pyeong (?–1250)
 * Great-Great-Great-Grandfather
 * Gwon Wui
 * Great-Great-Great-Grandmother
 * Lady Yi; daughter of Yi Yeong
 * Great-Great-Grandfather
 * Gwon Dan (1228 – 1 December 1311)
 * Great-Great-Grandmother
 * Lady No of the Gyoha No clan ; daughter of No Yeon
 * Great-Grandfather
 * Gwon Bu (1262–1346)
 * Great-Grandmother
 * Lady Ryu of the Siryeong Ryu clan
 * Grandfather
 * Gwon Go
 * Father
 * Gwon Hui (1319–1405)
 * Mother
 * Lady Han of the Hanyang Han clan (1315–1398)
 * Sibling
 * Younger brother - Gwon Woo
 * Wife and children
 * Princess Sukgyeong, Lady Yi of the Gyeongju Yi clan (?–1423); Daughter of Yi Jun-oh (1341–1371)
 * Son - Gwon Je (1387–1445)
 * Daughter-in-law - Lady Lee ; daughter of Yi Jun
 * Grandson - Gwon Ji
 * Grandson - Gwon Ram (1416 – 6 February 1465)
 * Granddaughter-in-law - Princess Consort Yeongwon of the Goseong Lee clan (1410 – 18 October 1491)
 * Great-Grandson - Gwon Geol
 * Great-Granddaughter-in-law - Lady Nam of the Uiryeong Nam clan
 * Great-Grandson - Gwon Geon
 * Great-Granddaughter - Lady Gwon of the Andong Gwon clan
 * Great-Grandson-in-law - Han Seo-gu
 * Great-Granddaughter - Lady Gwon of the Andong Gwon clan
 * Great-Grandson-in-law - Park Sa-hwa
 * Great-Granddaughter - Lady Gwon of the Andong Gwon clan
 * Great-Grandson-in-law - Shin Eok-nyeon
 * Great-Granddaughter - Lady Gwon of the Andong Gwon clan
 * Great-Grandson-in-law - Nam Yi (1443 – 11 November 1468)
 * Great-Great-Granddaughter - Nam Gu-eul-geum, Lady Nam of the Uiryeong Nam clan
 * Great-Granddaughter - Lady Gwon of the Andong Gwon clan
 * Great-Grandson-in-law - Kim Su-hyeong
 * Great-Granddaughter - Internal Princess Consort Yeongga of the Andong Gwon clan ; Shin Su-geun's first wife
 * Great-Grandson-in-law - Shin Su-geun (1450–1506)
 * Step-Great-Great-Granddaughter - Queen Dangyeong of the Geochang Shin clan (7 February 1487 – 27 December 1557)
 * Great-Granddaughter - Lady Gwon of the Andong Gwon clan
 * Great-Grandson-in-law - Shin Mal-pyeong
 * Great-Granddaughter - Lady Gwon of the Andong Gwon clan
 * Great-Grandson-in-law - Min Sa-geon
 * Grandson - Gwon Ban
 * Grandson - Gwon Ma
 * Grandson - Gwon Hyeol
 * Grandson - Gwon Hyeong
 * Granddaughter - Lady Gwon of the Andong Gwon clan
 * Grandson-in-law - Han Myeong-jin (1426–1454)
 * Unnamed great-grandson
 * Unnamed great-granddaughter
 * Granddaughter - Lady Gwon of the Andong Gwon clan
 * Half-grandson - Gwon Chu
 * Unnamed granddaughter-in-law
 * Son - Gwon Gyu (1393–1421)
 * Daughter-in-law - Princess Gyeongan (1393 – 22 April 1415)
 * Grandson - Gwon Dam
 * Grandson - Gwon Chong (1413–1480)
 * Daughter - Lady Gwon
 * Son-in-law - Lee Jung-seon
 * Grandson - Lee Gye-ju
 * Great-Grandson - Lee Gae (1417–1456)
 * Daughter - Lady Gwon
 * Son-in-law - Seo Mi-seong
 * Granddaughter - Lady Seo of the Daegu Seo clan
 * Grandson-in-law - Choi Hang-e
 * Grandson - Seo Geo-gwang
 * Granddaughter-in-law - Lady Baek of the Suwon Baek clan
 * Grandson - Seo Geo-jeong (1420–1488)
 * Granddaughter-in-law - Lady Kim; Kim Yeo-hoe's daughter
 * Granddaughter-in-law - Lady Lee; Lee Yeong-geun's daughter
 * Great-Grandson - Seo Bok-gyeong

Works

 * Iphak doseol - Diagrams and Explanations upon Entering Learning
 * Ogyeong cheongyeonnok - Superficial Reflections on the Five Classics
 * Saseo ogyeong gugyeol - Mnemonics for the Four Book and the Five Classics
 * Gwonhaksaui paljo - Eight Articles on Recommendations for Learning
 * Dongguk ssaryak - Concise History of the Eastern State
 * Daeganjik imsamok - Admonition to the Appointment of Officials
 * Yegi Cheon'gyeonnok - Comments on the Book of Rites
 * Sangdae byeolgok
 * Yangchonjip - Collected Works of Yangchon

Popular culture

 * Portrayed by Kim Cheol-ki in the 2014 KBS1 TV series Jeong Do-jeon.