20세기 어느 유학자의 생애와 편찬 활동

Abstract

This paper examines the work of Songseok Lee Byung-yeon(1894-1977) as a compiler of books and documents, a twentieth-century Confucian scholar in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do Province. Lee Byung-yeon edited and published Joseon Hwanyeoseungram(朝鮮寰輿勝覽), a vast human geography book on 129 counties in the 1930s, but even basic information on his life has not yet been reported to the academic world. Drawing on the life of Lee Byung-yeon, this paper discusses the process and backgrounds of the publication of the books he compiled: Joseon Hwanyeoseungram, Buyeo Geumseongdanji(扶餘錦城檀誌), Daesongdan Sillok, Yeonseong Chungjeonggong Yeonbo(延城忠靖公年譜), The Collected Poems of Nango(蘭皐詩集), etc. Despite living in poverty, Lee Byung-yeon gained practical knowledge and experience by participating in the compilation of documents published by his father Lee Won and uncle Lee Seok from the age of 19. Joseon Hwanyeoseungram covered data on a national scale, dealt with each county in an individual volume, and included extensive personal information. This came from Lee’s experience of assisting his father and uncle to publish documents. The success of Joseon Hwanyeoseungram had provided a stable socio-economic foundation for Lee Byung-yeon since his forties. He continued to edit and publish documents related to his ancestors, thereby enhancing the status of his forefathers and strengthening the ties of kinship. For Confucian scholars who lived in the 20th century, the social atmosphere of the time pointed to an era of crisis. They responded to the changed environment in various ways, such as compiling Confucian literature, publishing genealogies, academic research, glorifying ancestors, and preserving relics. As is well known, the development of printing technology in modern and contemporary times has produced and distributed a large amount of knowledge and information, which led to the formation of new ideas and perceptions. It is also worth noting that in combination with a new printing culture, Confucian literature, such as genealogy and collections of literary works, has also been greatly expanded. Lee Byung-yeon’s life and compilation work are a typical example of this change in circumstances.