A Comparative Study on Local Self-Governing Community in Pre-modern Korea and Vietnam : Focus on HyangYak(鄕約) and Huong Uoc Co

Abstract

In the pre-modern Korea, the Joseon Dynasty(1392-1897) was ruled with the idea of Confucianism. Joseon maintained a centralized authoritarian rule, yet Chief-Administrators(守令) were dispatched in cities. Some regional leaders autonomically practiced HangYak(鄕約: code of village regulations) in order to assist the local self-governing community. This system was not mandatory. Depending on circumstances, the Chief-Administrator exercised HyangYak with the purpose of governing region and local SaJoks(士族; regional leader; ky lao, tu tai, chanh tong, pho tong, huong truong, hao truong, etc.) supported it with the purpose of ruling the lower-class people(鄕村民) in village. Joseon’s HyangYak system was not powerful compared to Vietnam, where the “local rule goes above the King’s rule(Phep vua thuale lang),” but it still carried autonomy.BR In the early 16SUPth/SUP century, Joseon adopted and practiced a 『YeoSiHyangYak(呂氏鄕約)』, which was supplemented by JooJa(朱子) in Song(宋) Dynasty. The system implemented in the later period can be divided into four characteristics such as period, purpose, performer, and participants. In the 16-17SUPth/SUP century, a HyangGyu(鄕規) was ruled by the SaJok. Unlike the Chinese YeoSiHyangYak, the SaJoks in Korea had their own regulation and interests. For a DongGye(洞契) in the 17-18SUPth/SUP century, since the SaJoks’ power became weakened, the HyangYak was implemented to rule the lower classes in Dong(洞; smaller scale than city) instead of city. In the 18-19th century, the Chief-Administrators directly practiced a JuHyunHyangYak. The lowest administrative organization had 10 Chons(村). Among the others, the Korean’s ChonGye(村契) has similarities with the Vietnam’s HyangYak(Hương ước). The ChonGye functioned as a religious community which was formed to hold a ritual ceremony for village guardian and as a labour community which was formed to work together during the rice-planting season. Moreover, it was worked as a living community where people helped each other in special occasion such as wedding and funeral as well as when they suffered a disaster. The ChonGye as the daily-living community, people not only assisted each other but also mutually regulated when their behaviors are morally and ethically wrong.