Cha Byukp; Dolbegae Publishing; 391 pp., 20,000 won
Ideological strife is still a problem in South Korea. However, it is nothing compared to the sectarian rift among top bureaucrats during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). Top government officials and scholars could be degraded to treasonous villains overnight, depending on which sect grabbed power.
Jeong Yak-yong (1762-1836), one of the greatest philosophers and thinkers of the late Joseon era, lived a tumultuous life. The great scholar in pragmatic Confucianism or “practical learning” was expelled to a remote village in 1801, after King Jeongjo (1752-1800) passed away abruptly.
Jeong (penname Dasan) lived in a village on the southwestern coast for about 18 years during which he wrote as many as 600 treatises.
There have been many books about Dasan. However, this one is different from others as the author is not a scholar but a photographer.
He followed in the footsteps of the scholar to portray the latter half of his life, capturing every aspect of Dasan’s life in 90 photographs.
He walked all the roads Dasan had previously walked. This book is the outcome of his pilgrimage and a tribute to the great scholar.
-Cho Jae-hyeon