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| A portrait of 18th-century scholar Park Ji-won |
By John Redmond
Yeol, the Society for Korean Cultural Heritage, will present a lecture on the philosophy of Park Ji-won at Sajik Park in Seoul on March 3.
The lecture has been titled "Engaging China and Discovering Korea's True Strengths — the Philosophy of Park Ji-won."
Yeol has presented some of Korea's most prominent scholars, experts and intellectuals in the field of Korean art, culture and history. The lectures are in English and, starting this year, include a light lunch, in order to be more accessible to working professionals.
The first speaker of the 2014 Yeol lecture season will be Emanuel Pastreich, director of the Asia Institute in Seoul.
"The international community wrestles with a response to the increased cultural and economic influence of China in East Asia," according to the Yeol website. "Yet we can learn much from the insights of the Korean scholar and writer Park Ji-won, who formulated a practical and thoughtful response to China in the 18th century that stressed an informed engagement."
Park also wrote about contemporary society and the gaps between social groups in an increasingly polarized society. His suggestions for how such issues can be addressed through cultural activities are as relevant today as they were when he wrote.
Moreover, Park's writing suggested a potential within the Confucian tradition for innovation that has often been overlooked by contemporary writers.
Park was one of the most important intellectuals of the 18th century in Korea. But as he strove to transform the nation, he realized that he could not do so simply through policies or arguments to the government.
He had to change people's perceptions. His answer was a series of compelling novels that described for the first time the lives of ordinary people and drew attention to what was so extraordinary in their experiences.
He made visible the world of beggars, farmers, con men, day laborers and widows. Those who had no voice in Joseon society suddenly had a chance to articulate their perspectives.
Pastreich is director of the Asia Institute in Seoul and associate professor at the College International Studies of Kyung Hee University.
Pastreich studied the classical literature of China, Japan and Korea, producing two important books on Korean and Japanese classical novels. He has a bachelor's degree in Chinese literature from Yale University (1987), a master's degree in comparative culture from the University of Tokyo (1992) and a Ph.D. in East Asian languages and civilizations from Harvard (1997).
The lecture will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The cost is 10,000 won and includes a sandwich and drinks.
RSVP by sending your name and contact details to Choi Hee-hyeon at yeol400@hanmail.net.
Take subway line 5 to Gwanghwamun Station. Leave exit 7 and walk seven minutes. The museum is on the opposite corner from the Man with Hammer sculpture. It is the building with the streetcar with mother and children sculpture.
For more information contact yeol400@hanmail.net or phone 02-736-5868 and 02-735-5878.
The starting point of the walking lecture is the Sajik Park entrance and the finishing point is Dongnipmun Station.
