Gangdong-gu chief pays tribute to philosopher
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Gangdong District chief Lee Hae-sik
By Lee Min-hyung
Gangdong District chief Lee Hae-sik has paid tribute to a philosopher of the Joseon Kingdom ― Dasan Jeong Yak-yong (1762-1836) ― commemorating the 180th anniversary of his death.
The tribute ceremony took place Thursday at his tomb in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. A group of Dasan followers holds the event each year to honor his endeavors to espouse practical learning and his affection toward the people at that time.
In particular, he is best known for his views on governors, dubbed “Mok-min-kwan,” calling for them to serve the people with integrity. His flagship book, “Mok-min-shim-seo,” came against this backdrop, urging governors to have compassion for the people and push for leadership in serving their wishes.
“The Mok-min-kwan is great guidance and a lesson for public officials today,” Lee said after the commemoration. “It is a great honor for me to join the event after receiving a Dasan award last year.”
The government has given the award since 2009 to regional government heads who fulfilled their duty to serve local residents in the way Dasan stressed through the Mok-min-kwan.
Lee won the Grand Dasan Award last year in recognition of his efforts for the balanced development in economic, environmental and social areas in the district. In 2015, he pledged to turn Gangdong into a sustainable district, putting priority on the people under the theory of Dasan.
Lee donated his award money of 15 million won ($13,000) to the district’s education fund. The resource was established in 1998 for a scholarship program to help poor students. Lee also donated 5 million won in 2013 to the fund, also after receiving the Dasan award. The fund has raised more than 1.2 billion won since its establishment.