The author Yu Mongin was a civil servant and an outstanding writer of the mid-Joseon dynasty. During the Japanese invasion of 1592 (壬辰傻亂 Imjin Waeran), he was recognized for his contributions to diplomacy with Ming dynasty China. However, for having participated in the reconstruction of King Gwanghaegun (光海君, r.1608-1623), he was convicted of treason and executed during the rule of King Injo (仁祖, r.1567-1608). He name was reinstated after his death. He created Eouyadam (於于野譚 Collection of Unofficial Histories by Eou [Yu Mongin]), opening up to literary history a new narrative world called the “yadam (unofficial History).”
1. Life
Yu Mongin was a civil servant and writer of Joseon between the reigns of King Seonjo (宣祖, r. 1567-1608) and King Injo. His family origin was Heungyang (興陽), his courtesy name was Eungmun (應文), his pen names were Eoudang (於于堂), Ganjae (艮齋), Mukoja (默好子), and Jaowa (自娛窩), and his posthumous name is Uijeong (義貞).
He passed his first civil exam in 1582 and by 1589, at the age of 31, he passed the augmented civil service examination with the highest marks and rose to his appointment. In his time, scholars such as No Susin (盧守愼, 1515-1590) and Yu Seongnyong (柳成龍, 1542-1607) praised his writing as “gimun (奇文 remarkable writing)” not seen in a hundred years. After passing his exams, he is said to have studied under Seong Hon (成渾, 1535-1598) for a period of time and served as the Minister of Rites (禮曹判書 Yejo Panseo)
During Imjin Waeran, he was engaged in diplomacy with Ming dynasty China but soon returned to the royal court at the outset of the second Japanese invasion in the cyclical year Jeongyu, 1597 (丁酉再亂 Jeongyu Jaeran) to become the censor (御史 eosa) to oversee the whole of Hamgyeong and Pyeongan provinces. After Jeongyu Jaeran, bereaved of his mother, he went into isolation from 1601 onward, training pupils and continuing the discourse on learning activities. After this period, he returned to service as assistant chief royal secretary (左承旨 jwaseungji) and chief royal secretary (都承旨 doseungji). From 1622 to the King Injo’s coup in 1623, he stayed at Mt. Geumgang to focus on reading and writing while keeping the company of Buddhist monks. It was during this time that he wrote the 80 odd chapters of Eoujip and the 10 chapters of Eouyadam. In March of 1623, the Seoin (Western) faction, in support of Injo’s coup, accused Yu Mongin for having participated in Gwanghaegun’s reconstruction plan and executed him. He name was posthumously cleared by King Jeongjo to be conferred the title of Minister of Personnel and obtained the posthumous name, “Uijeong.”
2. Writing
Among Yu Mongin’s writings are Eoujip (於于集) and Eouyadam (於于野談). In the original manuscript of Eoujip, which Yu Mongin personally put down on parchment, was an enormous work that nearly reached 50 chapters of prose and 30 chapters of poems. The Buddhist monk Yeongun (靈運) of Yujeom Temple on Mt. Geumgang published and stored 40 of those chapters after becoming acquainted with Yu Mongin. Apart from these two works, it is said that that there were Eoudupyeong (於于杜評) - a collection of poems in the style of the poems of Du Fu - and Pirwonbeopcheop (筆苑㳒帖) - a collection of stories emulating the various sentiments of past generations - but both have disappeared. The remaining manuscripts were published in 12 chapters in wood type print in 1823. The chronology and unofficial history (yadam) were published towards the back. The content of the current publication of Eoujip is as follows.
Part One (前集 jeonjip): Chapter 1-2 contain poems and chapter 3-6 contain prose. Without a distinguishing poetic form, the poems are compiled by date and content. Also, without individual titles for the poems, only the names of location of composition are recorded. To name just a few, there are Gwandongnok (關東錄), Seongsarok (星槎錄), Jocheollok (朝天錄), and Geumgangnok (朝天錄).
Part Two (後集 hujip): With poems in chapter 1-2, chapter 3-6 in prose, it has the same structure as Part One. In chapter 1 are contained “Pouirok (布衣錄),” “Gwandongnok (關東錄),” “Seongsarok (星槎錄),” and others. In chapter 2 are included “Jocheollok (朝天錄),” “Duryurok (頭流錄),” and others. In chapter 3-4 are also included preface (seo 序), notes (gi 記), edicts (gyoseo 敎書), and epilogue (bal 跋) and others. In chapter 5 are contained romance novels such as “Myojimyeong,” “Yeollyeo,” and “Hyoja”; and in chapter 6 are included miscellaneous notes (japji 雜記) and supplements (burok 附錄). In particular, Duryusan gihaengnok (頭流山紀行錄) was included in the chapter 6.
Eouyadam is a book printed with movable type of five chapters of notebooks (筆記 pilgi). The existing scholarship sometimes sees Eouyadam as the beginning of unofficial history prevalent in late Joseon. However, having equally the personalities of notebooks and unofficial history, the genre of the work has also been assessed as difficult to establish.
The main content of Eouyadam draws its material from the societal circumstances and the life of commoners before and after Imjin Waeran. Stories of historical figures not included in official histories and eccentric gossip that might only be heard on the streets were recorded in entertaining yet concise and lucid writing. The work also shows its wit and opens the reader up to the narrative humorously as well. A portion of the work is admittedly a bit unrealistic, taking anecdotal forms, but it displays deep insights through satire on circumstances of the time.
The period from King Seonjo’s reign to King Gwanghaegun’s reign (1567-1623), in which Yu Mongin was active, was a remarkable time of transitions for political and literary histories both inside and outside of Joseon dynasty. Within the country, the political climate intensified into deeply polarized factions, and it was also a time of great alteration for the international East Asian order. China changed from Ming to Qing and Japan began its Edo Shogunate. However, for literary history, it was a time of overflowing creativity characterized as a “generation of beauty and steep vitality (穆陵盛世 Mongneung seongse).” During King Seonjo’s reign, the Three Tang Poets (三唐詩人 samdang siin), Choe Gyeongchang (崔慶昌, 1539-1583), Baek Gwanghun (白光勳, 1537-1582), and Yi Dal (李達, 1539-1612) appeared; and the Four Great Scholars for the Chinese classic literature, Yi Jeonggwi (李廷龜, 1564-1635), Jang Yu (張維, 1587-1638), Sin Heum (申欽, 1566-1628), and Yi Sik (李植, 1584-1647) were active. It was that milieu to which Yu Mongin, Kwon Pil (權韠, 1569-1612), Heo Gyun (許筠, 1569-1618) and others contributed to literary developments and achieved various accomplishments.
Yu Mongin was located at the peak of his literary circles. He, through the poems and prose of Eoujip, thoroughly reflected the propensities of the academic and literary institutions of that time period. He exercised deep insights into the ideology of statecraft that was urgently required in a chaotic time of broad societal changes. And in Eouyadam he carefully placed the unhindered joys and sorrows of the struggling people during the Imjin Waeran.
Reference
Sin, Ikcheol (trans.), Eouyadam, Dolbegae, 2004.
Pak Myeonghui (trans.), Eouyadam vol. 1-3, Institute of Traditional Culture, 2001.
Sin, Ikcheol, “Eouyadam ui Seosa Bangsik gwa Chogi Yadamjip euroseoui Teukseong (The Writing Style of Eouyadam and the Characteristics of Early Yadam Collections),” Jeongin Munhwa Yeongu (Korean Studies Quarterly) 33, Academy of Korean Studies, 2010.
Choe, Gisuk. “Joseon Sidae Jisikin ui Gulssugi silheom gwa Eouyadam (The Writing Style of Joseon’s Literati and Eouyadam),” Dongbank Hakji (Journal of the East) 187, Institute of Korean Studies, Yonsei University, 2019.
