Have you heard about Yulgok Yi I? You can see him in 5000 won bill. Yulgok Yi I (1536-1584) was a leading Confucian scholar and politician during the Joseon Dynasty and is regarded as one of the most influential people in Korean history. He left behind many achievements by demonstrating his moral leadership amid the social and political turmoil of the mid-Joseon Dynasty. Yulgok Yi I was born in 1536 on in Gangneung. His mother, Shin Saimdang, was an outstanding artist and scholar, who greatly influenced Yi’s academic growth. Yi rose to prominence as a scholar at an early age and drew attention as a promising scholar during the Joseon Dynasty when he passed the exam at the age of 13. He then studied at the Seonggyun-Gwan National Academy, where he
studied Neo-Confucianism. Yi developed various measures to reform Joseon society. While holding various government posts, he sought to reform the state administration by combining realistic politics with Confucian ideology. In particular, he played an important role in laying the foundation for Joseon’s ideology by developing the theory of Neo-Confucianism. In addition, he established several academies and strived to cultivate the younger generations, emphasizing the importance of education. His educational achievements greatly influenced scholars in the late Joseon Dynasty. Yi I also had a great influence on future generations by leaving books such as The Collection of Neo-Confucianism. His books are a systematic collection of Confucian teachings and are still regarded as important academic materials to this day. Yi died in 1584 at the age of 49, but his ideas and achievements were deeply rooted in Joseon society. As a man who led the rise of Confucianism in Joseon, his teachings are still respected and studied by many people.

sumin8101g@hanmail.net