Examples Of Internal Enlightenment

# 2: Internal Enlightenment
In the late 1700s, Sin Hudam asserted the Neo-Confucian moral obligations imposed on the five hierarchal relationships are the basic ethical guidelines for the nation in proper order. In the late 1800s, the Neo-Confucian cardinal virtues still remained as a source of innovation, self-definition, and structuring the organization in Korea, based on which the elites and non-elites designed the reform agendas. In particular, Yi Hangno in 1866 in his memorials, Pak Yŏnghyo in 1888 in the memorial on domestic political reforms, and Chŏn Pongjun in 1895 in the declaration and his interrogation, identified the corruption of the relationships on trust between the ruler and the ruled as the evidence of the national decline. All three

They both asserted top-bottom reforms. For example, Yi wrote, in order to gain the people’s support, the king should invigorate the people by issuing a message, and should select the general with a national reputation in order to strengthen the nation with the voluntary support of the people. In the same way, Pak, in his memorial, likened the people to patients suffering from disease and the governors to the curer, who diagnoses and provides proper remedies. Also, he stated, “Our dynasty’s survival or demise, its prosperity or decline, all depend on the propriety or impropriety of its governance” (259). In his metaphor and his statement, the nation is to be protected by the rulings. That is, when the rulings are benevolent enough to recognize and take care of the people’s suffering, the nation would be at peace, and when the governors are wise enough to find better remedies for the people’s grievance, the nation would be prosperous and strong. Likewise, Yi and Pak both recognized the rulings as the main actors to be responsible for the