As was typical of Yi dynasty officials, Yulgok's illustrious public career was interrupted by short periods of retirement either for personal reasons or because of an unfavorable political climate at court.
In this respect, Yulgok is viewed as the opposite of T'oegye, his scholarly rival, who is known for his preference for private life.
Chung, Edward Y. The Korean Neo-Confucianism of Yi T'oegye and Yi Yulgok: A Reappraisal of the "Four-Seven Thesis" and Its Practical Implications for Self-Cultivation.
Yulgok mourned for the traditional three years after which he spent a year in retreat in the Kumgang Mountains studying Zen Buddhism.Yulgok returned from the retreat to continue his Confucian studies.
Yulgok deeply respected master T'oegye, even though in later years he would disagree with him on some fundamental philosophical points.
Yulgok ascended through the ranks of government positions rising to the highest levels.
Yulgok and Dosan were tormented and distressed over this and aspired to reform the fatalistic way of thinking by being role models themselves.
Yulgok of Chosun dynasty was the representative scholar who started the reform movement to enlighten people to apply their knowledge from their years of studying.
Yulgok said that practical results were attainable only when a healthy mental attitude was based on carefully determine principle and to put that principle into effect.
kotaji 거타지 :: The ‘Western Yulgok’ 5000 won note :: April :: 2005(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-12)
I think the peg for this story was the fact that the Korean government is going to introduce a new 5000 won note because the current ones are being couterfeited to such an extent.
But apparently, the design before the previous one became known as the ‘Western Yulgok’ because the portrait of the philospher appearing on the note looked remarkably like a person of the round-eyed, large-proboscis persuasion who just happened to be wearing a sixteenth century Korean official’s hat and coat.
The explanation for this is that apparently these notes were made by the British company De La Rue (as are those of about 150 countries according to their website) and the designer who adapted the original portrait of Yulgok was for some reason incapable of reproducing an East Asian looking face.
Chung, Edward Y.J. "Yi Yulgok: A Neo-Confucian Political Reformer in Sixteenth-Century Korea." In Bernard Hung-Kay Luk, ed.
Chung, Edward Y.J. The Korean Neo-Confucianism of Yi T'oegye and Yi Yulgok: A Reappraisal of the 'Four-Seven Thesis' and Its Practical Implications for Self-Cultivation.
"The Characteristics of Yi Yulgok's Thought and Korean Culture." In Segye-sok ui Hanguk munhwa: Yulgok 400 chugi e chuum hayo: Che-3 hoe kukche haksul hoeui nonmunjip: Korean Culture and Its Characteristics on the Occasion of the 400th Anniversary of Yi Yulgok's Death: Papers of the 3rd International Conference.
Confucianism in Korea(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-12)
Yi I (1536-1584, styled Yulgok), along with T'oegye, was one of the two great masters of Choson Confucianism.
In Yulgok's thought, that which manifests is ki and that by which it is manifested is li.
The fact that Yulgok was able to apply this doctrine to the diverse aspects of his teaching while maintaining logical consistency demonstrates his brilliance as a thinker.
However, on the 1972 banknotes Yulgok’s face appears too Western and some people made jokes about the ``westernized Yulgok.’’ This was understandable: The notes were designed in the United Kingdom where the painters used a sculpture of Yulgok made by a modern Korean sculptor (he based his work on surviving depictions).
Thus in 1977 the banknotes’ design was reworked and this time Yulgok’s representation was based on portraits made by his contemporaries.
One of the major political battles in the life of Yulgok (the 5,000won man) was a determined but ineffectual campaign he waged to increase military spending in the face of an increasing Japanese threat.Indeed, the Japanese invasion of 1592-1598 was one of the greatest disasters in Korean history.
Yulgok Cultural Festival is a festival to share and enjoy the historical and spacious oneness through ‘being in harmony’ by learning wisdom to live today through ‘remembering’ the life of ancestors such as master Yulgok, the pride of Paju, by inspiring pride as citizen of Paju, and through culture and art.
The main programs are divided into memorial events to admire the spirit of master Yulgok and celebratory events.
The celebratory events and exhibitions include events such as the Gilnori, regular concert of Geumsanri folk song preservation society, the Hanmaeum music concert, the Imjin River song festival and folk artists invitation exhibition etc., will be held, and various kinds of experience programs will progress as incidental events.
It was established by local Confucian scholars and centered on Kim Jang-Saeng, the beloved disciple of Yulgok Lee to worship his moral influence in 1615 (the 7th year of the king Gwanghaegun of Joseon Dynasty).
It was named to Jawun by the King in 1649, and his memorial tablet and portrait as well as the memorial tablet of Kim Jang-Saeng and Park Se-Chae were enshrined together.
There are also monuments recording his life, family tombs for his family including Shin Saimdang, Yulgok teachers’ training center and Yulgok Memorial Hall.
A new copy is not available from Barnes & Noble.com at this time.
Mason U.) explores the philosophical and religious dimensions of Korean neo-Confucianism as expounded by one of its foremost thinkers, Yi Yulgok (1536-1584).
Yulgok's creative interpretations reformulate some fundamental issues of Confucianphilosophy and rest on a philosophical assumption that is characterized by the author as non-dualistic and anthropocosmic.