The story of Yu Gwan and his son Yu Gye-mun in the early Joseon Dynasty reminds us of our traditional values centered on filial piety and family love . This anecdote shows the meaning of filial piety and the deep affection between parents and children , and also gives us a glimpse into the beauty of sacrifice and consideration contained therein .
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[ Korean Today ] Umbrella Children’s Park built to commemorate the late teacher Ha Jeong-yu ( Photo courtesy of Gurumi ) ⓒ Reporter Park Chan-du |
Ha Jeong-yu Gwan had a son , who grew up under his father’s influence and became a famous filial son in the capital .
He would always greet his father in the morning and evening , and whenever he left or came home, and before going to bed at night , he would check with his hand to see if there was any cold air on the ondol floor where his father slept . He was truly a devoted son .
The son passed the civil service examination in the early Joseon Dynasty and took up a government post . Working with his father, he was upright in conduct and polite in speech, making his father’s Yu Gwan stand out even more .
In the 8th year of King Sejong’s reign (1426 ) , his son was appointed as the governor of Chungcheong Province . At the time, Chungcheong Province was a large region that combined the current North and South Chungcheong Provinces , and the position of governor was a very high position equivalent to today’s provincial governor .
However, his son, Yu Gye-moon, stubbornly refused to accept the governorship and refused to go to his post .
Father Yoo Gwan called his son and asked the reason .
“ Why do you refuse the honorable position of governor given to you by the King ? Don’t you know very well that the position of governor is a very important position and that it is not a position given to just anyone who wants it ?”
Then the son just kept repeating that he was sorry .
“ Before you say sorry, tell me why you cannot take on the position of governor .”
When his father urged him, his son Yu Gye-moon opened his mouth .
“ I just want to avoid committing unfilial acts .”
“ No , what ? How is it that being an inspector is unfilial ? I have no idea . Tell me the truth .”
Even the gentle-natured Yu Gwan was about to get angry . Only then did the son respond .
“ I have decided not to take on any official position that would step on my father’s name . How could I, as a son, do such an unfilial act ?”
“ No , a position that steps on my name ? What do you mean ?”
“ Doesn’t the title of governor include the character “觀“ , which is my father’s title ? How could I dare to take on a position that bears the character “觀”, which is my father’s title ? It would be like wearing the hat by stepping on my father’s name, so I decline that position .”
“ You foolish bastard . Your resignation will be rejected immediately . Instead, why don’t I change my name ?”
“…“
“ I will immediately change the character ‘ Gwan (觀) ‘ which means ‘view’ to ‘Gwan (寬)’ which means ‘lenient’ . If the child does well, what harm will it do if the father changes his name ? From today on, my name is ‘Yu Gwan (柳寬) ‘.”
In this way, Yu-gwan changed his name in middle age to promote his children’s career .
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[ Korean Today ] Umbrella Children’s Park built to commemorate the late teacher Ha Jeong-yu ( Photo courtesy of Gurumi ) ⓒ Reporter Park Chan-du |
This is not just a simple name change , but shows the deep love and sacrifice of a father who humbles himself and devotes himself to his children .
In fact, when looking at Yoo Gwan’s personality and conduct , it is thought that the character ‘ Gwan (寬),’ which means tolerant and kind, better expressed his personality than the character ‘ Gwan (觀),’ which means to see things sharply .
This story reminds us of the true value of filial piety and family love . Children respect their parents’ wishes , and parents sacrifice to pave the way for their children . This is the essence of love that transcends time , and I think it is a lesson that we all need to reflect on even today .
( Data provided by: Dongdaemun-gu Office, Muhwa Tourism Division, Culture and Arts Team)
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