Yu Gwan, a famous prime minister during the reign of King Taejong in the early Joseon Dynasty, was a symbol of integrity and diligence . Even though he was appointed prime minister, he lived a frugal life, helping his neighbors and farming. His life shows us today what a true public servant looks like .
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[ Korean Today ] Image of a frugal and hardworking teacher ( Image provided by : Dongdaemun-gu Office ) ⓒ Reporter Park Chan-du |
Yu Gwan lived in a thatched-roof house with the main room and guest house next to each other outside Heunginjimun ( present-day Dongdaemun ) .
According to the history book Dongguk Yeoji Bigo , Gong’s position gradually rose to the rank of prime minister and he received enough state funds ( what would be called a salary from the state today ) to avoid poverty, but he lived so frugally that his house did not have an outside gate or wall .
Others in office gave the gong
“ Your Majesty, now that you have ascended to the rank of prime minister and are in the public eye, I think it would be a good idea to move your house or make some repairs .”
If you say something indirectly,
“ It wasn’t that easy because there were still a lot of usable and worn-out things in the house .”
He tried to avoid it , but the king had no time to do so as he was busy helping his neighbors and relatives who were having a hard time .
It is recorded that when King Taejong heard that Prime Minister Yu Gwan was living in poverty in a thatched house without a gate or fence, he secretly sent an inspector to build a fence while the prime minister was asleep .
The Duke lived almost barefoot even in the middle of winter .
At that time, both men and women wore straw sandals made of tinfoil like socks , but the Duke took great care of his sandals, so he always went into the house barefoot, even in summer or winter .
Even when a guest came while he was eating, instead of swallowing the rice he was eating, he would spit it out onto his spoon, put on straw sandals, and go out into the yard barefoot .
I feel sorry for the person I went to see
“ No , if Your Majesty the Prime Minister does this, what are we supposed to do ? It’s embarrassing .”
“ Look at these people . You came to see me, the person I am, not the official I am . If that’s true, then you shouldn’t have come to this house .”
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[ Korean Today ] The ‘ Wall of Honor for Cheongbaekri ‘ introducing the awarding of the ‘ Seoul City Hajeong Cheongbaekri Award ‘ ( Photo provided by Gurumi ) ⓒ Reporter Park Chan-doo |
I usually went to see him because I knew he was fair, honest, and upright , but when he said that from the very beginning, how could I have the face to ask him for a personal favor ?
In addition, it is said that the Duke was a very diligent person . He personally cultivated the field in front of the house, brought fertilizer, and planted vegetables and greens to use as side dishes .
One summer, someone came to find the ball and was delighted.
“ You came at just the right time .”
“ … … ”
“ The weeds are so thick in the field right now that I’m going out to weed, but I’m bored if I go alone, so I was wondering if there was anyone I could go with .”
“ But I …… ”
“ It doesn’t matter . Why don’t you and I talk about what we came for while we’re steaming together ? It’s more productive and humane to talk while steaming in the fresh air than to talk while fanning yourself in a hot room . Let’s do that .”
“ Me , it’s not like that. I’ve never done any farm work before … … .”
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[ Korean Today ] The appearance of Mr. Ha Jeong-yu, pulling out weeds in the field ( Image provided by : Text by Kim Sook-bun , Illustration by Jeong Rim , ‘ Children of the Family Tree’ , Boy’s Korea Daily ) ⓒ Reporter Park Chan -doo |
“ No ! What do you mean you don’t want to work ? Then you should stop eating at three o’clock in the morning . You say you’re in politics, but isn’t politics about making the people comfortable ? In order to do that, you shouldn’t do just one thing during that time, but do several productive things at once . You work and talk, and if you do that, you’ll get along well with each other, and if you do your work together afterward … … ”
Even young scholars who thought that not doing farm work was what it meant to be a scholar or government official had no choice but to work .
“ If we can move our bodies and move our legs, we must work . Among the works, farming, which is the foundation of the world, is the best . Is n’t it ? If you have a farmer’s heart , that is, the spirit of farming , then nothing is impossible . There is nothing that cannot be accomplished . It is an honest and diligent heart . There is cause and effect, and the effect is to feed and live for the people … … When it comes to working hard, a prime minister or a farmer is not the same . No, the best farmers are the teachers who teach children . That is, because they farm their children . Because if they just teach them, they will later reap the fruits of their labor as people !”
This was his outlook on life and education .
The life of Mr. Yu Gwan deeply resonates with us living in the modern era . Even though he rose to a high position, he did not lose his frugality , tried to understand the lives of the people through farming , and valued the value of education. His example remains a role model even today .
In particular , his words , “ Are you coming to see me as a person, or as an official ?” clearly show his philosophy that valued the essential value of human beings over status or power .
The life of Mr. Yu, who has consistently lived with integrity, diligence , and respect for humanity , has great implications for modern society, which is rife with materialism and power-oriented values . We can learn from his life what a true leader should be like .
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