Black Corporation: Joseon

“There is a difference between acting with knowledge and acting without it. Those of you who are making and implementing policies now may know very well why those policies were made, but in just one or two generations, most people may not know why they are being implemented, and they will follow them mainly because of ‘customs.’ Wouldn’t that be the case?”

‘Damn customs! Bureaucracy! It’s sickening!’

The reason why the village suffered from depression in the 21st century was due to those damn customs, bureaucracy, and desk work. However, the opposition of the officials was not insignificant either.

“That’s possible. However, a properly crafted policy will work without any problems for 100 or 1000 years.”

“It was said that even mountains and rivers change in ten years. There is also a saying that goes, ‘Sangjeonbaekhae[1].’ The world is constantly changing, so how can the same policy continue for 100 or 1000 years? That’s not a well-made policy, but rather a sign that the entire country has stagnated. If the world is changing and you are alone in standing still, it is tantamount to regression. ”

“A change in the current is inevitable. If you only follow the change in the current, you will lose depth, and eventually forget even the fundamentals. From that perspective, a consistent policy like ‘virtue of consistency’ is more ideal than a policy that flows like the Bupyeong stream[2] according to the current.”

The voice of the officials grew louder in response to the Left State Councilor’s answer, which was faithful to Confucianism.

“It’s not that there is no change in the current, but that people cannot keep up with its flow. Then what is the reason for the many changes in laws and systems since the early days? It is the law and system that has been handed down for hundreds or even thousands of years, whether it be a short or long time.”

“That is…”

“Let’s take war as an example. If we follow the words of Your Excellency, Left State Councilor, we will still be deciding the outcome of the war through individual duels[3] by commanders. But what about now? Various branches of the military move together as one, and new weapons like cannons are being used. Therefore, Your Excellency, Left State Councilor’s words are not the ‘virtue of consistency,’ but rather the ‘ignorance of the frog in the well.'”

“Your Highness! Isn’t that too harsh?”

When the officials voiced their criticism, the voice of the Left State Councilor minister rose, and Sejong intervened.

“Stop it! There is nothing wrong with what the Crown Prince said! Just like how the mountains and rivers change over time, people and customs also change. Therefore, it is right to discuss countermeasures accordingly! Crown Prince! Speak of your countermeasures!”

After King Sejong supported Hwang, the officials fell silent. Meanwhile, Hwang, who gained Sejong’s firm support, spoke of his own plan.

“All six ministries must leave a record of their governance. Whether it is a policy that is put into action, rejected, or postponed, everything must be recorded. It should be recorded monthly at the shortest and annually at the longest. For each policy, we must record the reason why it was made, the result of its implementation if it is implemented, and the reason for rejection or postponement if it is decided. We must keep all these records. ”

Upon hearing Hwang’s words, the Left State Councilor immediately opposed, “Everything is already recorded in Department of Records and ‘Daily Records of Royal Court’[4]. This is unnecessary duplication.”

“The Department of Records and the ‘Annals[5]’ cannot even be seen by the king. And although everything is recorded in the ‘Daily Records of Royal Court’, it is not properly classified, is it not? Ten years from now, finding records of policies will take several days. However, if the policies implemented by each ministry are separately classified and preserved, how much time can we save?”

“The Crown Prince’s opinion is correct.”

“I also believe the Crown Prince’s opinion is correct.”

When the officials of the six ministries heard Hwang’s explanation, they all agreed and retreated.

Seeing that most of the officials agreed, King Sejong nodded his head. “From ancient times, it has been said that we should learn from the past to understand the present. However, as human beings are finite, it is inevitable that there will be things that future generations want to know but cannot. Therefore, it is a natural duty for us, the ancestors, to work hard so that future generations do not lose their way and find the right path. Each ministry’s officials should accept the Crown Prince’s suggestion and write and carefully preserve records.”

“We will receive your command.”

“Now then…”

“Your Majesty, there is another matter I wish to address.”

Thinking that Hwang had finished his petition, King Sejong stopped talking and looked at Hwang for a moment. He then smiled slightly and gave his permission, “Go ahead.”

“While addressing the supplement of the ‘The Collection of Prescriptions for Universal Relief of Rural Medicines,’[6], I realized that not only those who are over sixty years old, but also some farmers over seventy years old may have knowledge on agriculture that should be documented.”

“That is true.”

“We should seek them out, ask about their farming experiences, and record them.”

Upon hearing Hwang’s proposal, King Sejong stroked his beard and muttered to himself, “Ask them about farming and record it? Hmm…” After a brief pause, Sejong’s face brightened. “I see! They must have experienced a lot in the years they’ve lived! They must also know the secrets of bountiful harvest! It’s like a millstone knowing the secret techniques of pestle pounding!”

Hyang nodded vigorously at King Sejong’s words. “Yes, it’s not just about the secrets of farming. They will also know the signs of natural disasters such as droughts! They may seem like small signs individually, but if we gather them to make a guidebook…”

“We can prepare in advance!” King Sejong slapped his knee and cut off Hyang’s words.

Hyang nodded in agreement. “That’s right. We can reduce the damage caused by water disasters such as floods by taking care of dams and reservoirs and dredging rivers, but if we don’t know in advance and prepare for droughts, they can cause significant damage.”

“Your words are correct! Instruct the Royal Observatory[7] to compile a book as soon the data arrives!”

“We shall follow your orders.”

“Also, during the period of ‘spring proverty’[8], as well as during droughts or water disasters, we must definitely use the power of medical treatment. But if we know the signs in advance…”

King Sejong cut off Hyang’s words by slapping his knee once again. “We can prepare medicinal herbs in advance and be ready! Indeed!”

‘Indeed, Sejong! Your mind is really sharp! But please don’t forget to turn on the light when you come in! And please don’t slap your knee so hard! It hurts my ears!’

With a mixture of admiration and irritation, Hyang nodded his head slightly. “That’s right. If ‘Bureau of State Welfare’, ‘Royal Dispensary’, and ‘Great Compassionate Temple of East and West’[9] can prepare in advance, we can also prepare in advance in local government offices and significantly reduce the number of people suffering from illnesses.”

“The Crown Prince’s words are correct! Instruct the Royal Observatory to implement this as well!”

“We shall follow your orders!”

There were no visible objections to King Sejong’s command. In a country that prioritized agriculture, nothing was more important than bountiful harvest crops, and relieving people from the suffering of diseases was also regarded important from a Confucian perspective.

Sejong was very pleased. The petitions presented by Crown Prince Hyang were worth their weight in gold. Moreover, the officials who had always opposed and criticized the Crown Prince’s proposals were now responding positively without any objections.

King Sejong looked at Hyang with a bright face. “Is there another petition?”

As soon as King Sejong finished speaking, Hwang opened his mouth. “Yes. Not only in our Joseon but also in the previous dynasty, there hasn’t been a proper geographical record. Although it is said that there are few resources in Joseon, this is not an absolute shortage compared to Ming. Therefore, we must thoroughly examine the rivers and regions of Joseon and create a geographical record.”

“A geographical record… It requires a lot of labor.”

“That’s true.”

Hwang nodded in response to King Sejong and the ministers’ comments. “Of course. However, if a proper geographical record is made, it can reduce the people’s hardships.”

“Reducing the people’s hardships with a geographical record? Crown Prince, please explain in more detail.”

“Yes. If we create an accurate geographical record, we can precisely understand the resources produced in each village nationwide, which can reduce the burden of offering tributes. The suffering of the people due to tribute offerings has been the biggest issue since the previous dynasty, and to solve this, we must first accurately know the resources produced in each village.”

“Well, that’s true…”

King Sejong hesitated, and the vice minister who took the place of the absent Minister of Taxation who left for envoy procession spoke up in his place, “Indeed, the Crown Prince’s words are correct and should naturally be carried out. However, the labor required for this task is not easy.”

The comment from the Vice Minister of Taxation reminded the high officials of something they had forgotten.

“Of course, that is true. However, we are in a situation where we are moving throughout the country for the sake of compiling medical knowledge[10] intermediation and to collect the knowledge of the farmers. Since we are already sending personnel from the center to the whole country, we can take on one more task. Is one plus one not two?”

“Ah!”

King Sejong and the officials both exclaimed in agreement with Hyang’s suggestion.

“Thank heavens, why did we not think of this!”

“Even this scholar did not think of it!”

“We can greatly reduce the budget!”

As King Sejong and the officials looked on, Hyang recalled the words of teacher Samcheompo in his mind.

“The people of the past were all idiots, and the people of the present are not all geniuses! It’s just that people in the past had a lower influx of information, and the sight of modern people, who have an absolute amount of information, has become broader! Shall I give you an example? Multi-tasking, which is now considered basic, only became commonplace in the mid-1990s! Before that, even the great computers could only perform one task at a time, and people were satisfied with that!”

With King Sejong and the officials experiencing a sort of enlightenment, Hyang’s petition was officially adopted as policy.

And from that day on, the famous “Yukjo Street[11] of the City that never Sleeps[12]’ began.

◈◈◈

That night.

“Do not follow us.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“It is a private conversation between a father and son.”

When King Sejong spoke firmly, the officials stepped back. King Sejong, who had pushed the officials back, led the way to the Donggung (Eastern) Palace[13].

“He’s still awake?” King Sejong asked the eunuch behind him.

As King Sejong looked at the brightly lit room in the Donggung Palace, the chief eunuch who was following behind him spoke, “I heard that His Highness often stays awake until the fourth watch (between 1-3 AM), even though one should go to sleep earliest is between second watch (between 9-11 pm) and third watch (between 11 pm-1 am).”

“He is still a young child, how can he push himself so hard?” King Sejong said while unable to hide his concern for Hyang, as he continued to walk.

“Your Majesty King, please come in!” the inner court official, who had been waiting outside of Hyang’s room, announced upon seeing King Sejong’s arrival and immediately opened the door.

As soon as King Sejong entered the room, Hyang stood up and bowed.

“What brings you here at such a late hour?”

“I was just taking a break and heard that the lights were on, so I came to check. What have you been doing until this time of night?”

“I was reading a book for a moment.”

“Oh really? Well, have a seat for now,” King Sejong sat in Hyang’s seat and looked at the book spread out on the desk. “Ah, it’s a book by the Western barbarians. What is it about?”

“It’s a book with the title ‘A Small Study on Alchemy.’ As the title suggests, it is a critique on alchemy.”

“What is an alchemy?”

“It is a study of adding various substances to metals like lead or iron to make gold.”

King Sejong’s eyes twinkled at Hyang’s words. “Is that possible?”

“According to the writings of the author, even the ancient scholars studied it for hundreds of years but couldn’t find an answer. However, in the author’s preface, it says, ‘Alchemy is impossible. However, creating useful alloys through further study is the true alchemy.'”

“Creating useful alloys through further research is the true alchemy,” King Sejong concluded after pondering Hyang’s words.

“Your Majesty is truly wise.”

“So does Crown Prince think the same way?” King Sejong smiled at Hyang’s response, before picking up the book on alchemy and started reading it.

“There’s a translated version. Do you want to read it together?”

“No, I am just curious about the characters used by the Westerners.”

However, King Sejong did not put down the book for a long time. When Hyang’s waist began to ache from standing for too long, King Sejong finally put down the book and spoke.

Footnotes

[1] ‘Sangjeonbaekhae (桑田碧海)’ is a Chinese idiom that means ‘a mulberry field turned into an ocean’ or ‘drastic changes over time.’ It refers to how the world and society constantly change, just as a mulberry field can become an ocean over a long period.

[2] “Bupyeong stream” refers to a stream in Bupyeong district that flows in a meandering and winding manner

[3] 單騎接戰 (단기접전) is a Chinese idiom that means “single combat” or “duel.” In the context of the given text, it refers to the outdated way of fighting wars in which commanders fought against each other in individual battles to determine the outcome of the war.

[4] 승정원일기 (承政院日記, seungjeongwon ilgi): the daily records of the royal court, recording the king’s daily

[5] Silok (시록) refers to the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, a set of official historical records kept by the government officials during the Joseon dynasty in Korea. It chronicles the reigns of all the monarchs from the foundation of the dynasty in 1392 until its end in 1910. The Silok is considered an important primary source for understanding the political, social, and cultural history of Korea during the Joseon dynasty.

[6] “鄕藥濟生集成方” (향약제생집성방 in Korean) is the name of a Korean medicinal book written during the Joseon Dynasty. It was compiled and edited by the government officials of the dynasty and published in 1613. The book contains a comprehensive collection of various medical treatments, prescriptions, and remedies based on traditional Korean medicine. Its title can be translated as “The Collection of Prescriptions for Universal Relief of Rural Medicines.” The book was widely used by doctors and pharmacists during the Joseon dynasty and is still regarded as an important medical reference in Korea.

[7] 觀象監 (관상감) refers to the Royal Observatory, an astronomical observatory established during the Joseon Dynasty in 1433 by King Sejong the Great. Its purpose was to conduct astronomical observations and calculations to create accurate calendars and almanacs. The Royal Observatory played a significant role in developing astronomy and mathematics in Korea and remained operational until the late 19th century.

[8] 春窮期 (춘궁기) is a Korean term that refers to the period of spring poverty, which is the time when stored food from the previous year is running low, and new crops have not yet been harvested. This was a challenging time for farmers, and it was also a time when people had to be frugal with their food and resources. The term “spring poverty” is used to describe this period because it typically occurred during the spring season.

[9] Bureau of State Welfare (惠民局) was a government agency established during the Joseon Dynasty in Korea with the aim of improving the lives of the common people. Its main role was to provide assistance to the poor and vulnerable, including the provision of food, clothing, and shelter. It also oversaw various welfare programs, including healthcare and disaster relief efforts.

Royal Dispensary (濟生院) was a medical institution established during the Joseon Dynasty. It provided medical treatment to the royal family and government officials, as well as to the general public. Its physicians were trained in both traditional and Western medicine and were known for their expertise in treating a wide range of illnesses.

Great Compassionate Temple of East and West or Dongseo Daebiwon (東西大悲院) was a Buddhist temple established during the Joseon Dynasty. It was known for its philanthropic activities, including providing shelter, food, and medical treatment to the poor and needy

[10] Hyangyak Jeseungbang (향약제생집성방): A medical book compiled during the Joseon dynasty that contains information on traditional Korean medicine.

[11] Yukjo Street (육조거리) was a street in Hanyang (한양), the capital city of Joseon dynasty Korea, where government officials and scholars gathered to study and discuss various topics.

[12] Byulyaseong (불야성) was a nickname for Hanyang that referred to its lively and bustling nature, as it was a city that never slept. Therefore, the phrase implies that after the establishment of Hyang’s petition as an official policy, the famous Yukjo Street of the city that never sleeps began, and it became a hub for intellectual and political discussions.

[13] Crown Prince’s palace.

Translator’s Notes

Hyang’s making wonders, reforming here and there.