The 18th-century scholar who lived region close to Seoul Bok-Hyu Lee(李福休)'s policy to promote Suwon

Abstract

Bok-Hyu Lee (1729∼1800) was known to the academia originated from the research on 『Haedongakbu(海東樂府)』. Bok-Hyu Lee proposed Gyunyeokbeop(均役法) as an alternative solution to the confusion of the status system caused by the absence of private servants. He insisted that if the central government does not receive Gunpo(軍布) from personal servants, the owner would pay private servant's Gunpo(軍布) instead and maintain the form of serving the master, there would be no loss in the state's financial income and personal servants would not be dissatisfied. Furthermore, he suggested that Yangban(兩班) of Kyunghyang((京鄕, Seoul and local) should be incorporated into Gunjung (軍丁, serviceperson) according to the number of households, and that Yangban(兩班) who do not participate in this should not take the state exam. However, Bok-Hyu Lee's argument can be judged as suggesting an alternative method to maintain the existing status order. Nevertheless, we can see the meaning of the change in the status system regarding the claim of a scholar who is a flawed and stubborn scholar living in the province near the capital. Residents of Ilyong·Songdong-myeon(一用·松洞面), who had suffered the inconvenience of paying taxes to Gwangju, wanted to be transferred to Suwon. Bok-Hyu Lee's opinion suggested Songdong-myeon(松洞面) as an alternative to Wangryun-myeon(王倫面), which is convenient to stay in Gwangju, and requested that the convenience of the people should be reconsidered if it is transferred to Suwon. It was pointed out that the installment of the tax would cause harmful effects on the people. Furthermore, looking at Bok-Hyu Lee's argument for the theory of Hwaseong fortification, it can be seen that discussions took place regardless of the central government and regions. Bok-Hyu Lee suggested a method that could be implemented by dividing the construction period of Hwaseong into three years, and in the end, the construction of Hwaseong was completed in two years and seven months, some realistic validity of his argument was predicted. Therefore, at this time, Bok-Hyu Lee raised arguments on the issues of Jeonbu(田賦), the fortification of Hwaseong, and Gunjung(軍政) which was a reform plan for the low-class people of this era who were almost in ruins due to the excessive and unreasonable system of Jeonse(田税)・ Yoyeok(徭役)・Gunyeok(軍役). And it can be seen as an improvement plan for the development of the Suwon community.