뉴스레터

In September of 1562, Ryu Seong-ryong (柳成龍, 1542-1607) with the pen name Seoae (西厓) visited Dosan seodang (陶山書堂), a Confucian academy's lecture hall, to gain wisdom from Yi Hwang (李滉). As soon as Ryu Seong-ryong finished introducing himself, this is what Yi Hwang, one of the most renowned erudite scholars of Confucianism at the time, said to the students around him. "This man has been sent from the heavens and is destined to accomplish great things later on." The scholar's discerning eye had immediately recognized the young man's potential and remarkable capabilities and had clearly expected Ryu Seong-ryong to succeed in dedicating himself to protect the lives of the Joseon people.

Ryu Seong-ryong was born in Sachon (沙村), Uiseong county, where the maternal side of his family resided, and grew up in Hahoe of Andong. Yet, as much as his roots were undoubtedly based in the Yeongnam area, meaning the southeastern region of Korea, his family's main residence in Seoul (京第) for five generations functioned as a base for his studies from an early age, which is why the capital of Joseon had much to do with his identity as well. Seoul was where he met talented friends who came from all parts of the country and helped broaden his understanding of the world. In addition to gaining comprehensive knowledge of Yangmyeonghak (陽明學), the study of Wang Yang-Ming's philosophy, and Buddhism, Ryu Seong-ryong acquired international savvy from participating in missions to China and became recognized as a necessary talent. Despite the vicissitudes of war, he managed to lead the Joseon military to the end of the war that lasted for seven years. So, the reason Ryu Seong-ryong is labeled as a "Jungheung jaesang" (中興宰相), meaning a minister who contributed to the nation's revival, is because he had a truthful heart and strived to keep up his studies to be able to exert the sort of flexibility that acknowledges diversity without having to compromise principles.

Ryu Seong-ryong's Style of Communication

Ryu Seong-ryong is sometimes denounced as a politician who became warped by the maelstrom of strife between political factions and was incapable of communicating because he pursued nothing but his own interests from being trapped within the confines of the southern faction called Namin and Toegye's theory of neo-Confucianism (退溪學). However, there seems to be room for debate as to whether that constitutes as a complete portrayal of him. Ryu Seong-ryong became increasingly politicized as he went through the split of factions into north and south and as Jeong In-hong became his political rival and that sort of politicization tends to be understood as a trait that ran in his family, which couldn't be further from the truth.

Ryu Seong-ryong's father Ryu Jung-young (柳仲郢) used to work as an assistant officer to the governor of North Gyeongsang Province when Eulmyo waebyeon, the Japanese attack of 1555, occurred. Around the time, there was a scholar named Jo Sik (曺植) who was more or less recognized in the middle of the sixteenth century as the "proprietor of the Nammyeong school of thought, integrity (綱常), and loyalty (義理)." He would rarely approve of anyone and had strong views that would even argue for the conquest of Tsushima Island in order to put an end to Japanese provocations. Yet, he came to have faith in Ryu Seong-ryong as he watched the assistant officer conduct investigations and search for a resolution to take care of the attack's aftermath. Jo Sik's memory of Ryu Seong-ryong can be summed up by the following praise he gave: "From the way I see it, Ryu Seong-ryong is the only one among the governor's company capable of handling major incidents." Even though Ryu Seong-ryong was the bona fide disciple of Yi Hwang and Jo Sik's favorite disciple was Jeong In-hong, conflicts between Ryu Seong-ryong and Jeong In-hong seem to demonstrate that politics can be an addictive toxin of sorts that eventually muddies everything.

Nearly eight decades later in 1631, the magistrate newly appointed to Jeong In-hong's home town in Hapcheon County was none other than Ryu Seong-ryong's son Ryu Jin (柳袗). As soon as he arrived, Ryu Jin paid a visit to Bak In (朴絪), a devout follower of Ryu Seong-ryong's political rival Jeong In-hong. The two soon became good friends who exchanged academic opinions and discussed difficulties they were each going through. This friendship led Ryu Jin to have Yean hyangyak (禮安鄕約), a code of conduct for communities created by Yi Hwang, adopted in Hapcheon, home to Jo Sik's Nammyeong school of thought (南冥學派), which deserves to be called an example of true communication. A leadership of harmony and communication must have been something Ryu Jin inherited from his grandfather Ryu Jung-young and his father Ryu Seong-ryong. In particular, Ryu Seong-ryong's emphasis on the spirit of accommodation seems to have planted a seed for friendship that transcends schools of thought and political factions and blossomed through his son Ryu Jin.

Ryu Seong-ryong's Foresight

After reading Jingbirok (懲毖錄), a record of penitence and warning, this is how the Silhak scholar Yi Ik (李瀷) of late Joseon described Ryu Seong-ryong's contribution during the Imjin War of 1592-1598.

"People say Seoae [Ryu Seong-ryong's pen name] did a great service for his country during the Imjin War, but what they refer to is in fact but a small part of the contribution he made. Chungmugong [Yi Sun-sin's posthumous name] used to be no more than a low-level official ranked as bijang (裨將), and had it not been for Seoae's recommendation, he would have passed away in the battlefields as yet another nameless soldier." - Volume No. 56 of "Seongho jeonjip" [Complete Writings of Yi Ik]

Yi Ik's idea of Ryu Seong-ryong's greatest contribution did not involve his typical responsibilities as minister and commander of the military during the war. Rather, it had to do with how Ryu Seong-ryong recognized, recommended, and supported the great naval commander Yi Sun-sin (李舜臣) until the end. According to Yi Ik's rationale, Yi Sun-sin would have starved to death among the lower echelons if it hadn't been for Ryu Seong-ryong and Joseon would have undoubtedly headed toward a different destiny. This shows how Yi Ik emphasized the value of talent, especially under emergencies, and considered having the eye and patience to recognize and place faith in such talent as the greatest virtue a leader could possess.

Even under the danger of being surrounded by countless accusations against himself and Yi Sun-sin that could have even lead to Yi Sun-sin's execution, Ryu Seong-ryong supported Yi Sun-sin until the end. And Yi Sun-sin repaid that faith by saving Joseon and its people. For that, Ryu Seong-ryong has been considered as an ideal manager and no historian has ever deemed his support of Yi Sun-sin as "favoritism." Perhaps that is why Koreans tend to remember Ryu Seong-ryong as a great man for the public role he served.

In July of 1604, for his contribution in resisting Japanese invasions, King Seonjo bestowed Ryu Seong-ryong with the honor of Hoseong gongsin (扈聖功臣) of the secondary rank and asked him to come work at the capital in Seoul. Ryu Seong-ryong tried to refuse the honor by claiming that he didn't make any contributions and only committed the sin of causing disorderliness while serving as a minister, but his protests were not acknowledged. Still, he persisted against the official production of his portrait in recognition of his merit, which is why there is unfortunately no image left of him today.