Seonbi
Encyclopedia
Seonbi means "virtuous scholar" in Korean and typically denotes young nobleman who was preparing for the gwageo
examination or passed it but did not take on government position during Joseon Dynasty
. A government official who had reputation for integrity and incorruptibility was also called seonbi.
Due to history of many purges in which seonbis were killed
, seonbis were idealized and romanticized in popular imagination as young men of integrity in contrast to the ruling yangban
class even though all seonbis come from yangban class.
The wandering seonbi is a common figure in Korean depictions of the Joseon period. For instance, a seonbi appears as one of the characters in the Hahoe
mask dance
, where he competes with a yangban
character, often depicted as corrupt and greedy.
Seonbis were supposed to possess Confucian virtues of filial piety and loyalty to the king, despise wealth or private interest, and be ready to lay down one's life to remain faithful to one's principle and integrity. They venerated scholars such as Jeong Mong-ju
(who died for his fidelity to Goryeo Dynasty), Six martyred ministers
(who refused to accept Sejo
's usurpation of throne), and Jo Gwang-jo (reformer who died trying to turn Joseon into ideal Confucian society) as the embodiments of seonbi spirit and as examples to follow.
Today, public intellectuals in South Korea
sometimes argue for a return to the "seonbi spirit."
Gwageo
The gwageo were the national civil service examinations under the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of Korea. Typically quite demanding, these tests measured candidates' knowledge of the Chinese classics, and sometimes also of technical subjects...
examination or passed it but did not take on government position during Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
. A government official who had reputation for integrity and incorruptibility was also called seonbi.
Due to history of many purges in which seonbis were killed
Korean Literati Purges
The term "Literati purges" is a translation of Korean term sahwa by Edward W. Wagner, Harvard professor of Korean history. Sahwa literally means "seonbi's calamity" and refers to a series of political purges in late 15th and 16th century, in which Sarim scholars suffered persecution at the hands...
, seonbis were idealized and romanticized in popular imagination as young men of integrity in contrast to the ruling yangban
Yangban
The yangban were part of the traditional ruling class or nobles of dynastic Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The yangban were either landed or unlanded aristocracy who comprised the Korean Confucian idea of a "scholarly official." In reality, they were basically administrators and bureaucrats who...
class even though all seonbis come from yangban class.
The wandering seonbi is a common figure in Korean depictions of the Joseon period. For instance, a seonbi appears as one of the characters in the Hahoe
Hahoe Folk Village in Andong
The Hahoe Folk Village is a traditional village from the Joseon Dynasty. The village is a valuable part of Korean culture because it preserves Joseon period-style architecture, folk traditions, valuable books, and old tradition of clan-based villages....
mask dance
Korean mask
Korean masks have a long tradition with use in a variety of contexts. They were used in war, on both soldiers and their horses; ceremonially, for burial rites in jade and bronze and for shamanistic ceremonies to drive away evil spirits; to remember the faces of great historical figures in death...
, where he competes with a yangban
Yangban
The yangban were part of the traditional ruling class or nobles of dynastic Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The yangban were either landed or unlanded aristocracy who comprised the Korean Confucian idea of a "scholarly official." In reality, they were basically administrators and bureaucrats who...
character, often depicted as corrupt and greedy.
Seonbis were supposed to possess Confucian virtues of filial piety and loyalty to the king, despise wealth or private interest, and be ready to lay down one's life to remain faithful to one's principle and integrity. They venerated scholars such as Jeong Mong-ju
Jeong Mong-ju
Jeong Mongju , often known by his pen name Poeun, was a Korean civil minister and scholar during the late period of the Goryeo dynasty.-Biography:He was born in Yeongcheon, Gyeongsang province to a family from the Yeongil Jeong clan...
(who died for his fidelity to Goryeo Dynasty), Six martyred ministers
Six martyred ministers
The six martyred ministers or Sayuksin were six ministers of the Joseon Dynasty who were executed by King Sejo in 1456 for plotting to assassinate him and restore the former king Danjong to the throne....
(who refused to accept Sejo
Sejo of Joseon
Sejo of Joseon was the seventh king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He produced a coup d'etat and became king himself in 1455.-Reign:...
's usurpation of throne), and Jo Gwang-jo (reformer who died trying to turn Joseon into ideal Confucian society) as the embodiments of seonbi spirit and as examples to follow.
Today, public intellectuals in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
sometimes argue for a return to the "seonbi spirit."