Kim Bu-sik
Kim Bu-sik | |
Korean name | |
---|---|
Hangul | 김부식 |
Hanja | 金富軾 |
Revised Romanization | Gim Bu-sik |
McCune–Reischauer | Kim Pusik |
Art name | |
Hangul | 뇌천 |
Hanja | 雷川 |
Revised Romanization | Noecheon |
McCune–Reischauer | Noech'ŏn |
Courtesy name | |
Hangul | 입지 |
Hanja | 立之 |
Revised Romanization | Ipji |
McCune–Reischauer | Ipchi |
Posthumous name | |
Hangul | 문렬 |
Hanja | 文烈 |
Revised Romanization | Munryeol |
McCune–Reischauer | Mul'lyŏl |
Kim Bu-sik (
Early life and background
The Gyeongju Kim clan was a direct descendant of the last Silla king, Kim Bu.[1] The clan seat (bongwan) name[2] derives from Kim’s great grandfather, a member of the royal Kim clan, who became the administrator in charge of the former Silla capital (renamed Gyeongju at the beginning of the Goryeo period).[3] The first Goryeo king Taejo married into the Gyeongju Kim,[4] and the clan played a leading role in early Goryeo politics. Three of its members were the officials of the first and second rank during 981-1069.[5]
Kim’s father, Kim Kun, was an official (reached the junior 3rd rank[5]) and a famous poet. When he was a member of an embassy to the Song court, he and the fellow envoy Pak Illyang published a collection of poems that made a deep impression on Song scholars. "The allusions in the poems were so intricate that the most renowned court scholars had to study them in detail before being able to understand them."[6]
The oldest son Kim Bu-pil (? -?) reached the senior 5th rank in 1102,[5] but these were the three younger sons, Kim Bu-il (1071–1132), Kim Bu-sik, and Kim Bu-cheol, also known as Kim Puǔi,[7] (1079–1136) that played an important role in politics and culture of Goryeo. Kim Kun died when Kim Bu-sik was about thirteen, and his widow raised and supervised the education of her younger sons. Later King Yejong rewarded her with a yearly allowance, noting in particular her merit in assisting each of her sons to pass the state examination.[3][8]
Career
Early career, 1096–1122
Kim himself passed the
The increasing literary and scholarly reputation of the Kim brothers made them popular teachers of the
These lectures became a scene of rivalry between Kim Bu-sik and Yun Oni, son of the famous general
Role in the foreign policy, 1114–1122
The years 1114–1128 saw a major change in the balance of power in
Basic tenets of Goryeo’s political theory were expressed in the Ten Injunctions of Taejo.[14] This document advised a cautious following of the Chinese practices, and expressed abhorrence of Khitan, and by extension, other nomadic "barbarians".[15] The status of Goryeo rulers can be roughly summarized as naeje oewang (emperor at home and king abroad). They were titled kings, were vassals of Khitan Liao dynasty, and were careful to keep these conventions in the correspondence with the suzerains. On the other hand, many aspects of the government were fashioned after following the imperial conventions. A majority view of the scholars-officials, including the Kim brothers, was that Goryeo was a realm in itself and thus “a possible center of the world”.[16] During this period Kim Bu-sik drafted a significant portion of the diplomatic correspondence with both Liao and Song.
Throughout their careers Kim brothers demonstrated a pragmatic approach both domestically and internationally. At the beginning of the century the Liao Dynasty appeared strong and Kim Bu-il congratulated Emperor Tianzuo of Liao as a ruler who “developed and enlarged [his] territory and made both Chinese and barbarians follow [him] peacefully."[17] In a letter to the Song court Kim Bu-sik derived the Goryeo legitimacy as successors of Jizi (Giji, a semi-legendary sage who is said to have ruled Gojoseon in the 11th century BCE), who was enfeoffed by the Chinese Son of Heaven. After a long and mutually complementary discourse Bu-sik "concluded by stating that it was the barbarians who stood between Goryeo and the Song, literally and figuratively." This letter was written just before Kim Bu-sik finally ensured the recognition by Goryeo of the Jin dynasty ruler as the Son of Heaven in 1126.[18]
In fact, Kim Bu-cheol (voicing a position of Kim Bu-sik who was at the time in China) submitted a memorandum proposing to accede to the demands of Emperor Taizu of Jin, giving the following rational: “Now even the great Song calls itself the younger brother of the Khitan and they have gotten along peacefully for generations. And although there is nothing under heaven that can measure up to the dignity of the Son of Heaven [of Goryeo], submitting to and obeying the barbarians like this is the proper policy, one that the sages called ‘the temporarily putting aside of one’s principles as circumstances demand it’ and ‘the protection of the whole country.’"[18] Later Kim Bu-sik himself provided an example of temporizing in the correspondence with the Jin, arguing why Goryeo cannot be its vassal.[18]
In his book Gaoli tujing Xu Jing (1091–1153), a member of the Song mission to Goryeo in 1122–1123, mentions Kim Bu-sik.[21]
Reign of Injong (1122–1146)
Early years of the reign of
The role of Kim Bu-sik in toppling Yi Cha-gyom is unknown. Kim Bu-il, on the other hand, was one of the intermediaries between
After 1126 the Kim brothers advanced through the Security Council into the highest offices.
In 1135–1136 Kim Bu-sik was in charge of suppressing the rebellion of
In 1142, Injong ordered the compilation of the Samguk Sagi, a chronicle of events in the Three Kingdoms and Unified Silla. Using Chinese histories (particularly Shiji by Sima Qian), Kim Bu-sik at the head of the fourteen-author team compiled the oldest extant source on Korean history. It was submitted to Injong in late 1145 or early 1146.[3]
Religion
The ideological and religious opinions of Kim Bu-sik fell into the spectrum of practices of the upper strata of the Goryeo society. Confucianism was primarily a state ideology, aimed at social cohesion and state administration. Kim was one of the most prominent Confucian scholars of his time.
By the twelfth century
Worship of native spirits and guardian spirits was widely practiced by populace and part of the royal rituals prescribed by the
Family
- Father: Kim Geun (김근; 金覲)
- Grandfather: Kim Won-chung (김원충; 金元冲)
- Older brother: Kim Bu-pil (김부필; 金富弼)
- Older brother: Kim Bu-il (김부일, 金副佾; 1071–1123)
- Younger brother: Kim Bu-ui (김부의; 金副儀)
- Grandfather: Kim Won-chung (김원충; 金元冲)
- Unnamed wife
- 1st son: Kim Don-jung (김돈중, 金敦中; 1119–1170)
- Grandson: Kim Gun-su (김군수; 金君綏)
- 2nd son: Kim Don-si (김돈시, 金敦時; d. 1170)
- 1st son: Kim Don-jung (김돈중, 金敦中; 1119–1170)
References
- ProQuest 1311653155.
- ^ Seth 2011, p. 80.
- ^ ProQuest 220332739.
- ^ Seth 2011, p. 78.
- ^ ProQuest 1311654844.
- ^ Breuker 2010, p. 234.
- ^ Breuker 2010, p. 261.
- ^ hdl:1885/10445.
- ^ "Kim Pusik". Encyclopedia of World Biography.
- S2CID 154939654.
- ^ S2CID 144881775.
- ISBN 978-1-139-05474-4.
- ^ Breuker 2010, pp. 220–224.
- ^ Seth 2011, pp. 99–101.
- ^ Breuker 2010, p. 367.
- ProQuest 220291103.
- ^ Breuker 2010, p. 202.
- ^ a b c d Breuker 2010, p. 228.
- OCLC 8670131083.
- ^ Breuker 2010, p. 207.
- ISBN 978-1-86189-273-7.
- ^ OCLC 223152822.
- ISBN 978-0-231-50574-1.
- ^ Breuker 2010, p. 377.
- ^ Breuker 2010, p. 192.
Sources
- Breuker, Remco E. (2010). Establishing a Pluralist Society in Medieval Korea, 918–1170: History, Ideology and Identity in the Koryŏ Dynasty. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-18325-4.
- Seth, Michael J. (2011). A History of Korea: From Antiquity to the Present. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7425-6715-3.