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Civilization, Enlightenment and the Perspective and Influence of Libraries in Yu Kil-chun’s Seoyu Gyeonmun

  • Journal of Studies in Bibliography
  • Abbr : JSB
  • 2018, (74), pp.133~161
  • DOI : 10.17258/jib.2018..74.133
  • Publisher : Korean Society of Bibliography
  • Research Area : Interdisciplinary Studies > Library and Information Science
  • Received : May 14, 2018
  • Accepted : June 5, 2018

Kang, Soon-Ae 1

1한성대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The subject of this study is civilization enlightenment and perception and influence of libraries as shown in Yu Kil-chun’s Seoyu Gyeonmun (Observations on Travels in the West). In order to to this, the paper looks into Yu Kil-chun’s life, civilization and enlightenment presented in Seoyu Gyeonmun, libraries introduced in Seoyu Gyeonmun, and the perspective of libraries and their influence. Yu Kil-chun (1856-1914) was born in the 7th year of King Cheoljong’s reign (1856) and lived through the late Joseon period, the Korea Empire and the Japanese occupation period as a reformist until 1914. He studied in Japan and in the United States. He wrote Seoyu Gyeonmun during his seven-year house arrest following the Gapsin Coup. He was appointed as a minister to the Home Office after the Eulmi Sabyeon occurred on October 8 in the 32nd year of Gojong’s reign (1895), but fled to Japan when the cabinet disbanded after Agwan Pacheon began on February 11 in the first year of Geonyang’s reign. He returned from his exile to Korea on August 16 in the first year of Emperor Yunghui’s reign, and threw himself into the enlightenment movement to bring about progress in Korea. He died on September 30, 1914 at the age of 59. One might say Yu Kil-chun wrote Seoyu Gyeonmun for a comprehensive and systematic understanding of Western culture. Seoyu Gyeonmun is composed of twenty volumes. The nature of civilization enlightenment is shown in the levels of enlightenment described in the latter part of Volume 14. In the particular volume, Yu explains the definition and levels of enlightenment, the method of enlightenment and the difference between actual enlightenment and false enlightenment. Volume 17 introduces the libraries of Western countries. The volume is entitled “Seojeokko” and introduces the Western libraries’ founders and book collection, method of collecting, and library usage system. Yu went on to introduce famous national libraries in the Western world such as the British Library in the United Kingdom, the Imperial Public Library in Russia’s Leningrad, the Richelieu Library in France, the Library of Congress in the United States, and the Berlin State Library in Germany. The Western libraries introduced in Seoyu Gyeonmun around 1885 were advanced modern libraries. Each national library had a collection of one to two million books. These collections were made possible through the legal deposit system, donation and purchase. As the book collection increased, changes occurred in the libraries’ facilities, collection management, data organization field and field usage. That is to say, libraries in the Western world were changing from the 18th century onward with the flow of modernization to increase their collection, expand facilities, and become a user-centered library. Ultimately, Yu’s description in Seoyu Gyeonmun of the characteristics of Western libraries instilled in Korean intellectuals the importance of Western modern libraries and the necessity of establishing modern libraries in Korea. The ideas of civilization and enlightenment that were embraced along with the perception of libraries influenced the progress of various social conditions and the establishment in 1906 of Gyeongsong’s Daehan Library and Pyongyang’s Daedong Seogwan, libraries with characteristics of modern libraries. Although the two libraries did not bear fruit because of the Japanese occupation, it is certain that they influenced the establishment of modern libraries in Korea. This study will be used in the future as basic research material in the field of public records as well as those of library and information science, archives and records management, bibliography and history.

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