This research sought to examine a part of the gugok culture at the end of the Joseon era through the members of Hwaseo School. Hwaseo School was an academic school seeking development based on the Giho area around Gyeonggi and Gangwon at the end of Joseon, which led practical social movements, such as the righteous army resistance, based on the li-learning spirit (spirit of learning neo-Confucianism while expelling other theories) within the chaotic international conditions. The members focused their interest in managing gugok within the rapidly changing international conditions.
This article first examines the establishment background of Okgae-gugok in relation to the academic trend of Hwaseo School. It can be known that Hwaseo School inherited the world view of esteeming China from the preceding era, and took the place in which Jojongcheon and Daetongdan were located as their philosophical base. The direct incident which caused the Hwaseo School members to move in group near Jojongcheon was the unsuccessful expulsion movement during the in 1876. Thus, the members moved their place to the vicinity of Jojongcheon, which was their philo sophical base, and established Okgae-gugok at the place.
Next, this article examined the Okgae-gugok poetry by Pyeong-muk Kim, Jung-gyo You, and In-seok You. Pyeong-muk Kim mostly pursued a life follo wing the teachings of the sages in his poetry. He also expressed the will to prepare a framework for the nation and to defeat foreign powers in order to straighten order and enhance morality. Jung-gyo You, while emphasizing the consciousness of kind, appears to have pursued a life of education. Thus, through poetry, he sought to express the spirit of the Hwaseo School members of encouraging each other and strengthening the solidarity between them. In-seok You focused on the gugok itself, showing a tendency to inherit the tradition of gugoksongs.
Chapter 4 defines and explains the identity of Okgae-gugok as a place of cleaning one’s body and developing oneself. As a school adhering to the world view of esteeming China, Hwaseo School revealed that the Okgaegugok established by themselves had its philosophical base in Jonhwayangyi (respecting China and defeating the barbarians) as well. Moreover, the members of Hwaseo School revealed that they inherited the academic line coming down from Chu Hsi, Yi I, and Siyeol Song through gugok management. They also revealed that Okgae-gugok, established in this way, was extensively equipped with the essence of a place(location, scenery, time, public character, and private character).