Hyang'yak

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Hyang’yak or Village Contract
During the rule of Chungjong (1506-1544), the Legalist School in Korea emerged and began the introduction of local government. “Local administration is critical in an agricultural society composed chiefly of villages.” “To formalize government procedure in local rule, Cho Kwang-jo (lead minister) implemented hyang'yak, or village contract.” This contract was based on the basic Confucianism ideas of the five elements or precepts; benevolence (in), righteousness (i), propriety (li), wisdom (chi), and sin (hsin) or earth (song). These are based on relationships of parents and children, master and servant, husband and wife, good faith between friends. This contract was enforced by the local level officials specific details were circulated in text and known as an informal “common law.” “The ‘hyang’yak’ became the core of Korea's social law and the vehicle of a degree of local autonomy for its villages.”

This was a stepping stone for the Choson Dynasty in implementing government at the local level. Local “yangban,” or Korean Scholar-officials were lifted in importance because of the role they played. The implementation of the “hyang'yak” opened the way for schools and shrines and tied the “yangban,” to the community being instrumental in strengthening the government at all levels.

• Key P. Yang; Gregory Henderson.

Stable URL: "[1]", An Outline History of Korean Confucianism: Part II: The Schools of Yi Confucianism, The Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 18, No. 2. (Feb., 1959), pp. 259-276. Retrieved on August 3, 2005