This paper examines the Chosŏn state’s publication of vernacular explicated texts (ŏnhaebon 諺解本) and their role in reshaping political and intellectual identity in seventeenth-century Korea. The expansion of vernacular editions of the Four Books and Five Classics contributed to the production of examination candidates who could read canonical texts but lacked proficiency in classical Chinese composition, a skill still required for official office. At the same time, these publications broadened access to Confucian knowledge among commoners and female members of the yangban elite, accelerating the vernacularization of learning. This paper argues that vernacular explicated texts functioned not merely as pedagogical tools but as cultural mediators that facilitated the emergence of a distinct Chosŏn Neo-Confucianism (Chosŏn sŏngnihak 朝鮮性理學). Through the translation and reinterpretation of canonical knowledge, Neo-Confucian scholars came to redefine themselves both ethnically and philosophically—articulating a Korean identity differentiated from China and Japan while simultaneously negotiating internal political factionalism and competing Neo-Confucian interpretations. In this way, vernacular print culture played a crucial role in linking knowledge transmission to the formation of early modern Korean political identity.

Authors:
Jung Wook Pyo, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Jung Wook Pyo is an Assistant Professor in the Korean Language Program at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) at the Presidio of Monterey, California. His research focuses on book publication, vernacular explicated texts, and their impact on social structures. He is also exploring effective methods for teaching Korean history and culture, as well as Sino-Korean vocabulary (Hanja), to students at DLIFLC.

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