وصايا في حكم الشعب (Mongmin simseo)

مقدمة

Jeong Yak-yong (Dasan) completed this manual in 1818, at the end of his long exile in Gangjin, where he had been banished in 1801 during a persecution of Catholics. The word simseo, “book of the heart”, in the title signals that, being out of office, he could govern the people only in his heart. The book covers all the duties of a county magistrate, from taking up office and self-discipline to taxation, famine relief, justice, public works and leaving office, illustrated with historical examples and his own observations of corruption. Its guiding principle is that officials exist for the people. A main work of the Silhak (“practical learning”) movement, it is still read in Korea as a guide to public service.