A 600-Year-Old Seonbi Spirit Blooms Again in Sachon, Uiseong

Honoring Haengjeong Kwon Sik's Integrity and Scholarly Virtue
Haengjeong Jeongsa Completion Ceremony and Academic Presentation
Reexamining the Legacies of Unam, Jarakdang and Sawa
Carrying on Yeongnam's Seonbi Culture

The spirit of integrity and loyalty upheld by a Joseon-era scholar has been revived as a new historical and cultural space in Sachon Village, Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, more than 600 years later.

On October 27, the Haengjeong clan association of the Bujeonggong branch of the Andong Kwon clan held a completion ceremony and ancestral rite for Haengjeong Jeongsa, along with an academic conference on the seonbi spirit of the Haengjeong family of Sachon, Uiseong. The event honored the integrity and learning of Haengjeong Kwon Sik (杏亭 權軾) in Sachon Village, Jeomgok-myeon, Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang Province.

The event was held to honor the life and spirit of Haengjeong Kwon Sik, the first member of the Andong Kwon clan to settle in Sachon, Uiseong, and to reexamine the historical value of the Confucian scholar culture passed down in Sachon Village. [Photo by Kwon Byeonggeon]

The event was held to honor the life and spirit of Haengjeong Kwon Sik, the first member of the Andong Kwon clan to settle in Sachon, Uiseong, and to reexamine the historical value of the Confucian scholar culture passed down in Sachon Village.

About 100 people attended the event to mark the completion of Haengjeong Jeongsa. They included Uiseong County Mayor Choi Yucheol; Kwon Do-yeop, former Minister of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs; Kwon Jang-su, head of the Haengjeong clan association; Shin Yong-woo, head of Bian Hyanggyo in Uiseong; Kwon Yong-ju, head of the Andong branch of the Sungkyunkwan Confucian Association; Kim Hee-yoon, head of the Sachon Manchwidang family; Kwon Oh-jung, chairman of the Yeonghae Obonggong clan association; Kwon In-hwan, a senior member of the Yeonghae Obonggong clan; Kwon Kyung-soo, former deputy county governor of Uiseong; former provincial council member Kwon Se-mok; and other local officials.

Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oh-eul sent a congratulatory wreath, while North Gyeongsang Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo, Andong Mayor Kwon Ki-chang, People Power Party lawmaker Park Hyung-soo, the Uiseong County Council and Cheongsong County Mayor Yoon Kyung-hee sent congratulatory banners to celebrate the completion of Haengjeong Jeongsa. About 30 congratulatory wreaths from people across various fields lined the venue, adding significance to the occasion, which honored Haengjeong Kwon Sik's integrity and learning and sought to carry on the spirit of seonbi culture in the Yeongnam region.

The event began with an ancestral rite to inform the ancestors that Haengjeong Jeongsa had been completed, followed by the completion ceremony and an academic conference.

The ancestral rite was conducted in accordance with the clan association's traditional rites. Attendees honored Haengjeong Kwon Sik's integrity and learning and reaffirmed their commitment to passing the ancestors' spirit on to future generations.

Uiseong County Mayor Choi Yucheol delivers congratulatory remarks ahead of Haengjeong Gwon Sik’s completion ceremony and paper presentation. [Photo by Kwon Byeonggeon]

The completion ceremony that followed was hosted by Kwon Byeonggeon, a 17th-generation descendant of Haengjeong Kwon Sik. It began with opening remarks by Kwon Se-sun, co-chair of the Haengjeong Jeongsa Construction Promotion Committee, followed by the national ceremony, introductions of guests, a report on the construction process, remarks by the clan association's head and congratulatory speeches by distinguished guests. The program reflected on the significance of building Haengjeong Jeongsa and the clan association's commitment to carrying on the ancestors' integrity and learning.

Kwon Hwa-seop, secretary-general of the Haengjeong Jeongsa Promotion Committee, reported on the construction process and its key milestones, describing how the building came to take its present form.

In his remarks, Kwon Jang-su, head of the Haengjeong clan association, said, "The completion of Haengjeong Jeongsa is meaningful not simply as a way to honor our ancestor's name, but as a way to pass on to future generations the human principles and upright spirit of the seonbi that should remain unchanged even as times change. I hope this place will become a foundation for spiritual culture where clan members, the local community and future generations can learn about and put into practice the values of loyalty and scholarship together."

Uiseong County Mayor Choi Yucheol said in his congratulatory remarks, "Sachon Village in Uiseong is home to a precious cultural heritage that has carried on traditions of scholarship, propriety and loyalty throughout its long history. The completion of Haengjeong Jeongsa is a meaningful opportunity to connect the spiritual legacy upheld by our ancestors with today's local community and to shed further light on Uiseong's historical and cultural identity."

He added, "A region's character stems from its history and culture, accumulated over many years, and from the efforts of those who preserve their value. I hope Haengjeong Jeongsa will offer future generations a guide to living upright lives and become a place that broadly shares Uiseong's tradition of seonbi culture."

Professor Jeong Byeongho of Kyungpook National University explains Haengjeong Gwon Sik. [Photo by Kwon Byeonggeon]

Kwon Yong-ju, head of the Andong branch of the Sungkyunkwan Confucian Association, said, "The essence of the seonbi spirit lies in cultivating oneself through scholarship, upholding the community's principles through loyalty, and holding fast to one's conscience and integrity even in difficult times. I hope Haengjeong Jeongsa will become a precious place that reminds society today of the moral values and communal ethics it needs to reaffirm."

He added, "Tradition is not fulfilled simply by preserving the legacy of the past. It becomes a living culture only when its spirit is put into practice in our lives today," emphasizing the importance of carrying on the seonbi spirit in modern times.

The completion ceremony also included the presentation of a plaque of appreciation to Kwon Oh-jin for his contribution to the construction of Haengjeong Jeongsa.

At the academic conference that followed the ceremony, Jeong Byeongho, a professor in the Department of Korean Literature in Classical Chinese at Kyungpook National University and director of the Toegye Studies Institute, examined the historical significance of the seonbi spirit passed down in Sachon Village, Uiseong, focusing on Haengjeong Kwon Sik's life and ideas.

He also examined the lives and scholarship of historical figures associated with Sachon Village, including Haengjeong Kwon Sik, Unam Kwon Hee-sun, Jarakdang Kwon Su-gyeong and Sawa Kwon Du-jeong, reflecting on the value of the Confucian traditions and spiritual culture that have taken root in the region.

The academic presentation focused on the historical context of the integrity, loyalty, scholarship and virtue that Joseon-era seonbi held dear, and on understanding the spiritual depth and historical characteristics of Sachon Village's seonbi culture.

By examining the scholarship and deeds of several historical figures alongside Haengjeong Kwon Sik's integrity and learning, the conference offered an opportunity to view Sachon Village's history not as one limited to the lives of individual figures, but as a shared legacy of spiritual culture passed down by the local community over many generations.

It also provided an opportunity to consider how Confucian values - academic cultivation, moral practice and communal responsibility - are connected to the region's historical and cultural traditions.

Professor Jeong said, "To understand Haengjeong Kwon Sik's life, it is important to look beyond the historical events of a particular era and consider the values and beliefs that the seonbi of that time sought to uphold. Loyalty and integrity are not merely ethical standards of the past; they are an important spiritual legacy that shows how people should reconcile their convictions with their social responsibilities."

He added, "Academic work examining Haengjeong's life and ideas goes beyond shedding light on one person's deeds. It is also significant for understanding the historical and cultural identity of Sachon Village in Uiseong and how seonbi culture has been passed down in the Yeongnam region. I hope continued research into relevant documents and historical records will help establish the academic value of this legacy more systematically."

In a congratulatory message, Lim Mi-ae, a proportional-representation lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "For hundreds of years, Sachon Village in Uiseong has been a precious spiritual foundation for Yeongnam's seonbi culture, upholding scholarship, integrity and the principles of community life. The completion of Haengjeong Jeongsa is a meaningful way to pass on to future generations not only the legacy of a historical figure, but also the upright values and historical pride that our society should preserve."

She added, "History is carried on by those who remember it, and tradition comes to life in communities that put its values into practice. I hope Haengjeong Jeongsa will pass on Uiseong's rich history and the seonbi spirit to future generations and become a central place for spiritual culture that enhances the region's cultural standing."

People Power Party lawmaker Park Hyung-soo, who represents Uiseong, Cheongsong, Yeongdeok and Uljin, said in a congratulatory message, "The integrity and learning left behind by Haengjeong Kwon Sik are a spiritual legacy that resonates deeply with us today, across the ages. The completion of Haengjeong Jeongsa is a meaningful achievement that carries on the noble wishes of our ancestors and sheds new light on the historical and cultural value preserved in Sachon Village, Uiseong."

He added, "A region's true competitiveness stems not only from economic growth, but also from the history and culture accumulated over many years and the spirit of the community that has preserved them. I hope Haengjeong Jeongsa will develop into a place of learning that carries on the traditions of integrity and scholarship, as well as a cultural focal point connecting generations and communities."

The completion of Haengjeong Jeongsa is significant as an opportunity to reexamine the value of the history and spiritual culture passed down in Sachon Village, Uiseong, going beyond a clan's project to commemorate its ancestors.

Notably, the event linked traditional ancestral rites with academic research, expanding remembrance of the ancestors into historical understanding and scholarly study.

Haengjeong Jeongsa is expected to serve as a historical and cultural space that honors Haengjeong Kwon Sik's loyalty and learning and allows his descendants and the local community to share the values of the traditional seonbi spirit.

The completion of Haengjeong Jeongsa marks more than the establishment of a historical site for one clan; it is a starting point for reviving today the spiritual value of the seonbi culture that has taken root in Sachon Village, Uiseong. The integrity and learning of Haengjeong Kwon Sik and other historical figures are a legacy that reminds us, across the ages, of the importance of trust within a community and moral responsibility.

What matters now is to extend the significance of the construction through ongoing academic research, education and cultural exchange. We hope Haengjeong Jeongsa will become more than a place that preserves the ancestors' spirit. It should deepen Uiseong's historical identity and take root as a living foundation for spiritual culture that passes the values of an upright life on to future generations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.