Thought of ChunChu and a practical solution of Song Joon Kil

동춘당 송준길의 춘추정신과 현실 대응

Song Joon Kil(宋浚吉, 1606-1672) intended to establish the subjectivity of people as a "Great Justice". He declared that at that time "Great Justice" was meant to respect 'Ming(明)' and reject 'Ching'(淸). He understood 'Ching' as a country which destroyed the human community and reasoned that if we put Ching's uncivilized behavior out of our mind in favor of the pursuit of present existence and merits, a temporary peace may be got but eternal peace and stability would not be achieved. 'Ming' doesn't refer only to the name of a country, but a country with the capacity to perform 'humanity and justice' with a human culture. On the other hand, he considered 'Ching' to signify the uncivilised country that destroyed or repressed the humanity and peaceful order of the world. He thought the international order can only be maintained under the organization respectful and protective of humanity. He believed a country should act to unify the whole world guaranteeing life and stability. He possessed this cultivated spirit which acted to protect the civilised world from the perils of an uncivilised world. But because of the great famine for a lot of years and the international state(Ming was regressing, and Ching was continuing to make rapid strides) was timely unsuitable to revenge and to wash the shame off. So Song propeled to stabilize the government and to strengthen the national ethics. Song focused on administering the domestic affairs. To him a high priority was a internal affairs, and a low priority was a external affairs[military aggression]. Song considered 'providing for the welfare of the people'(安民) before 'pushing ahead with military aggression'(外攘). And a high priority was 'restoring the people'(養民), a low priority was 'the military affairs'(治兵). Song regarded 'domestic affairs'(內治) as a fundamental affairs. He putted 'to nurse people'(養民) and 'to straighten King's mind'(格君心) first, than 'to buildup military'. His foreign policy was 'respecting Ming' and 'rejecting Ching'. Song was bothered about defining Chosun dynasty's moral obligations to the southern Ming government(1644~46) at Nanjing at that time.

송준길은 '존중화 양이적'(尊中華 攘夷狄)이라는 춘추사상을 바탕으로 조정에서 '존명배청'(尊明排淸)과 '복수설치'(復讐雪恥) 운동을 추진했다. 그러나 송준길이 조정에 나가 재임하는 기간 동안 조선은 국내적으로는 수년간 지속된 대기근과 국외적으로는 복명(復明) 세력 몰락과 청의 대약진이라는 악조건 속에 처했다. 이에 현실적으로 송준길이 추진한 현실 정책은 '내수외양'(內修外攘)으로 요약된다. 송준길은 군사적 북벌 준비에 앞서 백성 구제를 우선시 했다. 당시 수년간 계속되었던 대기근으로 인해 송준길은 '내치 근본', '안민 우선'을 기본 정책으로 삼아, 북벌을 위한 군사력 증강 보다는 국내의 민생 구제, 군심(君心) 수양 등에 치중하지 않을 수 없었다. 송준길의 '복수설치' 의리 실천은 '내수외양'에 입각하여, 시행정책은 '양민(養民)을 먼저하고 치병(治兵)을 뒤로 한다'는 것이었다. 또한 내수 방침은 '양민'과 함께 '격군심'(格君心)이 핵심이었다. 송준길은 군주의 덕성 함양과 심성 수양이 곧 치국 평천하의 근본이라고 주장했다. 송준길은 안민(安民)이 우선이고 외양(外攘)은 그 다음 일이며, '내치(內治)는 외양(外攘)의 근본'이고, '치병(治兵)은 안민이 우선'이라고 했다. 또한 송준길은 복명(復明) 세력이 몰락해 가는 가운데에서도 남경에 잔존하고 있던 남명(南明) 정부에 사신을 파견하여 신하국으로서 충의를 다해야 한다고 건의하여, 춘추사상과 사업을 지속적으로 행하기 위해 외교 정책의 대의명분을 바르게 해야 한다고 주장했다.