Kwon Si

Kwon Si (權諰, 1604–1672) was a civil official and Confucian scholar of the mid-Joseon period. His courtesy name was Sasung (思誠) and his art name was Tanong (炭翁). He belonged to the Andong Kwon clan (安東). He was praised for being unusually intelligent, comparable to the Chinese scholar Yan Hui (顔子). Because of his outstanding scholarship, he was appointed as tutor to Hyojong, but he declined. Later, on the recommendation of his in-law Song Si-yeol, he entered public service. Afterward, as a Westerner (西人), he did not side with his fellow Westerner Song Si-yeol during a dispute in 1660 over ritual propriety; instead he took the side of Yun Seon-do, and this earned him the enmity of Song Si-yeol's faction. In 1668 he was appointed Left Vice Magistrate of Hanseong, but he declined and went down to Gongju in South Chungcheong Province, where he devoted himself to scholarship. He was a Westerner of the Giho school together with Song Si-yeol and was well versed in ritual theory. He was the son of Junior Secretary Kwon Deuk-gi (權得己). He was an in-law of Song Si-yeol.

Life

In 1636, because of his outstanding conduct and learning, he was recommended several times and was repeatedly appointed as tutor to the crown prince (大君師傅), but he declined and did not take office. After Hyojong ascended the throne in 1649, he entered public service on the recommendation of special royal orders and of scholars and disciples, including his in-law Song Si-yeol (宋時烈). He was first appointed Junior Secretary of the Ministry of Works and entered official life for the first time. He then held several important posts, was promoted to Senior Grade Tongjeong, and became Seungjeongwon Royal Secretary. In 1659 he was appointed Right Vice Magistrate of Hanseong. In 1660, when Hyojong died, a conflict arose over the mourning clothes for Hyojong and the period of mourning for . The argued for one year of mourning as for a second son, while the argued that the king was in the position of an eldest son and that the Westerners sought to divide the royal lineage from the legitimate line; the attacks and quarrels between the two factions intensified. He did not follow the party line and instead came to defend the (尹善道). When he saw attacking the at the risk of his life over the Ritual Controversy (禮訟問題), he praised his courage; for this, he was dismissed from office after being denounced by fellow . On his way back to his home village, he stopped at the ancestral graves in , , and stayed to live near them. Although he had originally been a , he later received partial support from the , and his relations with the hardline Westerner faction deteriorated. In 1668 he was appointed Left Vice Magistrate of , but he declined and returned to , , after which he devoted his efforts to scholarly research and the education of younger scholars. Together with , he belonged to the Giho school (畿湖學派) and was well versed in ritual theory (禮論). After his death, he was posthumously conferred the title of Left Chanseong of the (左贊成), and he was enshrined at (道山書院) in (present-day Tanbang-dong, Daejeon). His writings include the (炭翁集).