Hyogokjaesa Temple

This jaesa (ancestral memorial hall) is presumed to have been built during the reign of King Sukjong by Song Yeong, the great-grandson of Master Ugok, to honour his lofty virtue. As a building of the late 17th century, its woodworking techniques, such as the central door post (seolju) and mitred corner joints (yeongwi macchum), are regarded as fine work consistent with its construction date. Master Ugok Song Ryang (1534-1618) was one of the representative scholars who put Confucian teachings into personal practice. As a scholar who fully practised filial devotion himself, the village where he lived, Sogok, came to be called Hyogok (Village of Filial Piety) from the 17th year of King Seonjo's reign onward. During the Japanese invasions of 1592-98, he raised a righteous army and won military distinction; his sons Lee Hoe and Lee Pil died trying to save their parents, and his daughters, the wife of No Gyeong-geon and the wife of Jeong I-gwal, also preserved their chastity, so that five exemplars of loyalty and filial piety emerged from a single household. In particular, Master Ugok took the lead in reforming local customs and promoting education, playing a major role in organising the Naksagye (Nak Society); he was a key figure in merging the Naksagye of 1566 with that of 1578, for which he wrote the preface to its charter, into a single society in 1599, developing it into a true grand association of Sangsan. He was also one of the central figures when Donam Seowon, a Confucian academy, was founded in 1606 to elevate the virtues of honouring worthy men and nurturing talent. In short, Master Ugok personally embodied the ideals of Confucianism and may fittingly be called a model of filial piety and loyalty.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Sangju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산