A Study on the Record Writingsof Injae Choi Hyun(齋訒 崔晛)
Authors:   The Association of DaeDong-Hanmun, Jeong jiah 
Published: April 2024

Injae Choi Hyun(訒齋 崔晛, 1563~1640) was a mid-Joseon Dynasty bureaucrat and literary figure, and many of his writings remain in literary collections. First of all, if we review the existing studies on Choi Hyun, it is found that most of them examined the world of life, politics, thought, and academia of Injae focusing on Chinese poems(漢詩), Socha(疏箚), Hangeul lyrics <Yongsaeum(龍蛇吟)> and <Myeongwoleum(明月吟)>, the novel <Geumsaeng Yi Munrok(琴生異門錄)> and the record of the envoy's journey <Jocheon Ilrok(朝天日錄)>. These studies have a lot to do with the political activities of Injae, and generally highlight his statesman aspect of patriotism (worrying about the country and loving the people). Recently, in 2023, a related academic conference was held at the Gumi Neo-Confucianism History Museum with a special exhibition on the theme of Injae, and here again, Injae was reexamined as a statesman of practical practice and patriotism. Considering the political position, historical background, life and history of Injae, it is clear that Injae is a statesman of practical practice and patriotism. However, even though it has been a long time since Injae was known in academia, research on him in the field of literature is still somewhat lacking. Therefore, in this paper, we will first look at the record writings(記文), which has not yet been properly studied among the works of Injae. A total of 7 record writings are included in Volume 10 of 『Collected Writings of Teacher Injae(訒齋先生文集)』, and I will introduce these record writings in an overview and introduce them, and examine how his writing talent as a skilled writer of the time and the reality of his literary view of containing Tao through sentences(文以載道) are embodied. There are a total of seven essays in Injae’s record writings, and <Kimsanhyangsadanki(金山鄕射堂記)> and <Munsohyundongmokki(聞韶縣桐木記)> were written voluntarily by him. <Girojaeki(棄老齋記)> and <Manchudangki(晩翠堂記)> were written at the request of Cho Yun-ji and Kwon San-lip, the owners of the buildings, and <Geumneungkwanjungkunki (金陵館重建記)> was written at the request of Jung Yu-han(鄭維翰). The <Naksansansubyungki(洛山山水屛記)> is a brief record written in a book made by Huh Gye after touring Mt. Naksan, and the <Jeoksangsanbo- gyeongsahwangrobongki(赤裳山寶鏡寺香爐峯記)> is a record of bronze mirrors and incense burners excavated from the old palace site of Jeoksang Mountain Fortress at the request of Zen Master Deokwoong. Among Injae’s record writings, not a single piece of Sansuyuki written after traveling has survived, which is different from the fact that in other writers' record writings, it occupies the largest proportion along with the records of buildings. In his spare time, he toured Mt. Juwangsan, Mang- yangjeong, Mt. Geumosan, and Mt. Wolsansan, and also went boating at Imaeyeon. Some of the Chinese poems left behind after the tour include the <Jeungdohaengsangin(贈道行上人)> written after the tour of Mt. Wolsansan, and the poem <Jeungjirisanseungseong> which was written about an impression of the sightseeing of Mt. Kumgangsan after meeting the monk Seong-eun of Mt. Jirisan following a tour of Mt. Kumgangsan. It can be seen that Injae left the excitement of sightseeing mainly in poetry rather than in the Sansuyuki. It is presumed that the reason he did not leave behind any Sansuyuki works compared to other literary travelers of his time was because of his pragmatic nature, where he understood the record writings in terms of ‘record preservation.’ <Kimsanhyangsadanki(金山鄕射堂記)> and <Munsohyundongmokki(聞韶縣桐木記)> show the recommendation and discipline(勸戒) seeking to restore ancient rites and the ways of saints, and a wish for restoration after the Japanese invasions of Korea, while <Geumneungkwanjungkunki(金陵館重建記)>, <Girojaeki(棄老齋