조선시대 絶交의 사회학

Social Science of Breaking Off Relations during Joseon Period

Friendship was the subject of significant interest and discussion even during Joseon period. Interest and discussion on friendship was prominent especially in the 18th century and people tried to restore the true rules of friendship. It is natural that people meet and part with each other in a life. When the friendship couldn’t be kept any more in the past, they decisively declared breaking off the relations to friends. Relations are broken off in case of serious deviation from public morals, insulting ancestors or teachers or different political or religious beliefs. It needs to be discussed in details. Breaking off relations is done by sending mails. People notify their decisive attitudes on breaking off relations by sending mails and some gives the last opportunity to explain to their friends. Nowadays, we don’t discuss about breaking off relations and never break off relations decisively. If someone breaks off relations publicly, he/she will be considered as the person who is not matured in human relationship. However, if someone doesn’t completely break off relations with others, it may mean no complete unity with anyone. This paper is a kind of comments on breaking off relations. A variety of issues related to breaking off relations will be continuously analyzed with interest.