20세기 어느 유학자의 생애와 편찬 활동

The Work of a Confucian Scholar in the 20th Century as Compiler: Focusing on Songseok Lee Byung-yeon

본고는 20세기를 살다간 충남 공주의 유학자인 송석 이병연(1894~1977)의 생애와 편찬 활동을 살펴보았다. 1930년대 129개 군의 방대한 인문지리서인 『조선환여승람』을 편찬한 이병연에 대한 기본적인 생애 정보조차 아직 학계에 보고되지 않고 있다. 이병연은 가난한 삶 속에서 19세 때부터 부친 이원과 숙부 이석이 주관하는 문헌편찬 사업에 참여하여 실무 경험을 쌓았다. 『조선환여승람』의 특징인 전국적 규모이면서 군별(郡別) 책자 방식, 방대한 인물 정보를 수록했던 비결은 바로 부친과 숙부의 간행을 조력하는 데에서 시작되었음을 알 수 있었다. 이병연은 40대 이후 『조선환여승람』의 상업적 성공으로 사회⋅경제적 기반을 조성했다. 이를 통해 그는 자신의 선조(先祖) 관련 문헌들을 지속적으로 편찬 간행함으로써 선조의 위상을 높이고 친족의 결속을 강화시키려고 하였다. 근현대 인쇄술의 발달은 대량의 지식정보를 생산하고 유통시키면서 새로운 사상과 인식을 형성해 갔다. 아울러 족보⋅문집 등과 같은 유교문헌 역시 새로운 인쇄기술과 결합되면서 대폭 확장되었음을 주목할 필요가 있다. 20세기를 살았던 유학자 이병연의 삶과 편찬활동이 바로 이러한 상황을 보여주는 대표적인 사례이다.

This paper examines the work of Songseok Lee Byung-yeon(1894-1977) as a compiler of books and documents, a twentieth-century Confucian scholar in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do Province. Lee Byung-yeon edited and published Joseon Hwanyeoseungram(朝鮮寰輿勝覽), a vast human geography book on 129 counties in the 1930s, but even basic information on his life has not yet been reported to the academic world. Drawing on the life of Lee Byung-yeon, this paper discusses the process and backgrounds of the publication of the books he compiled: Joseon Hwanyeoseungram, Buyeo Geumseongdanji(扶餘錦城檀誌), Daesongdan Sillok, Yeonseong Chungjeonggong Yeonbo(延城忠靖公年譜), The Collected Poems of Nango(蘭皐詩集), etc. Despite living in poverty, Lee Byung-yeon gained practical knowledge and experience by participating in the compilation of documents published by his father Lee Won and uncle Lee Seok from the age of 19. Joseon Hwanyeoseungram covered data on a national scale, dealt with each county in an individual volume, and included extensive personal information. This came from Lee’s experience of assisting his father and uncle to publish documents. The success of Joseon Hwanyeoseungram had provided a stable socio-economic foundation for Lee Byung-yeon since his forties. He continued to edit and publish documents related to his ancestors, thereby enhancing the status of his forefathers and strengthening the ties of kinship. For Confucian scholars who lived in the 20th century, the social atmosphere of the time pointed to an era of crisis. They responded to the changed environment in various ways, such as compiling Confucian literature, publishing genealogies, academic research, glorifying ancestors, and preserving relics. As is well known, the development of printing technology in modern and contemporary times has produced and distributed a large amount of knowledge and information, which led to the formation of new ideas and perceptions. It is also worth noting that in combination with a new printing culture, Confucian literature, such as genealogy and collections of literary works, has also been greatly expanded. Lee Byung-yeon’s life and compilation work are a typical example of this change in circumstances.