노봉 김정의 목민관으로서의 삶

The Governing of People by Nobong Kim Jung.

蘆峯 金은 사서삼경과 성리학 관련 책을 탐구하며, 새로운 생각을 갖고 잘못된 점을 반성하는 것을 학문하는 자세로 삼았다. 9세의 어린 나이에 고을의 백일장에 장원하여 수령을 놀라게 한 바 있고, 약관이 조금 지난 나이에 이미 학문 뛰어난 선비로 조정에 추천된 바 있으며, 출사하여 승정원 假注書로서 史草를 기록할 때는 정확하게 속기하는 능력을 인정받았고, 함경도 도사로 있을 때는 災傷을 잘 분석하여 신속하게 처리한다고 소문이 났다. 관직에 물러나서는 살고 있는 곳 주위에 方塘을 만들고 산수 자연을 즐기며 朱熹 시에 차운하였고, ｢무이도가｣에 차운한 ｢오계구곡｣ 10수를 지어서 인간과 자연 간의 합일을 이루고자 했다. 4개 고을의 수령을 맡았는데 목민관으로서 지녀야 할 덕목을 두루 갖추었다. 그는 사람됨이 바르고 강직하며, 엄정하고 청렴하며 효행이 있었다는 평어가 󰡔승정원일기󰡕에 실려 있고, 강릉부사로 있을 때는 강원도관찰사로부터는 最[제일 잘하는 등급]의 평가를 받는 등 능력이 탁월하였다. 강계부사로 있을 때는 권선징악을 표방하며 부역 균등과 군량미를 비축하였고, 제주목사로 재임하던 때에는 손수 祈雨文 6편, 祈晴文 3편을 남기는 등 수령으로서 백성을 위하고자 한 의지를 살펴볼 수 있다. 제주목의 官學인 삼천서당을 설립하여 일반 평민들에게 교육 기회를 부여하였고, 禾北浦의 축항 공사를 추진할 때는 스스로 돌을 지고 나르는 등 백성의 고된 삶을 직접 체험하였다. 또 배가 뒤집혀서 물에 빠져 죽은 섬사람을 위하여 제문을 지어서 원혼을 달래는 등 백성을 긍휼히 여기는 모습도 보였다. 제주목사 임기를 마치고 죽은 이듬해에 호남어사가 노봉의 善政한 사실을 조정에 褒啓하였으나 시행되지 못하였다. 또 일찍이 청백리 錄選案에 들었으나 좋아하지 않는 사람들의 저지로 선정되지 못하였다. 그는 南人이었으므로 아마 黨色과도 무관하지 않았을 것이라고 본다. 그러나 후일 영주 梧川書院, 제주 象賢祠 등에서 제향했으므로 후인들이 그 업적을 기린 것이다. 노봉의 현실인식은 민본을 바탕으로 한 愛民에 있었고, 이름보다 실질을 중시하는 山水之樂을 추구하였으며, 敬義 가운데서 의로움을 우위에 두었고, 자손에게 義方으로 훈계하였다. 퇴계학맥을 계승한 선비였기에 퇴계가 그 손자들에게 가르친 학습방법을 모범으로 삼아서 자손 교육을 하였다. 그로 인하여 노봉의 가계에서 많은 인물이 배출되기도 했다.

This article is Nobong Kim Jung and “Governing of People”. Nobong Kim Jung explored books on Neo-Confucianism. His approach toward learning was to contemplate new ideas and reflect on flaws. He came into first place in his village’s writing contest at the age of 9, surprising the leader; a little past the age of 20, he was invited to the governor’s office as an excellent academic scholar; he was recognized for his skills to transcribe exactly when he recorded the Sacho (史草) as the Seungjungwon Gajuseo (假注書); when he was the civil servant of Hamkyung-do, he gained a reputation for analyzing disasters aptly and processing them swiftly. After retiring from government posts, he built a square pond around his living area, enjoyed mountainous nature, borrowed the words of Zhu Xi of the Song Dynasty to write poems, borrowed words from the “Muidoga,” (武夷櫂歌) and composed 10 poems of the “Ogyegugok,” (梧溪九曲) aiming to achieve unity between humans and nature. When he was in charge of governing the four villages, he had all the virtues of a mokmingwan (牧民官). There were evaluations of him as being well-mannered, upright, strict, righteous, and filial in the “Seungjeongwonilgi,” (承政院日記) and when he was the prefectural busa (府使) of Gangneung, he was assessed by the Gangwon Provincial Governor with the highest level che (最), displaying skills of excellency. As the prefectural busa of Ganggye, he achieved equality in compulsory labor and accumulated rice for the military, encouraging the good and punishing the evil; as the moksa (牧使) in Jeju, he left six chapters of kiwoomun (祈雨文) and three chapters of kichungmun (祈晴文) himself; as such, it is possible to examine his will to serve the people as a ruler. He established Samcheonseodang (三泉書堂) to provide educational opportunities for ordinary people, and when implementing the harbor works of the Hwabukpo (禾北浦), he experienced the hard lives of the people by carrying stones on his own. He also showed a compassionate attitude for the people by building a memorial service for the islander who had drowned after his boat was turned upside down and laid the revengeful spirit to rest. The following year after his term as the commissioner of Jeju had been finished and died, he was nominated for ruling wisely by the Honameosa (湖南御史), but the nomination was unsuccessful. He was also included in Cheongbaek-ri’s Noksunan (淸白吏錄選案) early on but was not chosen because of the opposition by those who did not like it. Due to he was the Namin (南人), so that may have been related to his party affiliations. However, the descendants honored his achievements as the memorial service was held in Yeongju’s Ocheonseowon (梧川書院) and Jeju’s Sanghyunsa (象賢祠). Nobong’s perception of reality was his love for the people based on his people-orientation. He pursued the Sansujirak (山水之樂), which emphasized substance rather than title, put righteousness before courtliness, and disciplined righteousness to his descendants. He was a scholar who inherited the Toegye academic genealogy, so he educated his descendants based on the learning method that Toegye taught to his grandsons. As a result, many talented individuals have been produced from the lineage of Nobong.