Three Fundamental Principles and Five Moral Disciplines

Part of Premier Yi Kwon's ambitious plan for a new, revitalized Korea includes a return to conservative monarchism. While the Grand National Restoration Party's massive electoral victory shows broad support for the idea, the Premier has committed to establishment the ground-work of a Neo-Joseon identity and movement before formalizing the return of the monarchy.

On the cultural and societal end, this necessitates a return to hierarchical, Neo-Confucian values - specifically, the societal Three Fundamental Principles (삼강 or Samgang) and the Five Moral Disciplines (오륜 or Oryun). The duty of promoting these principles within Korean culture will fall to the Ministry of Culture and the new Minister of Culture, Pyo Sun-hee. Sun-hee is not only a firm ally of Yi Kwon, but also a steadfast believer in the Neo-Joseon idea.

The rethinking of the Three Fundamental Principles and Five Moral Disciplines will take two routes - the reinterpretation of clauses as guidance to how the State should interact with the world, and as guidance to how societal relationships between men and women should be pursued. Using these Principles and Moral Disciplines, Neo-Joseon thinkers are supposed to extrapolate lessons to all issues around the world to decide both how Korea should, as a state and a nation, approach problems, and how Korean culture should address controversial issues.

Three Fundamental Principles

Chung, or loyalty to the king

Chung will manifest itself not as a personal loyalty to the current Supreme Leader or the future King, but as a loyalty to the State and the Union of Korea. Korean culture and educational system will focus on and exult Joseon and the united Goryeo kingdom. In terms of historical figures, King Taejo will be emphasized - specifically, his overthrow of corrupt and inept officials to create a new, resurgent, and unified Korea. Loyalty, obedience, and the value of following orders will be emphasized in schools and especially in training for the military. Chung will be one of the most important pillars of the Neo-Joseon idea - the glue that holds the Union together.

Hyo, or filial obedience to the parents

Hyo can be taken in a literal or metaphoric sense, and will be approached primarily from the metaphoric stance, with family values specified in the Five Moral Disciplines. Metaphorically, the people of Korea are the "children", while the King and the State are the "parents." The State - comprising of high level politicians such as the Premier and the Uijeongbu, intelligence officials, and military officials - is deemed to have a parental understanding of what is best for Korea, and therefore must enter the parental guiding role. This can be taken as an opposition to democracy, which may be ugly on the surface - but how can Hyo be followed if the children are leading the parents? Just as a toddler cannot lead his father or mother, the people of Korea cannot be allowed unfettered guidance of the nation. That role is for the State - the parent, who knows what is better for the child, even if unpleasant. The Neo-Joseon idea, then, will be one of enlightened guidance, where the State takes priority over the whims of the populace.

Yeol, or differentiation between men and women

In the Joseon period, women suffered a regression of rights from the Goryeo period. While in the Goryeo period, women could freely mingle with men, have independent possessions, and inherit land - however, this would go away with the arrival of neo-Confucian thought. Women were subjugated to first their father, then their husband after marriage, then their firstborn son after they got old, and were quite literally sequestered off in their own segment of the population. Right now, Korea can be considered in the "Goryeo" period. However, the Neo-Joseon idea cannot see a full revocation of women rights.

Instead, a more conservative vision of the "Confucian woman" - virtuous, modest, and faithful. This is to be done through a revival in modern takes on old court fashion, as well as emphasis of the pre-mentioned values. In addition, the twisting of old Joseon ideas can and will be encouraged. The tendency of women of the Joseon era to wear small knives, intended for use in committing suicide instead of dishonoring their family, will be turned into a model of active self-defense - for women to prevent the dishonoring of themselves or their family through actively defending and fending off those that would do harm. Hwang Jini will be lauded as an example of a beautiful, witty, intelligent, and independent woman flourishing within the confines of Joseon society.

Five Moral Disciplines

Ui, or righteous and justice; the relationship of the monarch and the people

Ui will be taken as the basis for how the State and the King should manifest itself in its previously described parental role. An unjust State - one that violates the rights of its people, or one that advocates for unjust causes, such as the current genocide in Xinjiang - has violated one of the five moral disciplines. Ui will be held as the most important of these Moral Disciplines, as the primary moral argument for why the State is allowed its dominant position in society as a parental figure. Therefore, Ui, in the modern interpretation, acts as a clause granting the Korean people the right of revolution should the State stray from Ui - because if a State has strayed from Ui, it does not have a moral basis for Hyo.

Chin, or warmth and closeness between parents and children

Chin will be taken as the basis for how the State and the People should interact. Just as parents must be close to their children to care for them and ensure a proper upbringing, the State must properly care for its people. A State that does not care for its people - in providing basic services, in providing security, or in providing a sense of national pride to relate to - is violating the principle of Chin. While it could be interpreted as a “right of revolution” clause like Ui, the Neo-Joseon identity will primarily center Chin as the model for how the State should care and provide for the populace.

Byeol, or differentiation between husband and wife

Byeol will be, as with Yeol and Seo, related directly to society and cultural attitudes between men and women. Byeol specifically relates to the differentiation between husband and wife - and more broadly, men and women. Byeol will not center around harsh requirements forbidding women from doing some activities and forbidding men from doing other activities, but will rather relate to roles that each plays in broader society. Men will be promoted in traditional masculine roles, while women will be promoted in traditional feminine roles. Deviation from the norm will not result, as perhaps in times past, in corporal punishment, but rather societal punishment and shaming. This is to be implemented in school and in the media, to promote a gradual change towards these traditional roles.

Seo, or order between husband and wife

Seo is heavily related to Byeol, but with a heavy focus on the institution of marriage. In the Neo-Joseon movement’s resurgence of traditional, conservative ideas is the promotion of marriage. However, it would be foolish to simply expect that all marriages go well. Seo, therefore, sets out expectations for what a good marriage should look like, with husband and wife each taking up separate, orderly roles within the household and family that correspond with traditional gender roles. Domestic abuse, marital rape, child abuse and other similar marriage-related crimes will be prosecuted on a much harsher scale as a result of Seo, for doing any of these terrible and heinous crimes actively undermines one of the key Five Moral Disciplines.

Sin, or trust between friends

Sin will serve as a guiding theory of Korean foreign relations - specifically regarding alliances. The Neo-Joseon movement will seek to replace the old, Joseon theory of foreign relations - the China-centric Gyorin philosophy - with Sin. In essence, Korea will be hesitant to interact with the wider world. With such great and booming industry, too much interaction with the outside world can only function as a way of a) intertangling Korea, a comparatively small nation in the modern world of hyper states, in international conflict, and b) disrupting the aforementioned values with outsider values. To those who are our friends, however, Sin describes the immense amount of bilateral trust and respect that Korea will attempt to emulate with their foreign relationships. Korea should avoid backstabbing allies, committing to promises that it can’t uphold, or entering relationships with untrustworthy allies - because all of these would violate Sin.