Silhak movement in the Joseon Dynasty in South Korea
Since the beginning of the 17th century, a movement that advocated Silhak, or learning about practical matters, gained considerable momentum among liberal-minded scholars as a tool for building a modern nation. They strongly advocate for improvements in agriculture and industry, in line with comprehensive reforms in terms of land distribution. However, the nobles of conservative governments were not ready to make such drastic changes. In the second half of the Joseon Dynasty, the administration of government and the upper classes was marked by factionalism or the formation of groups which appeared repeatedly. To clear up the unwanted political situation, King Yeongjo (1724-1776) finally adopted an impartial policy. Thus he was able to strengthen the authority of the King and create political stability. King Jeongjo (1776-1800) succeeded in maintaining impartial politics and established a royal library to store royal documents and records. Ian also initiated othe...