732 REFORM OF GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION
Mid-Seventeenth CenturyThe community compact movement had not been much of a success in the Choson
dynasty, and a brief flurry of interest in the mid-seventeenth century did not indi-
cate that its fortunes had improved. No one disagreed with the notion that moral
education and transformation was more of a necessity than ever, but few mag-
istrates had the zeal to establish community compacts in their own districts.
In [650 King Hyojong (r. 1649-59) was alarmed by a rash of murders and
the occurrence of natural disasters, and ordered all officials to promote moral
education to carry out the spirit of the community compact regulations. He did
not, however, order the adoption of compacts in village communities, and most
officials paid no attention to his command. In 1657 Yi Kyongsok deplored the
failure of local educational officials and magistrates to carry out the order, but
Inspector-General Kim Chwamyong argued that since community compacts
could not he adopted anyway, the king had no choice but to carry out moral regen-
eration by the use of punishment against all persons guilty of unfilial and dis-
respectful behavior, slaves who rebelled against their masters' decisions, and
social inferiors who violated standards of social status.^47
In the first year of King Hyonjong's reign (1660), however, Yi Ut'ae, a con-
fidante of the king who had close ties with Song Siyol and Song Chun'gil, argued
that community compacts, mutual aid and surveillance units (agat ollg) of five,
twenty-five, one hundred, and two hundred families, and the village granary sys-
tem (sach 'ang) were the best institutional means for the rectification of mores.
He suggested that the king print the text either of Chu Hsi's or Yulgok's version
of a community compact for educational purposes, but Chief State Councilor
Chong T'aehwa retorted that community compacts were impractical because
Yulgok himself had hal ked at their adoption, and Yi Ut'ae had insisted that a
population census and a land survey had to be conducted before compacts were
established. He and others felt that a hop 'ae or household tally system was not
possible and a land survey could only be achieved on a gradual basis. Third
State Councilor Won Tup'yo also objected to a five-family system because in
the past many families had been left out of registration, and community com-
pacts could not work at all if there were any omissions. In any case, the state
of mores in the country was so low that community compacts would not work
anyway. Second State Councilor Sim Chiwon echoed Yulgok's argument that
peasants had been suffering too much from famine over the past years and needed
some rest from government demands.^48
The retired Yi Kyongsok noted that King Hyojong's nationwide compaign
against immoral behavior had failed hecause bureaucrats were not zealous in
carrying it out. In^1664 King Hyonjong told Chong T'aehwa that he was will-
ing to try the five-family mutual responsibility system (agat'ong), but the times
were not ripe for the community compact system and he refused to entertain
any more proposals for it for the rest of his reign:+9
In 1670 the famous Song Siyol was asked by friends who had decided to form