Bak Jega

Bak Jega
Bak Jega (1790)
Korean name
Hangul	박제가
Hanja
Revised Romanization	Bak Jega
McCune–Reischauer	Pak Cheka
Pen name
Hangul	초정
Hanja
Revised Romanization	Chojeong
McCune–Reischauer	Ch'ojŏng

Bak Jega (Hangul: 박제가; Hanja: 朴齊家; 1750–1815) was a scholar of school of Practical learning (Silhak) in the late Joseon Dynasty. He was a student of Park Ji-won.

Bak Jega was a famous Silhak scholar in the late Joseon Dynasty. He was a student of another famous Silhak scholar, Park Ji Won. Bak Jega was born in 1750 and died in 1815. Bak Jega went to Qing (also referred to as "Ching"), which was the name of China at that time, after becoming a student of Park Ji Won. He learned about China’s modern culture, advanced techniques, and its economic system while there. After returning from Qing, Park Ji Won worked in Jiphyeonjeon, a place where important scholars and scientists worked, during the time of King Jeongjo.

Because the Joseon government supported ‘Yuhak', a neo-Confucianist conservative ideology, Bak Jega had an important role and his desire was to make Joseon rich in science and commerce.

He authored several books; the compilation is titled, Jeongyungyp. He wrote about making the commerce system stronger in Umyoungnomchogo and Gunyeonjib. At that time, it was quite shocking to believe in Silhak, whose ideas opposed Yuhak.

Bak Jega developed the way of agriculture, and he also enhanced some of the farming machinery to cultivate plants.

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