Chong Yagyong and Korea's Challenge to Orthodox Neo-Confucianism

Some parts were interesting such as scholars questioning and challenging the orthodox teachings of Cheng-Chu, and how some of them tried formulating proposals for the country's development.

The latter, in particular, made me re-think often-made assumptions and the one-dimensional view that the Chosun dynasty was degenerative, backward looking, and was unable to come up with new perspectives and solutions for the country.

What I found interesting was Tasan's (Chong's other name) inclination, especially towards his later years, towards populist policies that were supposed to help curb yangban excesses. But perhaps it should not come as a surprise that he did not manage to successfully implement those policies?

But for the most parts, the book was a tad hard to follow, given the various names, events, and accounts of interplay/rivalries between the various factions. Especially difficult were Tasan's different interpretations of the classical texts.