His firm attitude can be seen written on monuments which were erected throughout Korea, reading 'No fighting against encroachment of the Western barbarians means doing peace negotiations, and doing negotiations is selling our nation.'
その強い姿勢は「西洋蛮人の侵犯に戦わない事は和議をする事であり、和議を主張することは売国行為である」と書かれた斥和碑を朝鮮各地に建てたことに窺うことができる。