朝鮮 成宗의 右文政治와 그 귀결

Abstract

Examined in this article, is the conflict between the political power of the king’s throne and the moral authority argued by the officials, through an analysis of the Joseon king Seongjong’s “Wumun” politics(右文政治), which was a policy of ‘Promoting Civil politics.’King Seongjong was always diligent in attending the Gyeong’yeon/經筵 classes and had clear perspective of what was right(正學) and what was wrong(異端). He always believed that the governance of Joseon should be based upon Neo-Confucianism. He also heard well of his remonstrance officers’ counsel, and was supportive of the fact that the Hongmun-gwan office turning into an office of expostulation. He was clearly pursuing a Confucian ideal way of politics, and due to his devotion to Confucian politics, the governance of his reign was much more stable than those of kings Sejo and Yejong. But in the latter half period of the 15th century, the king’s assuming of the role of a diligent student(學人), and maintaining a friendly relationship with the expostulation officials, presented another challenge to the king. It put the king in a new position where the king would be asked or at least expected to compete with the officials over the issue of who is more equipped with a public and fair set of values. Compared to the days of the kings who were able to control the officials with brute political force, this new model of a king would be exposed to a new kind of vulnerability of not being able to do just that. In other words, the Dae’gan remonstrance officers and the Hongmun-gwan office were expanding their influences upon the overall government by spreading the public opinion(公論). They created new practices concerning public opinions and consensus, and by doing so were becoming a barrier to the king’s supposedly arbitrary ruling of the country. They also justified their actions with Neo-Confucian sentiments and arguments. King Seongjong, who was determined to pursue the ideal way for the king and also to protect the just form of studies, was determined to not ‘control’ the officials in any oppressive way, and was put in an awkward position of being forced to admit that his status in the hierarchy, as well as the authority of his voice in the matter of what is right and wrong, was compromised to a certain level. Seongjong’s reign was a stable one, but there was a tension building up between the kings who needed political control and the officials who argued their moral superiority. That tension was destined to spin out of control.