영조대의 文科 개혁 논의와 새로운 제도의 도입

Abstract

Examined in this study is how the Civil examination system was reformed during King Yeongjo’s reign, and what kind of new systems were adopted in its place. The Civil examination reform project of King Yeongjo began by picking up the issues that had been raised during King Sukjong’s reign. The range of the reform was widened when discussions followed to adopt some new tests and methods, which included 'First round questions in the Hall test(“Jeongshi Choshi, 庭試 初試”),’ new tests such as Weonjeom-gwa/圓點科 and Do’gi-gwa/到記科, the test of Citing and Discussing a single Classical text(“Il’gyeong’gang, 一經講”), a test taken with the Presence of the King(“Chinlim So’shi, 親臨召試”), and also a Personal Inquiry session(“Myeon’shi, 面試”). King Yeongjo was pursuing the so-called Tang’pyeong/蕩平 policy, and was naturally seeking for a more comprehensive and fundamental reform plan of the existing Civil examination system. Among these new tests, the test of discussing a single classical text and the personal inquiry session were abolished after the 42nd year of Yeongjo’s reign. But the Weonjeom-gwa and Do’gi-gwa tests, and the First round questions in the Hall test continued to exist during King Jeongjo’s reign and even beyond that period, and played an important role in the government as part of the Civil examination system. The efforts to reform the Civil examination system that continued during Yeongjo’s reign, whether it succeeded or not, hugely contributed to the Joseon Civil Examination system as it provided it with yet another primary model of operation.