조선 초기 上王의 정치적 위상

Abstract

In the early Joseon dynasty, successive abdications of Kings were caused by competing for powers. However, King Taejong, who led to a series of events and came to the throne at last, stressed positively the political meaning of abdication. As abdication, understood as an ideal succession of the throne in the confucianism pursuing a wise monarch, a king who succeeded to the throne could build an image of a wise sovereign. It was the first time when the grand abdicated king, the abdicated king, and the current king co-existed, and their relationship intertwined with ethics of parental and sibling relations and political powers, became more complicated. King Taejong tried to bow and to take a toast to the grand abdicated king longevity of his father, the grand abdicated king, but the father avoided his son, the current king. Then, in the second year of King Taejong(1402), Josaeui’s conspiracy, considered with involvement of King Taejo, the grand abdicated King Taejo should return to the capital Kaekyung, after going out for longtime. And King Taejong improved his relationship with his father, making his own image as a dutiful son-king to his father-abdicated king. At that time, King Taejong started to consider his own abdication. He already supplemented his lack of legitimacy of kingship through treating both the grand abdicated king and the abdicated king with ‘duties for parents and siblings’. First of all, he experienced no case of succession to the throne in accordance with the former king's own will in history of China and Korea. Of course, he had to make his third son, the Prince Choongnyeong as his successor because of his first son, the Prince Yangnyeong's bad behaviors, he could secure his own right cause of selecting a wise one in the process. It was different from his former thought of succession to the throne by the first son. But when he abdicated, he could stress the meaning of abdication with ‘selecting a wise one’. King Taejong was recorded for his act to abdicate compared to that of the legendary Chinese King Yáo-Shùn. And his choice of his third son who was wise with ethics of parental and sibling relations instead of the first son who lacked virtues maximized political efficiency of his abdication. King Taejong arranged specifically institutions related to the abdicated king and built royal palaces around the capital, showing powerful status of the abdicated king. Then, succeeding his father suddenly with the title of a wise ruler, King Sejong had to depend on the father-king for some part of ruling including military power. However, he practiced more dutifully his respect for the father-king, establishing his image as a wise king.