고려 후기 상장군직의 활용―급제자에게 수여된 사례를 중심으로―

Abstract

The late Goryeo was a time of political and social transformation. During this period, changes also occurred in the management of official posts due to political factors, one of which was the position of Sangjanggun (上將軍). In the early Goryeo, the Sangjanggun was a 3rd-rank official position (正三品), but due to the lower status of military officials (武臣) compared to civil officials (文臣), the position did not receive appropriate respect. Moreover, since the appointment of officials was restricted based on their class, the position of Sangjanggun was generally given to military officials. This situation changed with the rise of the military regime (武臣執權期) following the Military Coup d’etat (武臣政變) of 1170. During this period, civil officials, who held important positions, were appointed to the Sangjanggun position to ensure their participation in the Jungbang (重房). The position was used both for its honorary aspect, symbolizing the combination of military and civil roles, and by the end of the military regime, civil officials such as Yu Gyeong (柳璥) were appointed to the position for the purposes of Jungbang participation and honor. The appointment of civil officials to the Sangjanggun position became even more common during the Yuan Dynasty’s Interference (元干涉期). This shift reflects changes in the use of the position due to the experiences of the military regime and the Yuan system, which determined roles based on class (出身) rather than class distinctions. Additionally, as it became more common for military officials to be appointed to civil posts, the reality was that even those who had passed the state exams had no choice but to be appointed to military positions if there were no civil positions available during their career progression. The transformation in the use of the Sangjanggun position illustrates the broader political and social changes of the late Goryeo and shows how the utilization of official posts was closely related to the era’s circumstances.