己亥使行 通信副使 黃璿의 관직생활

Abstract

This paper examines how participation in communication embassy affects the operation of bureaucracy in the late Joseon Dynasty through the official career of Hwang Seon, who visited Japan in 1719 as a deputy envoy in Kihae communication embassy. In 1710, Hwang Seon passed the Civil Service Examination and was mainly given practical positions in the central office in his early days. Then, he was on the fast track promotion not until 1719, when he started to perform the deputy envoy in age 38 during Kihae communication embassy visit, getting credit for his ‘expertise (專對)’ ability. Before he participated the trip, his position was too low to meet the stands of the deputy envoy position. However, over 2 months prior to the trip, he was constantly assigned a position until he became first tutor in Academy for the Crown Prince (世子侍 講院), which was appropriate to serve a deputy envoy position. Even though he didn’t passed Tonghundaebu, which was the first rank position in Danghagwan, and its nickname was ‘nowhere up to go (資窮)’, after 10 months visit, with a direct exceptional order “Bimangki” from the king, he was promoted to Tongjeongdaebu, which was the ministerial rank position (Dangsanggwan) higher than Danghagwan, in recognition of hard work he had done. Also, he was assigned to serve a royal secretary position who closely assists the king in “Seungjungwon”. As a result of participating communication embassy, Hwang Seon was able to win the ministerial rank position in just 10 years, which is the position usually takes more than 20-30 years and still hard to get promoted. Hwang Seon served a royal secretary position after the reign of Gyeongjong, since he had already worked in Academy for the Crown Prince. However, his work performance as the royal secretary also led to his three years banishment. On the contrary, after the reign of King Yeongjo. Hwang Seon was promoted to grand minister Gaseondaebu, and also was assigned to the junior second rank Gyeongsang province governor. However, in the following year (1728), he suddenly died at the war zone at the age of 47, immediately after he defeated the military official uprising in Gyeongsang province. His decease was contentious among his period and even in later generations, and his posthumous award was also controversial. However, Hwang Seon was eventually canonized as a fourth state councilor Jwachansung and the title “Unswerving Loyalty” was granted. Furthermore, his descendants were also hired in royal officials. Meanwhile, “Minchoongsa”―a shrine dedicated to Hwang Seon―was constructed by Gyeongsang province residents, and this shrine was both disposed and restored, depending on the central government situation and its Seowon policy. After examining the case of Hwang Sun's official career in detail as an example, it is confirmed that the communication embassy career of the Japanese ambassador was a great help for his promotion. Also we could find how the work as a royal secretary position had affected his official career. Furthermore, this paper demonstrates that “Seungjungwon Diary” can be used as a useful data when reconstructing the governmental official’s career life in the late Joseon dynasty.