현실주의자를 위한 변명: 야담 속의 정태화(鄭太和)

Abstract

The Jeongs of Hoedong emerged as the influential clan during the reign of the king Jungjong in the Joseon dynasty. The Jeongs of Hoedong kept its influential power even during the continuing wars, coup d’etat and party strife and until when Joseon dynasty collapsed. Jeong Taehwa served as the prime minister during the reign of the king Injo, the king Hyojong and the king Hyeonjong during mid and late 17th century. After the Manchu invasion to Korea in 1636, Jeong Taehwa established his family traditions. Unlike the king Injo who kept the amicable relationship with Qing dynasty, the king Hyojong checked the influence of meritorious retainers who were amicable to the Qing dynasty by embracing the hardliners on the Qing dynasty. Jeong Taehwa allowed the Mountain Faction[山黨] to make a soft landing in the royal court as embracing its cause insisting to conquer the north, and tried to avoid the supervision and check by the Qing dynasty. With such attitude of eclecticism , Jeong Taehwa had the good reputation as keeping the political balance in the party strife between Southerners and Westerners, which remained aggravated since the reign of King Hyeonjong. His favorable reputation was verified in the Criticism on History included in “Veritable Record of King Hyeonjong” and “Revised Veritable Record of King Hyeonjong”. The unofficial history book showed the story written from the positive viewpoint on his touch with reality described above. The unofficial history book about Jeong Taehwa was opposite to the story negatively describing the realist Choi Myeonggil or Yi Gyeongseok who had the similar way of life during the same period. In two unofficial stories related to the northern expedition theory in “Gimunchonghwa” and “Girichonghwa”, Jeong Taehwa admitted the prosperity and perpetuity of his clan as showing the flexible attitude as the realist. This study aimed to identify the driver embodied as described above through the political moves of his clan and ‘Clan Story’ continuously created.