고종대 ‘황극(皇極)’ 개념의 이해와 변용

Abstract

Recognition of King Gojong’s sovereignty is a very important topic that serves as the basis for discussing national reform during the reign of King Gojong. However, King Gojong’s move to establish royal authority was not simply a sudden attempt arising from King Gojong’s adoption of a method of proclaiming an imperial state in the face of the challenges of the times in establishing a modern state. It was in the context of discussing the concept of a ‘Hwanggeuk(皇極)’ related to the king’s political management in Joseon since the 17th century. It was during the royal lecture(經筵) that King Gojong, who came to the throne at a young age, first encountered knowledge about the royal authority. Analyzing the contents of 「Gyeongyeongangoui(經筵講義)」, a record of Kim Young-jak, a representative figure who took part in the royal lecture as a member of the reformist bureaucratic group centered on Park Gyu-su at the time, the core of the royal authority delivered to King Gojong was the respect and complement of the king and his servants. Early on, King Gojong was in a position to ask questions and receive education from his servants about the king’s authority and the meaning of ‘Hwanggeuk’. Prior to his direct rule, the theory of ‘Hwanggeuk’, which means that the king leads the national opinion, was practically impossible for King Gojong, the subject of education, and it was understood to King Gojong in the context that the king should be able to communicate between the king and his servants rather than standing as the ruler of state affairs. After King Gojong’s direct rule, discussions on the theory of ‘Hwanggeuk’ have also changed. Shortly before the declaration of his direct rule, King Gojong began to attempt to establish the royal authority through the succession of King Jeongjo by constructing Geoncheonggung(乾淸宮) that imitated Gyujanggak(奎章閣). During this period, the term ‘Hwanggeuk’ mainly appeared in the appeals of Confucian scholars who demanded that the problem be solved by setting the king’s standard. In reality, the theory of the role of the king was raised. However, during this period, it is not seen that King Gojong was actively using the theory of ‘Hwanggeuk’ in real politics. From the time of king’s removal to the Russian legation(俄館播遷) to the time of the establishment of the Korean Empire, the argument asking the king to set standards reemerged as a strong demand. Appeals for the establishment of the ‘Hwanggeuk’ and the firm decision to return to the royal palace from Russian legation appeared intensively during this period. Later, the removal of the power of the Gabo Reform, the death of Heungseon Daewongun, the suppression of the Public Gathering of Ten Thousand People(萬民共同會), and the Independent Association(獨立協會) laid the foundation for the establishment of an absolute monarchy. In 1899, King Gojong declared the possession of infinite imperial power through the ‘Constitution of the Korean Emire’ and attempted to actively secure the imperial power. However, the term ‘Hwanggeuk’ at this time only appears in the records related to Dangun, Pyongyang, the worship movement of the Crown Prince Sado, and King Jeongjo and Yeongjo. The theory of ‘Hwanggeuk’ at the time was only used to defend the absolute power of the emperor in the process of establishing an imperial state, away from the discussion between the king and his servants on the monarchy of the Yeongjo and Jeongjo periods and the use of it in real politics. In the early years of King Gojong, the theory of imperialism was learned by King Gojong in terms of harmony between the king and his servants. However, as King Gojong attempted to bring political initiative to himself, the theory of imperialism was also changed to exercise king-centered authority. King Gojong was leading state affairs based on an understanding of the traditional concept of royal authority. However, rather than moving forward from the philosophical discussion of the monarchy of the Yeongjo and Jeongjo periods, the concept of imperialism was transformed to establish the leadership of the emperor of the time based on the traditional concept of political management.