경종대 신임옥사와 충․역 의리의 귀결

Abstract

The main trend in the study of Sinimoksa(辛壬獄事), the high treason case in the Sinim Year during King Gyeongjong’s reign, has been the ambivalent perspective that traitors came from both Noron(老論) and Soron(少論). But this ambivalent perspective cannot explain objectively the loyalty-rebellion of confidence agreed between king and subject. This paper aims to reexamine the background and process of the Sinimoksa(辛壬獄事) comprehensively. This study reveals the following facts: Sinimoksa(辛壬獄事) that happened during King Gyeongjong’s reign, was a fabricated criminal case manipulated by radical Soron(急少) together with pricipled Soron(峻少); the traitors took advantage of the political vacuum caused by King Gyeongjong’s disease and removed Noron subjects for the purpose of changing the Crown Prince, while in the process leading Noron subjects were murdered in a mass. Concerning the argument of Sinimuiri(辛壬義理) during King Yeongjo’s reign, this study reaches the following conclusion: Noron was right and loyal; Soron was wrong and rebellious. While King Yeongjo implemented the Tangpyeong policy(蕩平策), it was possible to execute a national policy under common consent among Noron, Soron and Namin(南人). That was a legitimate verdict which was made according to general opinion beyond the fractions.