중종 후궁 희빈홍씨의 생애와 행보- 기묘사화를 중심으로 -

Abstract

This study explores the life and political activities of Lady Hong Hi-bin(1494~1581), the Concubine of King Jung-jong in the Joseon Dynasty. The study mainly focuses on Lady Hong Hi-bin’s activities in Gimyosahwa(己卯士禍), the unhappy political incident of 1519, and restores the dramatic story of her life. The main materials of this study are the Veritable Records of the Chosun Dynasty(朝鮮王朝實錄), the Records of Yeonlyeosil(燃藜室記述), and the Epitaph(墓誌) of Lady Hong Hibin. Lady Hong Hi-bin was the mother of Prince Bong-seong-gun(鳳城君) and was born the daughter of Hong Kyung-ju(洪景舟), a powerful meritorious retainer. She became a concubine of King Jung-jong at thirteen years old due to her father’s influential position. During ‘Huncheok-Politics(勳戚政治)’ or ‘Cheokssin-Politics(戚臣政治)’ she helped her father and the king to remove the Sarmimpa(士林派) party of Jo Kwang–jo(趙光祖), a newly rising political power of Neo-Confucian scholar bureaucrats. In this political incident she played a decisive role, throwing blame on Jo Kwang–jo and conveying bad rumors both inside and outside of the palace to the king. As a result, the king and her father’s party could overthrow the Sarmimpa party. In this unhappy incident lots of Sarmimpa officials were executed or expelled. We might say she provided conditions for the victory of the meritorious retainers party(勳舊派) to which her father belonged. This was the first case in Joseon Dynasty, in which a concubine had a decisive influence on politics in the Joseon period. In 1519, Lady Hong Hi-bin's political activities could be estimated to ascend her own and her son Prince Geum-won-gun(錦原君)’s political location. Her efforts were successful. This was possible because she was the daughter of a prominent family, and had a great deal of political experience and information both inside and outside the palace. This was because at that time the Confucian ideology had not yet been fully established, and so a concubine and her son could threaten the status of the queen and the crown prince. Therefore, it can be said that the phase of the concubines was relatively high at that time.