류성룡 ‘문충’ 증시(贈諡)에 대한 김장생의 반대와 그 배경

Abstract

This article discusses why Kim Changsaeng, a leader of the Sŏin faction in the fourth year of Injo's reign, was adamentaly opposed to giving the posthumous title of "Munchung" 文忠 to Ryu Sŏngnyong, a leader of the Namin faction. Kim Changsaeng opposed this decision because Ryu Sŏngnyong deliberately avoided guiding the Ming army in the Imjin War, which Kim Changsaeng considered the show of disloyalty to the king. This claim, based on the testimony of Baeksa Yi Hangbok, was later challenged by Kim Sang-hŏn, who argued that Yi Hangbok, who highly regarded Ryu Sŏngnyong, would not have made such a statement. Moreover, records left by Ryu Sŏngnyong, such as the "Jinsarok," revealed that his delay in royal instructions was not to show disloyalty but to suppress rebellions and protect grain in Chŏngju 定州. Therefore, Kim Changsaeng's argument lacks credibility. However, Kim Changsaeng's criticism of Ryu Sŏngnyong did not stop at this point. It extended to instances mentioned in Songgang Haengnok. The opposition to Ryu Sŏngnyong's posthumous title "Munchung" was analyzed in the context of Kim Changsaeng's factional background. His faction sought to defend and advocate Yi Yi, Jung Ch'ŏl, and Song Ikp'il, who were associated with regional interests. While the criticism against Ryu Sŏngnyong and the controversy over his posthumous title were a result of fierce factionalism, they also served as a strategy to solidify the dominance of the Sŏin faction by undermining the prestige of the Namin faction.