고문서 사례를 통한 조선후기 정려(旌閭) 제도의 운용 과정 고찰

Abstract

This paper examines the changes in the Jeongryeo(旌閭) system during the Joseon Dynasty, as recorded in the “Chungwan Tonggo(春官通考)”, and analyzes existing old documents related to Jeongryeoto investigate the actual operation of the system. During the Joseon Dynasty, the state actively implemented policies to grant honors (Jeongpyo) in order to promote Confucian ethics and educate society with the ideals of Neo-Confucianism. Those with exemplary conduct were awarded Jeongryeo. Based on the legal system of the Joseon period and confirmed examples from old documents, it is found that when requesting Jeongryeo, local Confucian scholars would first gather a consensus, and individuals within the family or local scholars would submit a petition to the local magistrate. If the magistrate rejected the request, documents were sent to higher authorities, such as the provincial governor or Amhaeng-eosa(secret inspector). If even these attempts failed, the petition would be directly presented to the king, or a Gyeokjaeng(擊錚) expedition would be conducted. However, it was rare for local magistrates or provincial governors to accept such requests at once, often resulting in the process taking more than ten years. Once a Jeongryeorequest was accepted, it underwent a process of submission to the king for final approval. Upon receiving royal consent, the Jeongryeowould be implemented through the Ministry of Rites (Yejo). The Ministry of Rites issued official documents to the descendants of the honoree, and a decree was sent to the provincial governor instructing the provision of materials and craftsmen for the construction of the Jeongmun(旌門), honorific gate). Based on these instructions, the governor would send a directive (Gamgyeol) to the local magistrate, ordering the construction of the Jeongmunand granting exemptions from certain labor duties (Yeonho-jabyeok), with a report to be submitted on the final situation. Once implemented, Jeongryeowas more than just the erection of an honorary gate; practical benefits, such as exemptions from labor duties, were also provided. The Jeongryeowas a state-level honor directly awarded by the king, and because it came with economic advantages like tax and labor exemptions, efforts to obtain Jeongryeointensified among families in the late Joseon period.