正祖의 人材觀 硏究－「策問」을 中心으로－

Abstract

This study examined the view of talented people of King Jeongjo who attempted the realization of the peaceful time under the rule of King Yao and Shun in China during his reign based on 「Chaekmun」(策問: examination question) in his personal literary collection 「Hongjeseonseo (弘齋全書)」. Chaekmun was a tool to communicate national problems and to get solutions for the problems from young talented people who were about to take their first step out to the world through the civil service examination. Chaekmun was sometimes made by great scholars but officially it was supposed to be made by the king. Accordingly, Chaekmun reflected best the viewpoint of the king who prepared the question. Therefore, through Chaekmun, this study analyzed the view of talented people of King Jeongjo who attempted the leap of Chosun by suppressing the strong vassal power and restoring royal power during the late Chosun Dynasty. King Jeongjo’s view of talented people can be divided largely into two. One is Gogoeingjisin(股肱之臣: a subject as valuable as the forearm or the thigh) and the other is Iphyeonmubang(立賢無方: appointment of talented people regardless of intimacy and social status). Based on these viewpoints, King Jeongjo executed various policies including the installation of Gyujanggak(奎章閣) and the system of Chogyemunsin(抄啓文臣: civil vassals under education and research programs at Gyujanggak during the late Chosun Dynasty), the acceptance of Seoeolheotong(庶孼許通: demand for the appointment of children by a concubine to government positions), and the employment of Tangtangpyeongpyeong(蕩蕩平平: impartiality in arguments or disputes). King Jeongjo installed Gyujanggak and picked out officials such as Gyujanggaksin(奎章閣臣) and Geomseogwan(檢書官). In those days when the civil service examination was corrupted and its results were influenced by political factions and influential families, these officials were selected purely based on their abilities and displayed their capabilities to the full under King Jeongjo’s full support and patronage. In addition, the Chogyemunsin system was a reeducation system for officials, which was introduced in order to enhance the competence of government officials appointed through the civil service examination and to prevent injustices and corruptions. It was to encourage the officials to keep learning rather than being indolent after appointment. Next, Seoeolheotong was admitted. King Jeongjo criticized that the preceding kings had appointed wise people without any fixed frame, but in his days children by a concubine or from a low family were not appointed. He deplored that although the country was small and the number of talented people was limited, many talented people were lost only because they were children by a concubine or low‐class people, and executed active personnel policies by appointing children by a concubine to be Geomseogwan. Lastly, Tangtangpyeongpyeong was employed. King Jeongjo did not remove the existing faction in power but deprived them of their political hegemony. As a result, different factions could coexist and the hegemony was transferred from Noron(老論) to Soron(少論) and again to Namin(南人). In this way, autocracy was not allowed to any faction and factionalism was diluted gradually. Like this, King Jeongjo overcame conflicts among the factions, which disrupted political stability, through power balance and mutual containment among the factions. Of course, his ultimate goal was to make all government officials become aware of their political and public responsibilities, overcome the personal motives of their faction, and reach genuine harmony with one another. As presented above, this study examined King Jeongjo’s view of talented people through his Chaekmun. Chaekmun shows how King Jeongjo viewed talented people and with what ideas and intentions the king practiced and promoted various policies. Through this study, it was found that Chaekmun is the best ground for understanding the views of kings who were the political rulers in their ages.