晩靜堂 徐宗泰의 정치 활동과 탕평론

Abstract

The political activities of Manjeongdang(晩靜堂) Seo Jong-tae(徐宗泰) show a type of government official and Confucian who tried to overcome the crisis of the late Joseon Dynasty through the Tangpyeong theory(蕩平論). Tangpyeong theory came from the premise that politics had to deal with national policy apart from factional interests. Western party(西人), who came to power after Kyungshinhwanguk(庚申換局, 1680), eventually split into Noron(老論) and Soron(少論) over the pros and cons, resulting in conflict. After Gapsulhwanguk(甲戌換局, 1694), Tangpyeong followers from Soron party took over the protection of the prince, based on the theory of Royal power(王權論), so they were supported by King Sukjong(肅宗) and were able to promote the Tangpyeong policy. They also actively recruited Southern party(南人) who are different from their own, and tried to reform the system to overcome the national crisis. Seo Jong-tae faithfully embodied the political line of the Tangpyeong followers of Soron. However, due to the opposition from Noron, institutional reform was sluggish and even the status of the crown prince was threatened. Eventually, King Sukjong, who regarded that the majority of the ruling class did not support the crown prince, made a decision of Byeongsincheobun(丙申處分, 1716), and gave the political leadership to Noron, and the Tangpyeong policy was thwarted. However, Seo Myung-gyun(徐命均), son of Seo Jong-tae, inherited his father's devotion to the Tangpyeong theory. Seo Myung-gyun was loyal to King Gyeongjong, but also consistently insisted on the protection of the king's brother, who was going to be King Yeongjo(英祖) afterward. So he was able to maintain the Tangpyeong policy even after King Yeongjo was enthroned. This political line was also passed down to Seo Ji-su(徐志修), grandson of Seo Jong-tae. Seo Ji-su tried to protect the Crown Prince Sado(思悼世子), and the son of Prince who was subsequently to be King Jeongjo(正祖). Since these three generations faithfully supported the Tangpeyong theory, they were able to advance to dignitary continuously. Although Seo Jong-Tae tried to innovate the evil customs that were prevalent on the system of people's military service[良役], which was a key issue of the national crisis in the late Joseon Dynasty, he could not overcome the opposition of the vested yangban landlords. Accordingly, he tried to cope with this difficulty through the Ijeong law(里定法), by strengthening the local government authority with the help of emerging powers that were growing in the local sphere at that time. This was an attempt to overcome the class contradictions of feudal society by strengthening the state's power with the newly emerged people through social changes in the late Joseon Dynasty. This attempt to resolve class contradictions by strengthening the state power is noteworthy in that it was a unique way for Joseon's modernization. In spite of Seo Jong-tae's dedication, the Tangpyeong theory of Soron has suffered a setback by the Byeongsincheobun(丙申處分, 1716). In the late Joseon Dynasty, which was plagued by a party conflict, the Tangpyeong theory and the Tangpyeong policy came out of the premise of Confucianism that in order to maintain and preserve the state, the people who were producers, must be protected. Therefore, it cannot be dismissed as meaningless just because it failed to overcome the class contradictions of the time. The theory of national ruin was popular in the late Joseon Dynasty, that blames party strife and Confucian custom, has a decisive problem of ignoring the existence of government officials and confucianists like Seo Jong-tae.