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A study on thought of affection for people observed in King Jeongjo’s Chaekmun

김현옥 1

1대전 관저고등학교

Candidate

ABSTRACT

Chaekmun(策問, examination question) originated from the age of Han Wu-di(漢武帝) when people recommended by local governors were tested by asking solutions. From that time on, civil service examinations asked questions on current issues of politics, science, social customs, etc. and got solutions from young people who were about to go out into the world. Therefore, Chaekmun played the role of raising the most important questions in the corresponding period. Of course, the king was the main actor in making the questions. Accordingly, questions in Chaekmun reflected the king’s thoughts. Thus, the present study examined the affection for people of King Jeongjo, who loved his people more than any other kings during the turbulent age of the late Chosun Dynasty, through 「Chaekmun(策問)」 recorded in 『Hongjaejeonseo(弘齋全書)』, the king’s personal anthology. King Jeongjo’s thought of affection for people can be divided largely into two aspects. One is Yeobojeokja(如保赤子, rule people carefully as if taking care of a newborn baby), the view of people, and the other is Yeomindongrak (與民同樂, enjoy together with people), the view of king. Based on these thoughts, King Jeongjo executed various policies, and this study divided them into institutional reforms and relief works. First, institutional reforms include improvement in Sangeon(上言, appeal) and Gyeokjaeng(擊錚, petition). In order to inquire into people’s life, King Jeongjo improved Sangeon and Gyeokjaeng, which had been handed down from the previous age, and opened the channel for people to complain to the king about injustices. Second, Heumhyuljeonchik(欽恤典則, regulations on trying criminals) was promulgated. King Jeongjo punished criminals as stipulated based on Heumhyuljeonchik in order to relieve people from the pains of abusive and cruel punishments. Next, in the aspect of relief works, first, relief policies were substantiated. In his administration, King Jeongjo gave the top priority to relief policies, and the king’s mandates were attached with annotation in Hangeul so that the contents of the mandates were delivered directly to people. Second, rural communities were ruled by the government. King Jeongjo weakened local influential families’ power and strengthened governors’ authority as a means of reinforcing the king’s control over rural communities. With local governors’ discretionary power reinforced, the activities of secret royal inspectors were extended in order to prevent local governors from using their power for making money. Secret royal inspectors were dispatched frequently and they minimized the oppression of greedy governors and corrupt officials. This study examined King Jeongjo’s thought of affection for people through his 「Chaekmun(策問)」. Chaekmun shows the thoughts of the king who loved his people like his children, and how much he deliberated and thought in executing policies for his people. The results of this study suggest that Chaekmun is the best base material for examining the thoughts of the kings, the main actors of politics.

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