Joseon Dynasty politics

The politics of the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled Korea from 1392 to 1897, were governed by the reigning ideology of Korean Confucianism, a form of Neo-Confucianism. Political struggles were common between different factions of the scholar-officials. Purges frequently resulted in leading political figures being sent into exile or condemned to death.

The political system of this period was dominated by a Confucianist bureaucracy. The government officials were ranked in 18 levels, ranging from senior first rank (정1품) down to junior ninth rank (종9품) based on seniority and promotion, which was achieved through the royal decree based on examinations and recommendations.

The power of the bureaucrats often eclipsed that of the central authorities, including the monarch. For much of the dynasty, a complex system of checks and balances prevented any one section of the government from gaining overwhelming power until the 19th century when political power became concentrated in a certain family or individual.

Government

The king

The king ruled for life, unlike any of his appointees. The kings of Joseon were all of the Jeonju Yi clan and notionally descended from Taejo, although some were adopted. For a list of Joseon kings, see List of Korean monarchs. Under Confucian philosophy, the king commanded absolute loyalty from his officials and subjects, but the officials were also expected to try to guide the king to the right path if the latter was mistaken. The natural disasters were thought to be due to the king's failings, and therefore, Joseon kings were very sensitive to their occurrences.

Civil service

In order to serve in the positions of responsibility outside the military in Joseon Dynasty, one had to take a series of gwageo literary examinations and pass each of them (usually four to five times). Theoretically, any male other than cheonmin (lowest class) and children of concubines could take gwageo examinations to enter a civil service and thus become yangban (nobility class). In actuality, only yangban class had the luxury of time and money as well as necessary connections to pass gwageo exams. In addition, people from the troublesome northern provinces of Hamgyeong and Pyeongan were barred from office for much of the dynasty.

Officials served in positions for fixed terms, varying from one year to five years. A successful official might serve in tens of positions in the course of a career.

State council

State Council (Uijeongbu, 의정부) was the highest deliberative body of the Joseon Dynasty although it faded in importance after first centuries of rule. It was composed of twelve officials. The Chief State Councillor (Yeonguijeong, 영의정), Left State Councillor (Jwauijeong, 좌의정), and Right State Councillor (Uuijeong, 우의정) were the highest-ranking officials in the government (senior first rank). They were assisted by Left Minister (Jwachanseong, 좌찬성) and Right Minister (Uichangseong, 우찬성), both of junior first rank, and seven lower ranking officials. The power of State Council was inversely proportional to the king's power. Sometimes it directly controlled Six Ministries, the chief executive body of Joseon government, but primarily served in advisory role under stronger kings. State councillors served in several other positions including a tutor to the crown prince.

Six Ministries

The Six Ministries (Yukjo, 육조) were the chief executive body of Joseon. Each Minister (Panseo, 판서) was of senior second rank (2a, third highest rank) and was assisted by a Deputy-Minister (Champan, 참판) of junior second rank (2b, fourth highest rank) and a Secretary (Chamui, 참의) of rank 3a. Apart from these three Dangsanggwan (당상관, 堂上官) officials, each Ministry was headed by three Jeongrang (정랑, rank 5a) and three Jwarang (좌랑, rank 6a), adding to nine officials ranked 6a or above.

Three Offices

Three Offices (Samsa, 삼사) is a collective name for three offices that provided checks and balance on the king and the officials. The officials who served in these offices tended to be younger and of lower rank compared to other offices but enjoyed special privileges and prestige. They went through more thorough review of moral character and family background.

The Samsa provided a key check on the powers of the other branches of government. The Inspector-General and Censor-General had the unique power to vet potential appointees for all positions, and examine their family backgrounds.[1] They thus played a role in maintaining the integrity of the yangban aristocracy.

Other Offices

Local government

The ranked officials were sent from the central government. Sometimes a secret royal inspector (Amhaeng-eosa, 암행어사) was sent to travel incognito and monitor the provincial officials. Secret inspectors were generally young officials of lower rank but invested with royal authority to dismiss corrupt officials.

Each county and hyeon was overseen by a local magistrate appointed by the central government. The yangban of each county (gun) composed a Local Office. This interacted with local officials, typically of a lower class, who were known as hyangni. The hyangni typically served for life in hereditary posts. The hyangni of each county had an ambassador in the capital who was charged with communicating among them and the central government .

Factions

Throughout the dynasty, various regional and ideological factions struggled for dominance in the political system. In the earliest years of Joseon, tension between the capital faction and the Yeongnam-based Sarim faction dominated national politics. The different Seowon across the country, which combined the functions of Confucian shrines with educational institutions, often reflected the factional alignment of the local elite. In the 16th century, a nationwide split occurred between the Easterners (Dongin) and Westerners (Seoin), and within decades the Easterners eventually split into the Northerners (Bukin) and the more moderate Southerners (Namin)[7] In the seventeenth century, the Westerners too divided into the Patriarchs (Noron) and the Disciples (Soron).[8]

Under the reigns of Yeongjo and Jeongjo in the 18th century, the kings generally pursued the *tangpyeongchaek*, a policy of balance favoring no faction over another.[9] In Jeongjo's reign, strife emerged between the Intransigents (Byeokpa) and the Expedients (Shipa), two groups which cut across the earlier factions and differed in their attitudes concerning certain royal policies; the Intransigents were more opposed to the king and largely composed of Patriarchs.[10][11] In the 19th century, Joseon politics shifted as in-law families (called cheokga) rather than scholarly factions came to dominate the throne. For most of the 19th century, the Jangdong branch of the Andong Kim clan was in control of the government; however, there was a brief interlude in which control shifted to the Pungyang Cho clan.

During the reign of Gojong, real power initially belonged to his father Heungseon Daewongun, who on one hand sought to reform corrupt state institutions but on the other hand pursued a policy of isolationism, opposing the opening of the country to Western and Japanese influences. From the 1870s onwards, Queen Min (known posthumously as Empress Myeongseong) became more dominant and pursued a policy of cautious modernisation and opening up. Her dominance was opposed by reactionaries and progressives alike. The Enlightenment Party (also known as Progressives) sought to modernise the country along Western and Japanese lines. These factional struggles led to the Imo Incident and Gapsin Coup, as well as increased foreign interference in Korean affairs.

Purges

Purges in Joseon Dynasty were often violent, leading to the execution and internal exile of many members of the losing side. In some cases, even the graves of their ancestors were desecrated. Purges were especially widespread during Sukjong's reign, when there was change of faction in power four times, each time accompanied by cycle of revenge for earlier wrong doings.

Rebellions

The most famous rebellions took place in the 19th century, as the social system of Joseon was beginning to collapse: the rebellion of Hong Gyeong-nae in the northern provinces in 1811, the Imo Incident of 1882, and the Donghak uprising of 1894–1895.

Occasional rebellions also took place among the country's small ethnic minorities. The Tungusic tribes of the northeast rose in 1583 under Nitanggae and seized a number of towns; they were put down by the general Shin Rip. Thereafter markets were established in the region to help supply the tribesmen with needed goods.[12] In 1510, Japanese merchants and settlers had risen in rebellion against a local commander; this was followed by the expulsion of all Japanese and the closure of the ports for two years. After the Seven Year War, Japanese access to the country was sharply constrained, and such incidents ceased to occur.

Diplomacy

Joseon's international relations implemented Korean Neo-Confucian ideal of "serving the great" (sadae) to Chinese Ming dynasty and later Manchu Qing dynasty.

On a lower level, the country maintained ties with various neighboring nations, including the Jurchen tribes of the north and the Japanese and Ryūkyū states across the sea. To this end, interpreting schools were set up in the capital and in border towns such as Jeju and Busan.

The Joseon Dynasty endured two major invasions prior its progressive loss of sovereignty in the late 19th century. These were the Seven Year War, a two-stage Japanese invasion led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 1590s, and the First and Second Manchu invasions in the early 17th century. Although the Japanese were ultimately repelled, Joseon was compelled to surrender to the Manchus, who later became the Qing Dynasty.

After the Treaty of Ganghwa and the opening of the ports in 1876, the diplomatic approach changed, and the government of Joseon began to enter into diplomatic relations with both neighboring and European countries.

Treaties of Joseon Dynasty

Before 1875

Treaty Year Signatory country
English name Korean name
Treaty of Gyehae 계해조약(癸亥條約) 1443 Japan
Treaty of Imsin 임신조약 (壬申條約) 1512 Japan
Treaty of Jeongmi 정미약조 (丁未約條) 1547 Japan
Treaty of Giyu 기유약조 (己酉約條) 1609 Japan
Treaty of Jeongmyo 정묘조약(丁卯條約) 1627 Qing (Manchu)
Treaty of Jeongchuk 정축조약(丁丑條約) 1637 Qing (Manchu)

After 1875

Treaty Year Signatory country
English name Korean name
Japan-Korea Treaty of 1876*
(Treaty of Ganghwa)		 강화도 조약(江華島條約) 1876[13] Japan
United States-Korea Treaty of 1882* 조미수호통상조약(朝美修好通商條約) 1882[14] United States
Japan-Korea Treaty of 1882*
(Treaty of Chemulpo)		 제물포 조약(濟物浦條約) 1882 Japan
China-Korea Treaty of 1882*
(Joseon-Qing Communication and Commerce Rules)		 조청상민수륙무역장정(朝淸商民水陸貿易章程) 1882[15] Qing (China)
Germany-Korea Treaty of 1883* 조독수호통상조약(朝獨修好通商條約) 1883[16] Germany
United Kingdom-Korea Treaty of 1883* 조영수호통상조약(朝英修好通商條約) 1883[17] United Kingdom
Russia-Korea Treaty of 1884* 조로수호통상조약(朝露修好通商條約) 1884[18] Russia
Italy-Korea Treaty of 1884* 조이수호통상조약(朝伊修好通商條約) 1884[19] Italy
Japan-Korea Treaty of 1885*
(Treaty of Hanseong)		 한성조약(漢城條約) 1885[20] Japan
France-Korea Treaty of 1886* 조불수호통상조약(朝佛修好通商條約) 1886[21] France
Austria-Korea Treaty of 1892* 조오수호통상조약(朝奧修好通商條約) 1892[22] Austria
China-Korea Treaty of 1899 대한국·대청국통상조약 (大韓國大靑國通商條約) 1899 Qing (China)
Belgium-Korea Treaty of 1901* 조벨수호통상조약(朝白修好通商條約) 1901[23] Belgium
Denmark-Korea Treaty of 1902* 조덴수호통상조약(朝丁修好通商條約) 1902[24] Denmark
Japan-Korea Treaty of 1904* 한일의정서(韓日議定書) 1904[25] Japan[26]
Japan-Korea Protocol of August 1904* 제1차 한일협약 (第一次韓日協約) 1904[27] Japan[28]
Japan-Korea Protocol of April 1905* 1905[29] Japan[30]
Japan-Korea Protocol of August 1905* 1905[31] Japan[32]
Japan-Korea Treaty of 1905*
(Eulsa Treaty)		 제2차 한일협약 (第二次韓日協約)
(을사조약(乙巳條約))		 1905[33] Japan[34]
Japan-Korea Treaty of 1907* 정미7조약(丁未七條約) 1907[35] Japan
Japan-Korea Treaty of 1910* 한일병합조약(韓日倂合條約) 1910[36] Japan

* Unequal treaty

Notes

  1. ↑ Lee (1984), p. 176.
  2. ↑ 관찰사 (in Korean). Britannica Korea. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  3. ↑ 부윤 (in Korean). Britannica Korea. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  4. ↑ 목사 (in Korean). Doopedia. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  5. ↑ 군수 (in Korean). Britannica Korea. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  6. ↑ 현령 (in Korean). Britannica Korea. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  7. ↑ 이성무 (November 12, 2007). 조선당쟁사 1 사림정치와 당쟁: 선조부조 ~ 현종조. 아름다운날. ISBN 9788989354826.
  8. ↑ Ebrey, Patricia; Walthall, Ann (2013). East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History, Volume II: From 1600. Cengage Learning. p. 255. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  9. ↑ Lee (1984), p. 223.
  10. ↑ "벽파". 한국민족문화대백과.
  11. ↑ 이성무 (November 12, 2007). 조선당쟁사 2 탕평과 세도정치: 숙종조~고종조. 아름다운날. ISBN 9788989354833.
  12. ↑ Lee (1984), p. 193.
  13. ↑ Korean Mission to the Conference on the Limitation of Armament, Washington, D.C., 1921-1922. (1922). Korea's Appeal to the Conference on Limitation of Armament, p. 33., p. 33, at Google Books; excerpt, "Treaty Between Japan and Korea, dated February 26, 1876."
  14. ↑ Korean Mission, p. 29., p. 29, at Google Books; excerpt, "Treaty and Diplomatic Relations Between the United States and Korea. Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation dated May 22, 1882."
  15. ↑ Moon, Myungki. "Korea-China Treaty System in the 1880s and the Opening of Seoul: Review of the Joseon-Qing Communication and Commerce Rules," Journal of Northeast Asian History, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Dec 2008), pp. 85-120.
  16. ↑ Korean Mission, p. 32., p. 32, at Google Books; excerpt, "Treaty and Diplomatic Relations Between Germany and Korea. Treaty of Amity and Commerce dated November 23, 1883."
  17. ↑ Korean Mission, p. 32., p. 32, at Google Books; excerpt, "Treaty and Diplomatic Relations Between Great Britain and Korea ... dated November 26, 1883."
  18. ↑ Korean Mission, p. 32., p. 32, at Google Books; excerpt, "Treaty and Diplomatic Relations Between Korea and Russia. Treaty of Amity and Commerce dated June 25, 1884."
  19. ↑ Korean Mission, p. 32., p. 32, at Google Books; excerpt, "Treaty and Diplomatic Relations Between Korea and Italy. Treaty of Friendship and Commerce dated June 26, 1884."
  20. ↑ Yi, Kwang-gyu and Joseph P. Linskey. (2003). Korean Traditional Culture, p. 63., p. 63, at Google Books; excerpt, "The so-called Hanseong Treaty was concluded between Korea and Japan. Korea paid compensation for Japanese losses. Japan and China worked out the Tien-Tsin Treaty, which ensured that both Japanese and Chinese troops withdraw from Korea."
  21. ↑ Korean Mission, p. 32., p. 32, at Google Books; excerpt, "Treaty and Diplomatic Relations Between Korea and France. Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation dated June 4, 1886."
  22. ↑ Korean Mission, p. 32., p. 32, at Google Books; excerpt, "Treaty and Diplomatic Relations Between Korea and Austria. Treaty of Amity and Commerce dated July 23, 1892."
  23. ↑ Korean Mission, p. 32., p. 32, at Google Books; excerpt, "Treaty and Diplomatic Relations Between Korea and Belgium. Treaty of Amity and Commerce dated March 23, 1901."
  24. ↑ Korean Mission, p. 32., p. 32, at Google Books; excerpt, "Treaty and Diplomatic Relations Between Korea and Denmark. Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation dated July 15, 1902."
  25. ↑ Korean Mission, p. 34., p. 34, at Google Books; excerpt, "Treaty of Alliance Between Japan and Korea, dated February 23, 1904."
  26. ↑ Note that the Korean Mission to the Conference on the Limitation of Armament in Washington, D.C., 1921-1922 identified this as "Treaty of Alliance Between Japan and Korea, dated February 23, 1904"
  27. ↑ Korean Mission, p. 35., p. 35, at Google Books; excerpt, "Alleged Treaty, dated August 22, 1904."
  28. ↑ Note that the Korean diplomats in 1921-1922 identified this as "Alleged Treaty, dated August 22, 1904"
  29. ↑ Korean Mission, p. 35., p. 35, at Google Books; excerpt, "Alleged Treaty, dated April 1, 1905."
  30. ↑ Note that the Korean diplomats in 1921-1922 identified this as "Alleged Treaty, dated April 1, 1905"
  31. ↑ Korean Mission, p. 35., p. 35, at Google Books; excerpt, "Alleged Treaty, dated August 13, 1905."
  32. ↑ Note that the Korean diplomats in 1921-1922 identified this as "Alleged Treaty, dated August 13, 1905"
  33. ↑ Korean Mission, p. 35., p. 35, at Google Books; excerpt, "Alleged Treaty, dated November 17, 1905."
  34. ↑ Note that the Korean diplomats in 1921-1922 identified this as "Alleged Treaty, dated NOvember 17, 1905"
  35. ↑ Korean Mission, p. 35., p. 35, at Google Books; excerpt, "Alleged Treaty, dated July 24, 1907."
  36. ↑ Korean Mission, p. 36., p. 36, at Google Books; excerpt, "Alleged Treaty, dated August 20, 1910."

See also

Preceded by
Goryeo dynasty politics		 Joseon dynasty politics
1392–1897 		Succeeded by
Politics of South Korea

Politics of North Korea;

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