King Yŏngjo’s T'angp'yŏng Policy and its Orientation : The trio of the king, state, and people
Journal Title: International Journal of Korean History - Year 2011, Vol 16, Issue 1
Abstract
From the 17th century onwards, Chosŏn searched for various reform measures to overcome factionalism and mitigate the damage caused by the Hideyoshi and Manchu Invasions. However, no political faction was allotted enough time to complete such reforms. During the 18th century, a blueprint for a political system through which sweeping reforms could be implemented based on the strong power of the king emerged in the form of t'angp'yŏng (Impartiality) policy. The evil practices associated with political factionalism reached a boiling point during the early reign of King Yŏngjo. The political situation became so bad that even the king was no longer exempt from the clutches of political factionalism. In this regard, King Yŏngjo introduced a third way that would allow him to move beyond the prevailing political structure under which only one political faction could be in power at a time. This third way took the form of the king-led t'angp'yŏng (Impartiality) policy. During this process, the king established himself as the equivalent of sage kings such as Yao and Shun and, based on the authority that he drew from this status, proceeded to grasp the reins of political leadership. Once Yŏngjo had justified his status as the ‘king of the state’, he compelled the political factions to participate in projects designed to reestablish the national institutions, and implemented these national projects amidst a structure characterized by beneficial competition. Several state-level efforts to achieve civilizational and institutional improvements, including the Soktaejŏn (續大典), were carried out as part of this process. Once these projects to bolster national institutions had been completed, King Yŏngjo devoted himself to reforming the taxation system. The development of policy measures centering on the ‘people’ reached its zenith with the establishment of the Kyunyŏkpŏp (均役法, Equalized Tax Law). Yŏngjo desired to become a king for all the people, be they sajok or commoners. To this end, while he ruled over the privileged classes in a despotic manner that saw him require sacrifices and concessions on the part of the latter, he approached the socially weak commoner class as a benevolent king akin to Yao and Shun. As such, the king that brought us t'angp'yŏng policy in the 18th century created a complicated image of himself as both a despotic monarch and a benevolent king akin to Yao and Shun.
Authors and Affiliations
Paekchol Kim
Keywords
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