A Study of the Political Power and Management of the Political Situation in King Myeongjong''s Reign in Koryeo Era

Jang, Sang Ju

Department of History, Major in Korean History
The Graduate School, Kyungpook National University
Daegu, Korea
(Supervised by Professor Han, Ki-Moon)


(Abstract)

Koryeo Myeongjong''s(高麗明宗) era was the time that the military ministers'' government was organized and a great reform was happening in terms of politics, economy and culture, as the existing civil ministers'' system was turning into the military ministers'' system. Therefore, political powers'' concentration and breakup was also developed in various form. Followings are the summary of this thesis.
First of all, chapter II reviewed the trend of the political powers in King Euijong''s(毅宗) reign and the process of King Myeongjong''s enthronement. In the process of Euijong''s enthronement, it was not favorable due to Sir Daeryeonghu(大寧侯), the rival for kingship. Accordingly, Euijong held Daeryeonghu and his supporters Kongyetaehu(恭睿太后) and Ms. Jeongan Im in check on his enthronement. In the process, as the clan powers of Daeryeonghu(大寧侯의 族黨勢力) including Seo Jeong(鄭敍), Yu-Cheong Choi(崔惟淸) and Jak-Seung Lee(李綽升) collapsed, they conspired with another King''s sibling, Igyanggong. Igyanggong(翼陽公) overpowered Pyeongynaghu(平?侯) in administration and reputation and gathered together supporting powers. At the center of supporting power, there were civil ministers'' power of Igyangbu(翼陽府) such as Kong-Gwon Yu(柳公權), U-Cheong Choi(崔遇淸), Yeo-Hae Choi(崔汝諧) and Sin-Yak Yeom(廉信若). They brought those people to their supporters power including school ties, blood ties, Bo-Dang Kim(金甫當) the Yeonggwang Kim''s family who is pedigree nobility and a classmate of Jwaju, and In-Cheom Yun the Papyeong Yun''s family. The list of tombstone showed that Im-Ji Baek(白任至), Sun Kim(金純), Won-Ui Kim(金元義), Jang-Pil Mun(文章弼) and Kwang-cheok Oh(吳光陟) were the Igyanggong''s basis of armed force. Chapter III investigated the management of the political situation of King Myeongjong''s early reign and the trend of the figures around him. After enthronement, King Myeongjong came into close relation with civil ministers like Keuk-Kyeom Mun(文克謙), Mun-Jun Han(韓文俊), Ji-Myeong Lee(李知命) and Sun-Uh Lee(李純佑) and military ministers like Kyeong-Seung Du(杜景升), Chung-Ryeol Choi(崔忠烈) and Bang-Uh Jeong(鄭邦佑). They became Myeongjong''s aides with his private intimacy and favor. Through the riot of Bo-Dang Kim and Wi-Chong Jo(趙位寵), the aides were splitted and regathered, hardening the kingship of Myeongjong. Here the assassination of Uijong by Ui-Min Lee(李義旼) worked greatly and with this, King Myeongjong came to trust Ui-Min Lee. The trend of political situation at the early stage of Myeongjong''s enthronement was reviewed through the conflict between Ui-Bang Lee(李義方) and Jung-Bu Jeong''s(鄭仲夫) government. As for the relationship between Myeongjong and Dae-Seung Kyeong(慶大升), they aimed at entirely different political line because of ''the reactionism‘ and the impeachment of ''the assassination of Uijong'' that Dae-Seung Kyeong stood on as the justification of revolution. At the reign of Dae-Seung Kyeong, King Myeongjong could widen his stance while appointing his aides to responsible posts. Chapter IV reviewed the management of the political situation and the trend of the political power in the late stage of king Myeongjong''s reign. After decease of Dae-Seung Kyeong, King Myeongjong let Ui-Min Lee, who has a different political inclination, come up to the capital and could not but select him as a ruler as military minister. After 14th year of Myeongjong''s reign when Ui-Min Lee come up to the capital, Myeongjong began to operate the political situation in dual power system(二元的 權力構造) together with Ui-Min Lee. The 20th year of Myeongjong''s reign was the turning point and it was called Myeongjong''s leading period(明宗 主導期) before that, and Ui-Min Lee''s leading period(李義旼 主導期) after that. Under Myeongjong''s leadership, he operated the political situation through near subjects, eunuchs and monk princes born of concubine. Especially remarked are the military leading powers in Won-Jeong Jo''s(曺元正) rebellion in 17th year of Myeongjong''s reign. At that time, the military leading powers were Myeongjong''s near military ministers like Im-Ji Baek, Sun Kim and Kyeong-Seung Du. It suggested that Ui-Min Lee could not take control of the military and make himself a power holder. Therefore, the large scale inspection of troops carried out in 18th year of Myeongjong''s reign was led by Myeongjong himself. The Royal edict in the year 18 was also led by Myeongjong and his aides like Keuk-Kyeom Mun and Mun-Jun Han. Under Ui-Min Lee''s leadership, he could not prepare a firm basis for one-man dictatorship and operated the political situation in coalition with many lines. Accordingly, it faced with the limit and the rebellion was broken out by Sa-Mi Kim(金沙彌) and Hyosim(孝心). Finally Ui-Min Lee was killed in the rebellion by Chung-Heon Choi(崔忠獻) and his government was collapsed. The collapse of Ui-Min Lee''s government meant the collapse of Myeongjong who aimed at the same political line as Ui-Min Lee.