The Increase in Personnel at the Chamsanggwan in the Fifth Year of King Sinjong of Goryeo and Its Significance  

Author: Son, Yeong Deuk

Page: 55-104

This paper examined the increase in personnel at Chamsanggwan(叅 上官) in the fifth year of the Sinjong era (1202). With the increase of Chamsangwan in the 5th year of the Sinjong era(1202), Hammunjihu(閤 門祗候), Gamchareosa(監察御史), and Munban(文班) 5th and 6th Seung(丞) and Yeong(令) were promoted to Chamsangwan. But the operation method was not the same between the promoted office positions due to the increase of Chamsangwan in the fifth year of King Sinjong(1202). Hammunjihu and Gamchareosa on Chamsanggwan were both operated as initial Chamsanggwan posts before and after the 5th year of King Sinjong's reign(1202). In contrast, the positions of Seung and Yeong of the 5th and 6th ranks in the civil service became posts appointed after serving as an initial Chamsanggwan post starting from the 5th year of King Sinjong's reign(1202), thus differing in their operational methods. This difference also served as a factor in why the offices mentioned as candidates for promotion to the rank of Chamsangwan differed between the Seongeoji(選擧志) of Goryeosa(高 麗史) and the Baekgwanji(百官志) of Goryeosa. And to see how the increase of Chamsanggwan in the 5th year of the Sinjong era(1202) affected appointments to Chamsanggwan, this paper analyzed the routes of people who appointed to Gamchareosa or Hammunjihu within the initial position of Chamsanggwan from 1117 to 1274. This analysis indicates that the measure shifted appointments in these posts toward a higher rate of Gwageo(科擧) graduates and a lower rate of Eumseo(蔭敍) appointees. There are three motives for the increase in the number of Chamsangwan in the fifth year of the Sinjong era(1202). First, it relates to the backlog phenomenon observed during the increase of Chamsanggwan, where promotions from Chamoegwan(叅外官) to Chamsanggwan became congested, as well as the internal promotion backlog within Chamsanggwan. Second, it relates to Choe Chungheon (崔忠獻)'s policy of appeasing and co-opting civil officials. Third, it is related to Choe Chungheon's royal treatment plan to consider the royal family to alleviate the political burden of being the figure who deposed the king.