僻派の殘影 --朝鮮後期政治史の一斷面--

Abstract

The rule of the Joseon court by "Byeokpa, " a faction of Gyeongju Gim clan, collapsed with the death of Grand Queen Dowager Gim. However, the lasting power of "Byeokpa" cannot be neglected in the political history of the 19th Jeoson dynasty. In 1801, Gwon Yu, the Censer General, issued a memorandum to King Sunjo, wherein he indirectly offended Gim Josun of Andong Gim clan, whose daughter was engaged to King Sunjo. Gwon Yu was regarded as a member of "Byeokpa, " and he allegedly obstructed the royal marriage with a family of "Sipa, " a faction of Andong Gim clan. Gwon Yu was charged with high treason and died in the middle of the prison examination. In 1805, Grand Queen Dowager Gim died, which was the funeral bell for "Byeokpa." Key members of "Byeokpa" were punished and killed the following year, while "Sipa" monopolized the political scene for a while. However, the Crown Prince's Regency under King Sunjo in 1827 changed the situation. The disgruntled gathered around the Crown Prince and plotted to deprive "Sipa" of their powers. The memorandum issued by Sim Uihak to the Crown Prince was allegedly a plot by the rump of "Byoekpa." Sim was beheaded in 1829 under the name of an offense to the sovereign, and the parties involved were punished. The Crown Prince died in 1830, and suddenly, the inner circle around him lost their positions. They were accused as the rump of "Byeokpa." A key member among them was Gim Nogyeong of Gyeongju Gim clan, who was the father of Gim Jeonghui, a famous scholar and artist. Subsequently, Gim Jeonghui appealed the innocence of his father and was sent in exile to the frontier in 1840. The Gyeongju Gim clan, to which the father and son belonged, maintained a hostile relationship with the Andong Gim clan ; thus, they were targeted as the rump of "Byeokpa" and removed from the political scene of the Joseon court. Did they really belong to "Byeokpa?" We do not really know. However, we are sure that they were the victims of factional conflicts, and the "Sipa" oppressed all kinds of anti- "Sipa" movements under the name of the rump of "Byeokpa." Originally, Andong Gim clan was one of the representative families who were respected and supported by the society of scholar-officials. However, the long-termed monopoly of the political scene by Andong Gim clan in the 19th Jeoson dynasty suppressed the variety of opinions, traditionally regarded as the source of the vitality of politics in Korea.