Lee Han-woo's History of Joseon's Partisan Strife
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Description
Book Introduction
Devotees of Juhee,
Push Joseon into darkness!
It drove Joseon to barbarism and regression.
Where did the partisan strife originate?
Dissecting the root causes and essence of partisan strife head-on
How did the 'partisan strife' among Zhu Xi's followers ruin Joseon?
There is no great disagreement that factional strife led to Joseon's decline and eventual downfall.
Of course, there are discussions that seek positive effects from partisan strife, but the fundamental question of how partisan strife began and drove society into chaos and regression has not been properly addressed even in academia.
Based on this awareness of the problem, 『Lee Han-woo's History of Joseon's Partisan Strife』(21st Century Books) defines Joseon's partisan strife as 'a power struggle among Zhu Xi's followers who took royal authority lightly.'
The author studied the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty and Confucian classics and realized that the core of Confucian political thought lies in the theory of a strong and bright monarch.
King Taejong and other Joseon kings also pursued a strong royal authority based on this, but the late Joseon dynasty scholars who accepted Zhu Xi's teachings were absorbed in the words of the classics and valued the authority of the subjects, opposing the royal authority.
And they became obsessed with consolidating their vested interests by causing divisions and extreme conflicts within them.
This process is the history of Joseon's factional strife.
The factional strife that originated from Confucianism began in earnest during the reign of King Seonjo and continued through the reigns of King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo.
However, during the reign of King Sunjo, factional strife did not disappear, but rather degenerated into a politics dominated by the royal relatives.
This was not the result of overcoming factional strife, but rather a change in the power structure, which ultimately led to the tragedy that led to the downfall of Joseon.
This book approaches the essence of the party strife by going through the major scenes of the history of the party strife, from its inception to its transition into factional politics.
Reflecting on the root causes of factional strife and how it led to the downfall of Joseon still offers important lessons today.
The author poses a question to this era.
“In a society lacking deep and flexible thinking, dogma is bound to prevail, and in a society lacking thorough and independent thinking, propaganda based on shallow doctrines easily gains traction.
Can we really say with confidence that we are different from the Joseon literati in this respect?”
Push Joseon into darkness!
It drove Joseon to barbarism and regression.
Where did the partisan strife originate?
Dissecting the root causes and essence of partisan strife head-on
How did the 'partisan strife' among Zhu Xi's followers ruin Joseon?
There is no great disagreement that factional strife led to Joseon's decline and eventual downfall.
Of course, there are discussions that seek positive effects from partisan strife, but the fundamental question of how partisan strife began and drove society into chaos and regression has not been properly addressed even in academia.
Based on this awareness of the problem, 『Lee Han-woo's History of Joseon's Partisan Strife』(21st Century Books) defines Joseon's partisan strife as 'a power struggle among Zhu Xi's followers who took royal authority lightly.'
The author studied the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty and Confucian classics and realized that the core of Confucian political thought lies in the theory of a strong and bright monarch.
King Taejong and other Joseon kings also pursued a strong royal authority based on this, but the late Joseon dynasty scholars who accepted Zhu Xi's teachings were absorbed in the words of the classics and valued the authority of the subjects, opposing the royal authority.
And they became obsessed with consolidating their vested interests by causing divisions and extreme conflicts within them.
This process is the history of Joseon's factional strife.
The factional strife that originated from Confucianism began in earnest during the reign of King Seonjo and continued through the reigns of King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo.
However, during the reign of King Sunjo, factional strife did not disappear, but rather degenerated into a politics dominated by the royal relatives.
This was not the result of overcoming factional strife, but rather a change in the power structure, which ultimately led to the tragedy that led to the downfall of Joseon.
This book approaches the essence of the party strife by going through the major scenes of the history of the party strife, from its inception to its transition into factional politics.
Reflecting on the root causes of factional strife and how it led to the downfall of Joseon still offers important lessons today.
The author poses a question to this era.
“In a society lacking deep and flexible thinking, dogma is bound to prevail, and in a society lacking thorough and independent thinking, propaganda based on shallow doctrines easily gains traction.
Can we really say with confidence that we are different from the Joseon literati in this respect?”
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
Preface: The Dynamics of Joseon's Partisan Strife and Confucianism
Introduction: The Birth of Joseon and the Role of Neo-Confucianism
Part 1: The Origins of Partisan Strife
Chapter 1: The Roots of Partisan Strife, Ju Hee
Chapter 2: The introduction of "national policy" as a political tool by Song Dynasty Taoists
Chapter 3: The Hidden Meaning of the Zhu Xi Scholars' Rant of the Dao
Part 2: King Seonjo and the Full-Scale Intensification of Joseon's Factional Strife
Chapter 4 Why did the flames of factional strife flare up during the reign of King Seonjo?
Chapter 5: The Rise and Fall of the Easterners and Westerners in the First Half of King Seonjo's Reign
Chapter 6: Jo Heon, the leader of the Westerners, submits a petition, shaking the court.
Chapter 7: The Secret Hidden in Jeong Yeo-rip's Rebellion
Chapter 8: The Extinction of the Easterners and the Fall of the Westerners
Chapter 9: The Imjin War and Partisan Strife
Part 3: The Age of Partisan Strife, the Nation of Subjects
Chapter 10: Jeong In-hong, the Northern Leader, the Greatest Beneficiary and Victim of Partisan Strife
Chapter 11: The Politics of Confucianism
Chapter 12: The Theory of Relocating the Capital to Gyoha and the Construction of the Palace, and the Fierce Partisan Strife Hidden in the Ceiling of Jangneung
Chapter 13: The Injo Restoration leads to the downfall of King Gwanghaegun and the rise of the Westerners.
Chapter 14: The Injo Restoration: The Birth of Joseon, the "Subject State"
Chapter 15: The Political History of Party Member Lee Gwi
Chapter 16: The Division of the Westerners during the Injo Era
Part 4: Failure of Tangpyeong
Chapter 17: The era of full-scale forestry politics begins during the reign of King Hyojong.
Chapter 18: Two life-or-death disputes over rites occur during the reign of King Hyeonjong.
Chapter 19: The Young King Sukjong's Resolve to Subdue Song Si-yeol, Leader of the Westerners
Chapter 20: Four Scenes Essential to Understanding Song Si-yeol, a Party Member
Chapter 21: The Division of Subjects During the Reign of King Sukjong
Chapter 22: King Sukjong's Later Years: His Leap from the Soron to the Noron Faction
Chapter 23: The Truth and Falsehood of King Yeongjo's Tangpyeong Policy
Chapter 24: The Truth and Falsehood of King Jeongjo's Tangpyeong Policy
Concluding remarks: The Office of Military Affairs and the factional strife
Introduction: The Birth of Joseon and the Role of Neo-Confucianism
Part 1: The Origins of Partisan Strife
Chapter 1: The Roots of Partisan Strife, Ju Hee
Chapter 2: The introduction of "national policy" as a political tool by Song Dynasty Taoists
Chapter 3: The Hidden Meaning of the Zhu Xi Scholars' Rant of the Dao
Part 2: King Seonjo and the Full-Scale Intensification of Joseon's Factional Strife
Chapter 4 Why did the flames of factional strife flare up during the reign of King Seonjo?
Chapter 5: The Rise and Fall of the Easterners and Westerners in the First Half of King Seonjo's Reign
Chapter 6: Jo Heon, the leader of the Westerners, submits a petition, shaking the court.
Chapter 7: The Secret Hidden in Jeong Yeo-rip's Rebellion
Chapter 8: The Extinction of the Easterners and the Fall of the Westerners
Chapter 9: The Imjin War and Partisan Strife
Part 3: The Age of Partisan Strife, the Nation of Subjects
Chapter 10: Jeong In-hong, the Northern Leader, the Greatest Beneficiary and Victim of Partisan Strife
Chapter 11: The Politics of Confucianism
Chapter 12: The Theory of Relocating the Capital to Gyoha and the Construction of the Palace, and the Fierce Partisan Strife Hidden in the Ceiling of Jangneung
Chapter 13: The Injo Restoration leads to the downfall of King Gwanghaegun and the rise of the Westerners.
Chapter 14: The Injo Restoration: The Birth of Joseon, the "Subject State"
Chapter 15: The Political History of Party Member Lee Gwi
Chapter 16: The Division of the Westerners during the Injo Era
Part 4: Failure of Tangpyeong
Chapter 17: The era of full-scale forestry politics begins during the reign of King Hyojong.
Chapter 18: Two life-or-death disputes over rites occur during the reign of King Hyeonjong.
Chapter 19: The Young King Sukjong's Resolve to Subdue Song Si-yeol, Leader of the Westerners
Chapter 20: Four Scenes Essential to Understanding Song Si-yeol, a Party Member
Chapter 21: The Division of Subjects During the Reign of King Sukjong
Chapter 22: King Sukjong's Later Years: His Leap from the Soron to the Noron Faction
Chapter 23: The Truth and Falsehood of King Yeongjo's Tangpyeong Policy
Chapter 24: The Truth and Falsehood of King Jeongjo's Tangpyeong Policy
Concluding remarks: The Office of Military Affairs and the factional strife
Into the book
This will also change the relationship between the king and the prime minister.
Before the national exam, the king judged right and wrong on a case-by-case basis, but after the national exam, the king only had the authority to choose one party, and the authority to judge right and wrong belonged to that party.
Of course, it is not the king but the party that decides who is a gentleman and who is a villain.
The power of the king is only to make the party he has chosen the gentleman's party and the party he has not chosen the petty party.
---From "Chapter 2 | The Introduction of 'National Policy', a Political Tool of Song Dynasty Daoists - Page 85"
This was not the end.
A full-scale counterattack by the Dong-in forces stationed in the Office of the Inspector General and the Office of the Censor-General began.
All the rumors about Yi Yi's connection to Buddhism and the unpleasant rumors involving Yi Yi's older brother were exposed.
In addition, Park Soon, Lee I, and Seong Hon were all accused of being guests of Sim Ui-gyeom, and Park Soon and Lee I praised Seong Hon as a “great scholar of the mountains and forests,” while Seong Hon praised Park Soon and Lee I as “a great sage of a generation,” intensifying their personal attacks, saying that it was worth watching them play against each other.
The ancestors were resolute.
---From "Chapter 5 | The Rise and Fall of the Easterners and Westerners in the First Half of King Seonjo's Life - Page 150"
When it was first called the East-West faction, the Dong-in faction included a large number of scholars of Yi Hwang and Jo Sik, while the Seo-in faction included scholars of Yi I, Jeong Cheol, and Seong Hon.
After that, the incident of Crown Prince Geonjeo led to a large-scale purge of the Seoin faction, and the Seoin faction was completely alienated from the center of power until the Injo Restoration.
Instead, the Jeong Yeo-rip incident overlapped, and a division occurred between moderates and hardliners within the Dong-in faction over the extent of punishment for the Seo-in faction.
People from the Yi Hwang lineage formed the moderate Namin faction, and people from the Jo Sik lineage formed the hardliner Bukin faction.
During the Imjin War, the Southerners led by Ryu Seong-ryong advocated for peace, while the Northerners led by Yi San-hae advocated for war.
---From "Chapter 9 | The Imjin War and Partisan Strife - Page 225"
The Injo regime was formed with the participation of the absolute majority of the Seoin faction and the extremely small minority of the Namin faction.
The problem, however, is that a major rift had already formed within the Seoin with the appointment of Jeongsa Gongsin.
The Seoin who participated in the coup were divided into Gongseo (功西), and the Seoin who did not participate in the coup were divided into Cheongseo (淸西).
The government, in order to uphold King Injo's will and ensure stability in the government, tried to involve people from the South and even the North in the government.
From the Blue House's perspective, it was unacceptable for another party to take the position they were supposed to occupy.
The central figure is Kim Sang-heon (金尙憲, 1570-1652).
---From "Chapter 14 | The Birth of Joseon, the 'Subject State' through the Injo Restoration - pp. 304-305"
However, King Sukjong, who could hit the nail on the head with just one word, was already preparing for the fourth round.
King Sukjong, who read the revised version of the royal tomb, demanded, “It is recorded in the Seungjeongwon Diary that (Prime Minister Kim Su-heung) forgot the favor of the former king and asked for a different discussion (as raised by Song Si-yeol), but it is not included in this record. What does this mean?”
Finally, there was nowhere for the heretics to escape.
---From "Chapter 19 | The Young King Sukjong's Resolve to Subdue Song Si-yeol, the Leader of the Westerners - Page 397"
In this way, Jeongjo dreamed of a new politics based on tangpyeong, but he ended his era by effectively surrendering to a specific political faction.
In addition, he married Kim Jo-sun (金祖淳, 1765-1832) of the Andong Kim clan and opened the era of political power of the Andong Kim clan with his own hands.
This ended the era of factional strife and ushered in an era of politics dominated by the maternal relatives.
Before the national exam, the king judged right and wrong on a case-by-case basis, but after the national exam, the king only had the authority to choose one party, and the authority to judge right and wrong belonged to that party.
Of course, it is not the king but the party that decides who is a gentleman and who is a villain.
The power of the king is only to make the party he has chosen the gentleman's party and the party he has not chosen the petty party.
---From "Chapter 2 | The Introduction of 'National Policy', a Political Tool of Song Dynasty Daoists - Page 85"
This was not the end.
A full-scale counterattack by the Dong-in forces stationed in the Office of the Inspector General and the Office of the Censor-General began.
All the rumors about Yi Yi's connection to Buddhism and the unpleasant rumors involving Yi Yi's older brother were exposed.
In addition, Park Soon, Lee I, and Seong Hon were all accused of being guests of Sim Ui-gyeom, and Park Soon and Lee I praised Seong Hon as a “great scholar of the mountains and forests,” while Seong Hon praised Park Soon and Lee I as “a great sage of a generation,” intensifying their personal attacks, saying that it was worth watching them play against each other.
The ancestors were resolute.
---From "Chapter 5 | The Rise and Fall of the Easterners and Westerners in the First Half of King Seonjo's Life - Page 150"
When it was first called the East-West faction, the Dong-in faction included a large number of scholars of Yi Hwang and Jo Sik, while the Seo-in faction included scholars of Yi I, Jeong Cheol, and Seong Hon.
After that, the incident of Crown Prince Geonjeo led to a large-scale purge of the Seoin faction, and the Seoin faction was completely alienated from the center of power until the Injo Restoration.
Instead, the Jeong Yeo-rip incident overlapped, and a division occurred between moderates and hardliners within the Dong-in faction over the extent of punishment for the Seo-in faction.
People from the Yi Hwang lineage formed the moderate Namin faction, and people from the Jo Sik lineage formed the hardliner Bukin faction.
During the Imjin War, the Southerners led by Ryu Seong-ryong advocated for peace, while the Northerners led by Yi San-hae advocated for war.
---From "Chapter 9 | The Imjin War and Partisan Strife - Page 225"
The Injo regime was formed with the participation of the absolute majority of the Seoin faction and the extremely small minority of the Namin faction.
The problem, however, is that a major rift had already formed within the Seoin with the appointment of Jeongsa Gongsin.
The Seoin who participated in the coup were divided into Gongseo (功西), and the Seoin who did not participate in the coup were divided into Cheongseo (淸西).
The government, in order to uphold King Injo's will and ensure stability in the government, tried to involve people from the South and even the North in the government.
From the Blue House's perspective, it was unacceptable for another party to take the position they were supposed to occupy.
The central figure is Kim Sang-heon (金尙憲, 1570-1652).
---From "Chapter 14 | The Birth of Joseon, the 'Subject State' through the Injo Restoration - pp. 304-305"
However, King Sukjong, who could hit the nail on the head with just one word, was already preparing for the fourth round.
King Sukjong, who read the revised version of the royal tomb, demanded, “It is recorded in the Seungjeongwon Diary that (Prime Minister Kim Su-heung) forgot the favor of the former king and asked for a different discussion (as raised by Song Si-yeol), but it is not included in this record. What does this mean?”
Finally, there was nowhere for the heretics to escape.
---From "Chapter 19 | The Young King Sukjong's Resolve to Subdue Song Si-yeol, the Leader of the Westerners - Page 397"
In this way, Jeongjo dreamed of a new politics based on tangpyeong, but he ended his era by effectively surrendering to a specific political faction.
In addition, he married Kim Jo-sun (金祖淳, 1765-1832) of the Andong Kim clan and opened the era of political power of the Andong Kim clan with his own hands.
This ended the era of factional strife and ushered in an era of politics dominated by the maternal relatives.
---From "Chapter 24 | The Truth and Fiction of King Jeongjo's Tangpyeong Policy? Page 508"
Publisher's Review
The history of factional strife that began during the reign of King Seonjo along with the spread of Confucianism
“Dreaming of their own country under a virtuous monarch!”
There are two main views on the origins of partisan strife.
The first is the view that the conflict between the Hun-gu faction, which had established itself as a meritorious subject after the Jungjong Restoration, and the new Sarim faction, which had newly entered politics, was the starting point of the party strife.
But in reality, the party strife was not a simple confrontation between the Hun-gu faction and the Sarim faction.
The struggle within the Sarim, that is, the clash and division between the moderate and radical Sarim, was the key.
The second view is that the conflict between the Easterners and the Westerners over the issue of recommending candidates for the Ministry of Personnel during the reign of King Seonjo was the beginning of the party strife.
However, the division between the Easterners and the Westerners was important in itself, and this conflict was only part of the party strife.
Therefore, it is difficult to explain the nature of the party strife with just these two views.
The Joseon Dynasty's factional strife began with the introduction of Confucianism.
As Confucianism began to spread in earnest during the reign of King Seonjo, the spark of factional strife was ignited.
Under the 'theory of a strong monarch', which is the core of the Analects and the Book of Changes, which contain Confucius' political philosophy, factional strife among subjects excluding the monarch is fundamentally denied.
That is, as long as a strong monarch existed, factional strife was unthinkable.
However, the situation changed when Zhu Xi's teachings, which interpreted Confucius's philosophy differently, spread and began to dominate the consciousness of Joseon's scholar-officials.
Partisan strife became a natural and inevitable occurrence, and the king did not hesitate to show disrespect to his highly regarded subjects by labeling them as “small men.”
The era of Confucianism soon became an era of factional strife.
This book views Joseon's factional strife not as a simple power struggle, but as an inevitable result of ideological change and structural problems.
It delves deeply into the nature and ramifications of partisan strife, and conveys lessons from historical events that remain relevant today.
The party that takes power eventually splits,
In the place where peace has collapsed, only politics dependent on the powerful remains!
Neo-Confucian ideas were deeply rooted in Joseon politics even before King Seonjo.
The principle that the king and the nobility should govern the country together based on ‘national policy’ and ‘public opinion’ was maintained.
However, when a non-legitimate ancestor ascended to the throne and Zhu Xi scholars began to actively participate in politics, factional strife intensified.
King Seonjo's posthumous award of a posthumous title to Jo Gwang-jo, who was sacrificed in the Gimyo Incident, was the restoration of the Sarim faction and the beginning of a factional strife.
The core of the partisan strife was whether to seize power.
After the division of the Sarim faction into the Easterners and Westerners during the reign of King Seonjo, the Easterners were divided into the Southerners and Northerners, and the Northerners were further divided into the Small Northerners and the Large Northerners, and they constantly clashed over power.
Following the coup and the change in royal authority, the Seoin faction took power, but internally, it was divided into the Soron, Noron, Sipa, and Byeokpa factions, and the party strife became more complex.
The reason the party strife continued was because of the political situation and human resources.
As talented people flocked to the Seoin, Noron, and Byeokpa factions, they were able to maintain their power for a long time, and the king also tried to build his own power while relying on them.
During this process, the party strife was constantly reorganized, with the Soron faction splitting within the Seoin faction and the Sipa faction splitting within the Noron faction.
Joseon kings also tried to overcome factional strife.
King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo advocated for ‘tangpyeong’, but their methods were different.
Yeongjo tried to balance the factions, while Jeongjo approached it by strengthening royal authority.
However, both kings showed a tendency to rely on crony politics as their reigns progressed, and were unable to completely resolve the party strife.
Through the author's research and insight, which sharply analyzes the flow of Joseon's partisan strife, we can understand the nature of partisan strife and reflect on today's political conflicts and power structures.
When we look back at how factional strife transformed and destroyed Joseon, we can ask ourselves this question today.
Is the history of partisan strife simply a thing of the past? Or are we simply repeating the same problems in different ways?
“Dreaming of their own country under a virtuous monarch!”
There are two main views on the origins of partisan strife.
The first is the view that the conflict between the Hun-gu faction, which had established itself as a meritorious subject after the Jungjong Restoration, and the new Sarim faction, which had newly entered politics, was the starting point of the party strife.
But in reality, the party strife was not a simple confrontation between the Hun-gu faction and the Sarim faction.
The struggle within the Sarim, that is, the clash and division between the moderate and radical Sarim, was the key.
The second view is that the conflict between the Easterners and the Westerners over the issue of recommending candidates for the Ministry of Personnel during the reign of King Seonjo was the beginning of the party strife.
However, the division between the Easterners and the Westerners was important in itself, and this conflict was only part of the party strife.
Therefore, it is difficult to explain the nature of the party strife with just these two views.
The Joseon Dynasty's factional strife began with the introduction of Confucianism.
As Confucianism began to spread in earnest during the reign of King Seonjo, the spark of factional strife was ignited.
Under the 'theory of a strong monarch', which is the core of the Analects and the Book of Changes, which contain Confucius' political philosophy, factional strife among subjects excluding the monarch is fundamentally denied.
That is, as long as a strong monarch existed, factional strife was unthinkable.
However, the situation changed when Zhu Xi's teachings, which interpreted Confucius's philosophy differently, spread and began to dominate the consciousness of Joseon's scholar-officials.
Partisan strife became a natural and inevitable occurrence, and the king did not hesitate to show disrespect to his highly regarded subjects by labeling them as “small men.”
The era of Confucianism soon became an era of factional strife.
This book views Joseon's factional strife not as a simple power struggle, but as an inevitable result of ideological change and structural problems.
It delves deeply into the nature and ramifications of partisan strife, and conveys lessons from historical events that remain relevant today.
The party that takes power eventually splits,
In the place where peace has collapsed, only politics dependent on the powerful remains!
Neo-Confucian ideas were deeply rooted in Joseon politics even before King Seonjo.
The principle that the king and the nobility should govern the country together based on ‘national policy’ and ‘public opinion’ was maintained.
However, when a non-legitimate ancestor ascended to the throne and Zhu Xi scholars began to actively participate in politics, factional strife intensified.
King Seonjo's posthumous award of a posthumous title to Jo Gwang-jo, who was sacrificed in the Gimyo Incident, was the restoration of the Sarim faction and the beginning of a factional strife.
The core of the partisan strife was whether to seize power.
After the division of the Sarim faction into the Easterners and Westerners during the reign of King Seonjo, the Easterners were divided into the Southerners and Northerners, and the Northerners were further divided into the Small Northerners and the Large Northerners, and they constantly clashed over power.
Following the coup and the change in royal authority, the Seoin faction took power, but internally, it was divided into the Soron, Noron, Sipa, and Byeokpa factions, and the party strife became more complex.
The reason the party strife continued was because of the political situation and human resources.
As talented people flocked to the Seoin, Noron, and Byeokpa factions, they were able to maintain their power for a long time, and the king also tried to build his own power while relying on them.
During this process, the party strife was constantly reorganized, with the Soron faction splitting within the Seoin faction and the Sipa faction splitting within the Noron faction.
Joseon kings also tried to overcome factional strife.
King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo advocated for ‘tangpyeong’, but their methods were different.
Yeongjo tried to balance the factions, while Jeongjo approached it by strengthening royal authority.
However, both kings showed a tendency to rely on crony politics as their reigns progressed, and were unable to completely resolve the party strife.
Through the author's research and insight, which sharply analyzes the flow of Joseon's partisan strife, we can understand the nature of partisan strife and reflect on today's political conflicts and power structures.
When we look back at how factional strife transformed and destroyed Joseon, we can ask ourselves this question today.
Is the history of partisan strife simply a thing of the past? Or are we simply repeating the same problems in different ways?
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: April 2, 2025
- Format: Hardcover book binding method guide
- Page count, weight, size: 516 pages | 152*225*35mm
- ISBN13: 9791173571626
- ISBN10: 1173571620
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