The Review of Korean Studies
- Apply for Authority
- P-ISSN1229-0076
- E-ISSN2773-9351
- SCOPUS, ESCI
ISSN : 1229-0076
How and when the Gyeongguk daejeon System Dismantled?: A Study on Political Meaning of the Daehan Empire’s Birth
- Downloaded
- Viewed
Abstract
The Joseon dynasty, based on its approximate 500 year-long Gyeongguk daejeon system, maintained its two governmental features: internationally “respecting the senior state”(sadae) with China and “keeping friendship with neighboring countries”(kyorin)(Jurchin and Japan) on the one hand, while it domestically pursued respect for Confucian proprieties and conceded only relative sovereignty to the Joseon king on the other hand. This political system, however, was dismantled in 1897 following the birth of the Daehan Empire, which proclaimed itself as a self reliant independent nation in the international community and in which unlimited sovereign authority was granted to the emperor. How is the Daehan Empire different from the Joseon Dynasty? For this, I compared the provisions of the Daehanguk gukje(hereafter, Gukje), which was established with the birth of the Daehan Empire in 1897, with those of the Gyeongguk daejeon as follows. First, Gukje states that the Daehan Empire is an independent empire that can make its own decisions regarding important matters of the Empire, such as the dispatch of diplomats, declarations of war, and conclusion of peace treaties. In comparison, Gyeongguk daejeon accepted a junior status to China and scrupulously observed the ritual practices of a tributary state, based on the tradition of “the respect for the senior state(sadae) diplomacy”. Second, another point to be noted is the stipulation that grants unlimited military power to the emperor. According to the Gukje, the emperor has the command of the military and naval forces, the right of enacting and enforcing laws, and even the power to pardon (Article 6). Compared with this, the royal authority prescribed in the Gyeongguk daejeon is relative. Unlike the Gukje, according to which the emperor is supposed to assume all responsibilities from the enactment of laws to the appointment of government officials, the Gyeongguk daejeon system makes it a principle to entrust all those responsibilities to ministers. The third difference is found in the upgrading of state rituals. Whereas the Gukjo oryeui established the norms for the state rituals at the kingdom level, the Daehan Empire raised all its state rituals to the level of those of an empire and stipulated the norms in the Daerye uigwe (Ceremony Manual for the Grand Rites). For example, the Daerye uigwe assigns to the country a different status from that specified in the Gukjo oryeui, which is a counterpart to the Gyeongguk daejeon.
- keywords
- Daehan Empire, Gyeongguk daejeon system(system of Grand Code for State Administration), Daehanguk gukje(State Law of the Daehan Empire), sadae(respect for the senior state), Daerye uigwe(Ceremony Manual for the Grand Rites)
Reference
Gojong sillok
Sunjo sillok
Seungjeong-won ilgi
Gyeongguk daejeon
Bak, Je-hyeong. 1992. Joseon jeonggam (Mirror of Korean Politics). Translated by Yi Ik-seong. Seoul: Hangilsa.
Bak, Rye-gyeong. 2006. “Joseon sidae gukga yejeon-eseo sajikje uirye-ui bullyubyeol byeonhwa-wa uijui-ui teukjing” (Changes in State Rituals in the Joseon Period and their Characteristics). Gyujanggak 29 (Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies, Seoul National University).
Choe, Ik-hyeon. 1977. Gukyeok myeonamjip (Korean translation of Myeonamjip) 1. Seoul: Association for Promoting National Culture.
Do, Hyeon-cheol. 2004. “Joseon-ui geonguk-gwa and Gyeongguk daejeon chejeui hyeongseong: Joseon-ui geonguk-gwa yugyo munhwa-ui hwakdae” (The Foundation of the Joseon Kingdom and the Formation of the Gyeongguk daejeon System: The Foundation of the Joseon Kingdom and the Expansion of the Confucian Culture). Dongbanghakji 124 (The Institute of Korean Studies, Yonsei University).
Kang, Sang-gyu. 2008. The Paradigm of East Asia and the Korea Peninsula in the 19th Century. (Seoul: Non-hyoung.).
Han, Yeong-u. 2001. “Daehan jeguk seongnip gwajeong-gwa daerye uigwe” (The Formative Process of the Daehan Empire and the Daerye uigwe). Hanguksa ron 45 (Department of Korean History, Seoul National University).
Han, Yeong-u. 2006. “Daehan jeguk-eul otteoke bolgeosinga” (How to Look at the Daehan Empire?). In Daehan jeguk-eun geundae gukga-inga, by Han Yeong-u and others. Seoul: Blue History.
Hwang, Hyeon. 2005. Maecheon yarok (Memoirs of Maecheon). Translated by Im Hyeong-taek and others. Seoul: Moonji Publishing Company.
Jeong, Gyo. 2004. Daehan gyenyeonsa (History of the Daehan Empire) 2.Translated and compiled by Jo Gwang. Seoul: Somyeong Publishing House.
Jeong, Ho-hun. 2004. “Joseon jeongi beopjeon-ui jeongbi-wa gyeongguk daejeon-ui seongnip” (Improvement of Codes in the Early Joseon Period and the Enactment of the Gyeongguk daejeon). In Joseon geonguk-gwa gyeongguk daejeon cheje-ui hyeongseong (The Foundation of Joseon and the Formation of the Gyeongguk daejeon System). Edited by Oh Yeonggyo. Seoul: Hyean.
Jeong, Yag-yong. 1997. “Bangnye chobon in” (Draft for the Country’s Rites). In Gyeongse yupyo (Design for Good Government) 1. Translated by Yi Ikseong. Seoul: Hangilsa Publishing Co.
Jo, Jae-gon. 2003. “<Daehan Jekuk-ui Kukje-wa Gunsa-jedo(<Kukje> and Military Institution of Daehan Empire)” <History of Korea 42>. Gwachon: National Institute of Korean History.
Kim, Hongwoo. 2004. “Dongnip simun-gwa sahoe gyeyak” (The Independent and the Social Contract). Paper read at the Symposium “A Rereading of The Independent” jointly organized by the Society for Reading The Independent and The Institute of Korean Politics Criticism.
Moon, Joon-young. 1999. “Daehan jeguk-gi Hyoung-bup Dae-jon ui jaejonggwa- gaejong”(The Establishment and Revision of the Penal Code of the Tae-Han Empire). Korean Journal of Legal History 20. (The Korean Society of Legal History).
National Committee on Independence History. 1974. Samil undongsa jaryojip (March First Independence Movement). Vol. 4 of Dongnip undongsa jaryojip (A Collection of Materials on the History of the Korean Independence Movement). Seoul: National Committee on Independence History.
Oh, Yeong-gyo, ed. 2004. Joseon geonguk-gwa Gyeongguk daejeon cheje-ui hyeongseong (The Foundation of Joseon and the Formation of the Gyeongguk daejeon System). Seoul: Hyean.
Park, Byungho. 1974. Hanguk Bobjesago(Thinking on Korean Legal History). Seoul: Bobmunsa Publisher.
Park, Hyunmo. 2003. “Gyeongguk daejeon-ui jeongchihak: yechi gukga-ui inyeom-gwa silje” (Ideas and Practice of a State Ruled by Rituals). Hanguk jeongchi yeongu 12.2 (The Institute of Korean Political Studies, Seoul National University).
Park, Hyunmo. 2004. “Joseon wangjo-ui janggi jisokseong yoin yeongu 1: yugyojeok gongnon jeongchi-reul jungsim-euro” (A Study on the Factors Contributing to the Long-term Continuance of the Joseon Dynasty 1: Focusing on Confucian Consensus Politics). Hanguk hakbo 114. Seoul: Iljisa.
Seo, Yeong-hui. 2006. “Gukgaron-jeok cheungmyeon-eseo bon daehan jeguk-ui seonggyeok” (Characteristics of the Daehan Empire Examined in Terms of State Theory). In Daehan jeguk-eun geundae gukga-inga (Was the Daehan Empire a Modern Nation?), by Han Yeong-u and others. Seoul: Blue History.
Shin, Yong-ha. 2006. Dongnip hyeophoe yeongu (A Study on the Independence Club). Vol. 1. Seoul: Ilchokak.
Yi Uk. 2003. “Daehan jeguk sigi hwanguje-e gwanhan yeongu” (A Study of the Sacrificial Rite of Heaven in the Daehan Empire Era). Jonggyo yeongu 30.
Yi, Jung-hwan. 1993. Taengniji (Geographical Description of Korea). Translated by Yi Ik-seong. Seoul: Eulyoo Publishing Co.
Yi, Man-chae, ed. 1984. Chenjugyo jeonggyo bakhaesa: byeogwi pyeon (History of the Persecution of the Korean Catholic Mission: Byeogwi). Translated and annotated by Kim Si-jun. Seoul: Korean Association for Classics Education.
Yi, Min-won. 1989. “Daehan jeguk-ui seongnip gwajeong-gwa yeolgang-gwaui gwangye” (The Formative Process of the Daehan Empire and its Relations with the World Powers). Hanguksa yeongu (The Assoiation for Korean Historical Studies) 64.
Yi, Seong-mu. 1998. Joseon wangjosa 2: sukjong-eseo sunjong-kkaji (History of the Joseon Dynasty 2: From the Reign of King Sukjong to the Reign of King Sunjong). Seoul: Dongbang Media.
Yi, Won-taek. 2003. “Daemyungnyul: gyeongguk daejeon cheje-ui han uik” (Daemyungnyul: The Right Wing of the Gyeongguk daejeon System). Hanguk dongyang jeongchi sasang sahakhoe sosik (Bulletin of the Society for the History of Korean and Asian Political Thoughts) 2003.
Yi, Yun-sang. 2006. “Daehan jeguk-ui gyeongje jeongchaek-gwa jaejeong sanghwag” (The Daehan Empire’s Economic Policies and Financial Situation). In Daehan jeguk-eun geundae gukga-inga, by Han Yeong-u and others. Seoul: Blue History.
Yun, Chi-ho. 1926. “Dongnip hyeophoe-ui sijong” (Servants of the Independence Club). Sinmin 14 (June 1926).
Yun, Chi-ho. 1975. Yun Chi-ho ilgi (Diary of Yun Chi-ho). Vol. 4. Gwacheon: National Institute of Korean History
- Downloaded
- Viewed
- 0KCI Citations
- 0WOS Citations