Seungjeongwon
Encyclopedia
Seungjeongwon was the Royal Secretariat during the Joseon Dynasty
of Korea
(1392 - 1910) in charge of receiving and delivering the king's order. The office was also called Jeongwon, Huwon, Eundae, or Daeeonsa. According to the Gyeongguk daejeon
(Complete Codes of Law), the Seungjeongwon had 6 Royal Secretaries (Seungji 承旨), whose ranks were in the 3rd senior grade, as well as two recorders (juseo 注書). The duties of the royal secretaries were primarily to deliver the monarch’s orders to government organizations (under the Joseon administrative system the monarch never delivered his orders directly to any government office) and to report on official affairs of the state organizations to the throne. The six secretary system is explained by the fact that the government of Joseon was composed of six Boards (or Ministries). The six secretaries served respectively the Boards of Personnel, War, Taxation, Rites, Works, and Punishment. However, the secretaries were not limited to liaison work between the Six Boards and the monarch; they also reported to the king the business of all government offices, primary among these being the State Council (Uijeong-bu
), the Office of Censor-General (Saganwon), and the Office of Inspector-General (Saheon-bu). As the name implies, the primary duty of the recorders was to make a record of all the official business handled by the secretaries. As the work of the secretaries had to be conducted at all hours, and it was required that they have ready access to the monarch at all times, the office the Seungjeongwon was established within easy reach of the king at court.
The records of the Seungjeongwon were compiled into the Seungjeongwon ilgi
(Diary of the Royal Secretariat), which remains a primary source for the study of the Joseon dynasty.
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
of Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
(1392 - 1910) in charge of receiving and delivering the king's order. The office was also called Jeongwon, Huwon, Eundae, or Daeeonsa. According to the Gyeongguk daejeon
Gyeongguk daejeon
Gyeongguk daejeon is a complete code of laws that comprises every law, acts, customs, ordinances to have been released since the late period of the Goryeo Dynasty to the early Joseon Dynasty. It had been a basis for the over 500 years-long Joseon Dynasty in politics...
(Complete Codes of Law), the Seungjeongwon had 6 Royal Secretaries (Seungji 承旨), whose ranks were in the 3rd senior grade, as well as two recorders (juseo 注書). The duties of the royal secretaries were primarily to deliver the monarch’s orders to government organizations (under the Joseon administrative system the monarch never delivered his orders directly to any government office) and to report on official affairs of the state organizations to the throne. The six secretary system is explained by the fact that the government of Joseon was composed of six Boards (or Ministries). The six secretaries served respectively the Boards of Personnel, War, Taxation, Rites, Works, and Punishment. However, the secretaries were not limited to liaison work between the Six Boards and the monarch; they also reported to the king the business of all government offices, primary among these being the State Council (Uijeong-bu
State Council of Joseon
The State Council of Joseon or Uijeongbu was the highest organ of government under the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. It was led by three officials known as the High State Councillors...
), the Office of Censor-General (Saganwon), and the Office of Inspector-General (Saheon-bu). As the name implies, the primary duty of the recorders was to make a record of all the official business handled by the secretaries. As the work of the secretaries had to be conducted at all hours, and it was required that they have ready access to the monarch at all times, the office the Seungjeongwon was established within easy reach of the king at court.
The records of the Seungjeongwon were compiled into the Seungjeongwon ilgi
Seungjeongwon ilgi
Seungjeongwon ilgi or Diary of the Royal Secretariat is a daily record of Seungjeongwon, Royal Secretariat during the Joseon Dynasty of Korea , which records the king’s public life and his interactions with the bureaucracy on a daily basis...
(Diary of the Royal Secretariat), which remains a primary source for the study of the Joseon dynasty.