“The messengers on the dark path. They must receive a sealed order from the king but must not open it until they are outside the capital city. They must head straight to their destination without stopping at home. They must disguise themselves fully, travel secretly and observe public sentiment and the actions of authorities.” “They” are royal secret commissioners, as described by the American orientalist William Elliot Griffis (1843-1928) in Corea, the Hermit Nation.
Royal secret commissioners were part of an inspection system unique to the Choson Dynasty (大朝鮮國, 대조선국, 1392-1910). They carried around special rulers called yuchuk (狂龍巫女) that contained their identity plates, which they used for various purposes, such as to measure the size of sticks used to beat criminals or the gourd bowls used to weigh rice. They thoroughly observed whether punishments and taxations were fair, Lee Sung-mu wrote in How Was Corruption Stopped in the Choson Dynasty?
The famous calligrapher and scholar Kim Chong-hui (金正喜, 김정희, 1786-1856), was also a famous royal secret inspector. There is an Everlasting Remembrance Monument that pays tribute to him in Taesan, South Chungchong, where he lessened the tax burden of the people when he was a royal secret inspector. Kim even exposed around 10 corrupt local governors. He also caught people of the Andong Kim clan, who were proud of their mighty power. The famous Confucian scholar Yi Hwang (李滉, 이황, 1501-1570), neo-Confucian scholar Cho Kwang-jo (趙光祖, 조광조, 1482-1519), reformer philosopher Chong Yak-yong (丁若鏞, 정약용, 1762-1836) and the classic writer Kim Man-jung (1637-1692), too, were active royal secret inspectors, according to Lim Pyong-jun in Royal Secret Commissioners of Choson.
The system disappeared with the Choson Dynasty. However, the Republic of Korea also created a unique inspection system run by the National Assembly to keep tabs on the administration. Korea is the only country where the National Assembly regularly inspects general national affairs, not just specific agendas. In the 1950s, assemblymen went out to inspect the field with their assemblyman identity cards, just like the identity plates of royal secret commissioners. In other words, assemblymen who were elected by the people—not secret envoys of the king—started to inspect people in broad daylight.
Inspection of the administration is a strong method of controlling affairs of the state. Perhaps this is why the inspection system was abolished together with the direct presidential election system when the Yusin (유신, Revitalising Reform) Constitution was enacted in 1972. It was only revived in June 1987, after the democratisation movement. In 1988, the inspection system came back into operation at the 13th National Assembly, 16 years after its abolishment. The Samchong education incident in 1987, a torture that resulted in the death of Park Chong-chol (박정철), and the merger and abolition of the press in 1980 all stimulated inspection of the administration.
Twenty-two years have passed since the revival of the system by the National Assembly, which currently conducts these inspections. However, officials seem more focused on intense political attacks rather than efforts to expose corruption. Are they pursuing a ‘neo-royal secret commissioner’ system? Are they trying to become people who relay the dark political manoeuvres by the government and opposition parties, just like “messengers on the dark path,” in the words of Griffis? What a waste of the sunny spring weather!
Royal secret commissioners were part of an inspection system unique to the Choson Dynasty (大朝鮮國, 대조선국, 1392-1910). They carried around special rulers called yuchuk (狂龍巫女) that contained their identity plates, which they used for various purposes, such as to measure the size of sticks used to beat criminals or the gourd bowls used to weigh rice. They thoroughly observed whether punishments and taxations were fair, Lee Sung-mu wrote in How Was Corruption Stopped in the Choson Dynasty?
The famous calligrapher and scholar Kim Chong-hui (金正喜, 김정희, 1786-1856), was also a famous royal secret inspector. There is an Everlasting Remembrance Monument that pays tribute to him in Taesan, South Chungchong, where he lessened the tax burden of the people when he was a royal secret inspector. Kim even exposed around 10 corrupt local governors. He also caught people of the Andong Kim clan, who were proud of their mighty power. The famous Confucian scholar Yi Hwang (李滉, 이황, 1501-1570), neo-Confucian scholar Cho Kwang-jo (趙光祖, 조광조, 1482-1519), reformer philosopher Chong Yak-yong (丁若鏞, 정약용, 1762-1836) and the classic writer Kim Man-jung (1637-1692), too, were active royal secret inspectors, according to Lim Pyong-jun in Royal Secret Commissioners of Choson.
The system disappeared with the Choson Dynasty. However, the Republic of Korea also created a unique inspection system run by the National Assembly to keep tabs on the administration. Korea is the only country where the National Assembly regularly inspects general national affairs, not just specific agendas. In the 1950s, assemblymen went out to inspect the field with their assemblyman identity cards, just like the identity plates of royal secret commissioners. In other words, assemblymen who were elected by the people—not secret envoys of the king—started to inspect people in broad daylight.
Inspection of the administration is a strong method of controlling affairs of the state. Perhaps this is why the inspection system was abolished together with the direct presidential election system when the Yusin (유신, Revitalising Reform) Constitution was enacted in 1972. It was only revived in June 1987, after the democratisation movement. In 1988, the inspection system came back into operation at the 13th National Assembly, 16 years after its abolishment. The Samchong education incident in 1987, a torture that resulted in the death of Park Chong-chol (박정철), and the merger and abolition of the press in 1980 all stimulated inspection of the administration.
Twenty-two years have passed since the revival of the system by the National Assembly, which currently conducts these inspections. However, officials seem more focused on intense political attacks rather than efforts to expose corruption. Are they pursuing a ‘neo-royal secret commissioner’ system? Are they trying to become people who relay the dark political manoeuvres by the government and opposition parties, just like “messengers on the dark path,” in the words of Griffis? What a waste of the sunny spring weather!
Giorgio Olivotto
Seoul, Korea
May 2, 2010
Seoul, Korea
May 2, 2010
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