The study about Reforms and Political Conflicts under the Reign of King Injong(1122～1146)

This thesis attempts to study the political history during the reign of King Injong after Yi Jagyeom’s Rebellion, and regard the question from the point of view of the government－administration strategy and reform strategy which responded to social changes. While Koryo in the middle period experienced social changes, especially going through Yi Jagyeom’s Rebellion and the diplomatic humiliation by Jurchen, the consciousness of crisis was rising and then political reactions started to appear as the reformist politics. The royal command for revitalizing reform was proclaimed in 1127 after the agreement of reform which was based on the political ideas of Hunyo and Shujing. Then, however, King Injong’s royal cronies joined with the Seogyong Party and tried to monopolize power while leading politics with the reformist policy based on Pungsu－Docham Theory. They proposed the reformist policy which enhanced the prosperity of the dynasty by religious and mystical methods, and pursued the national exploits, for example, the reestablishment as empire and the conquest of the Jurchen. They insisted that Daehwa Palace should be build in Seogyong and their king should go to the palace for national rehabilitation because the destiny of Koryo which had the main capital in Gaekyeong had decayed. They also tried to rationalize their assertions by actively using natural disasters and auspicious omens as support. Looking up to Myocheong, Baek Suhan and Jeong Jisang as saints, they tried to exercise influence all over the politics. However, Seogyong Party's intention of monopolizing power became clear and natural disasters more frequently occurred after building Daehwa Palace. Then bureaucrats who attached much importance to virtues such as humanity and justice in politics got to have power and set in to opposition. Kim Busik and Im Wan viewed natural disasters as the warning of the Heaven and underscored the political thought of Confucianism which stressed on king’s cultivation of morality and benevolent rule. And they enhanced the power of persuasion by offering the historical and empirical evidences about superiority of such politics. It could have been desirable to combine the consciousness of crisis and the desire for reform provided by Pungsu－Docham Theory with the Confucian rationalism. The two parties, however, were in conflict each other due to pursuing monopolizing power. Eventually, it led to Seogyong Revolt. After the war, Kim Busik and his party led politics, and Koryo Munbeol society became stabilized relatively. However, they failed to provide the efficient countermeasures for pending issues of social and economic problems.