Categorization of Civil and Military Yangban Official Posts in Late Joseon

Siljik was a regular post given based on Munsan-gye rank system and Musan-gye rank system with actual tasks receiving regular stipend. It embraced the characteristics of bonjik, nokjik, functional post, and regular post while their opposite gyeomjik, murokgwan, nominal post as gunjik, and temporary post gagwan was not included in siljik. Sanjik operated only in military posts, which was mostly gyeomjik with actual duties. Sanjik differed from siljik in that most of them were gyeomjik, and differed from gunjik in that they had actual tasks. However, in a sense that sanjik was also given according to Musan-gye rank system, it also belonged to jeongjik. Therefore, sanjik was one of the military post’s jeongjik, distinct from japjik․siljik․gunjik․heojik. In a broad sense, jeongjik was an opposite concept to japjik, referring to every civil and military post given by Munsan-gye and Musan-gye rank system. This definition of jeongjik encompassed gyeomjik, gunjik, murokgwan, and gagwan as well as siljik. In a narrow sense, jeongjik shared the same notion with siljik where gyeomjik, gunjik, murokgwan, and gagwan were not included. Cheajik was a post where several officials held one vacant position in turn and received their stipend only when they were at work. This was implemented in order to distribute limited amount of posts to the increasing number of public official candidates as much as possible. Cheajik was not separate from jeongjik or siljik but any posts regardless of siljik, gunjik, jeongjik or japjik, as far as it possessed official stipend, could be operated as cheajik. Gaseoljik was an additionally established post besides the limited number of civil and military posts. It took up the same official title stated by law. Gaseoljik operated in several ways: it was established when necessary and thereafter abolished; it was additionally established besides the limited number of posts and became a regular one; it was assigned to a temporary post. Depending on where it would be additionally established, it was possible for any posts including silgwan, gyeomgwan, and gagwan. Gwonseoljik was a temporary post established to perform certain tasks for the time being. Unlike gaseoljik, therefore, it did not take up the existing title stated by law but made their own title, which would naturally disappear after the task was done. Gwonseoljik could either be established with the gwonseol public office or without it only as a post. Every gwonseoljik operated as a gyeomjik. In sum, civil and military yangban posts in late Joseon largely consisted of jeongjik given by Munsan-gye and Musan-gye rank system, japjik given by Japjik-gye rank system, and togwanjik given by Togwanjik-gye rank system. Among them, jeongjik included siljik, a regular post with stipend; stipendless posts as gyeomjik and murokgwan; additionally established posts as gaseoljik and gwonseoljik. Gunjik and sanjik was also included in the military post’s jeongjik. Cheajik was established to pay stipend to those unsalaried officials and thus any posts with enough finances, regardless of siljik, gunjik, or japjik, were able to be operated as cheajik. Since cheajik was an idea for the operation of posts, it could not be used as a comparative concept to jeongjik.