The tension between the kingship and moral authority in the early Jungjong’s reign

This paper examines the aspects of the expansion of King Jungjong's kingship without real power and the problems encountered in the process. By eight years of King Jongjung's reign, most of core jeonggug-gongsin died, and the influence of the gongsin in the government had weakened. And there is no political group that can lead politics. King Jungjong expanded the kingship by actively promoting the reconstruction of moral social order. Restoration of righteous governance meant a return to the predecessor’s politics, and indeed such steps were taken. As a result, with the beginning of King Jungjong’s reign, the power structure centered on cheongyojik, which had been under way since King Seongjong's reign, has been rebuilt. At the same time, the press was reactivated. With the activation of the press, daegan has take sole possession of moral authority. And this meant that cheongyojik was able to take the initiative on various issues. The reinstatement of soleung by eight years of King Jongjung’s reign is an interesting event in which the kingship and moral authority clashed. The reinstatement of soleung was to admit that Jungjong himself, a descendant of king Sejo, had problems with the legitimacy of Sejo. Nevertheless, King Jungjong had no choice but to reinstate the soleung. For the daegan oppressed the King Jungjong through public opinion. Moreover, a sudden bolt of lightning hit Jongmyo was issued. In the end, Restoration of righteous governance can be called a re-entry into a conflict structure in which moral authority constantly presses the authority of a monarch. Thus, the monarch had no choice but to find a way out of this situation. The so-called ‘sahwa’ was born at this point.