A Study on The Operation of Sunggyngwan(成均館) Wonjeom(圓點) Policy and Gwansi(館試) during The Reigns of King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo

Abstract

This study focuses on understanding the operations and the changes of Sunggyngwan(成均館) Wonjeom(圓點) policy and Siknyeonsi(式年試) Gwansi(館試) during the Reigns of King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo(1724-1800). In king Yeongjo's reign, there were a few Saengwon(生員) and Jinsa(進士) that had filled the criteria of 300 points in Wonjeom in Sunggyngwan which were the standard of taking Gwansi, so the criteria was reduced temporarily and consistently for Gwansi’s conduct. Since enacting new rules about the operation of Sunggyngwan in king Yeongjo's 18th year(1742), the reduced criteria of Gwansi in Wonjeom was fixed 50 points which was the standard of taking the writing test in Sunggyngwan, a kind of Gwasi(課試). Through this rule, the center of mass of Wonjeom moved on Gwasi from Gwansi. King Jeongo made new rules about the operation of Sunggyngwan Wonjeom in his reign’s 1st year(1777) which demanded Saengwon and Jinsa to fill Wonjeom more tightly for taking the writing test in Sunggyngwan than King Yeongjo’s. In the same year, he made Saengwon and Jinsa of Sunggyngwan who met the standard of Gwansi take the other test and consquently didn’t conduct Gwansi. Since then Gwansi had not be conducted. As a result Wonjeom was more connected with Gwasi than Gwansi. During the Reigns of king Yeongjo and king Jeongjo, Wonjom became closer to Gwasi through these procedures.