BCJ Chapter 250

In the 13th year of Sejong’s reign (1431, Sinhaenyeon), as soon as January began, the royal court moved busily.

It was busy because it was the start of the new year, but also because the reorganization of the government was finally being implemented.

“First, change the State Council to the Ministry of State Affairs. Its role is overall command of state affairs.”

Starting with the change of the State Council, Sejong changed the structure of the government.

It was a change that could be called nothing short of “unprecedented.”

-Change the State Council to the Ministry of State Affairs.

-Rename the Chief State Councilor to Prime Minister, and the Second State Councilor and Third State Councilor to Left and Right Deputy Prime Ministers.

-The role of the Ministry of State Affairs is to oversee the work of administrative organizations and coordinate work conflicts between departments.

-Change the Ministry of Personnel to the Ministry of General Affairs.

-The role of the Ministry of General Affairs is to oversee administrative affairs throughout Joseon.

-Exclude education, taxation, justice, military affairs, and public order from the administrative affairs directed by the Ministry of General Affairs.

-Change the Ministry of Taxation to the Ministry of Finance and Economy.

-Separate budget-related affairs from the Ministry of Taxation.

(omitted below)

According to such policies, the Six Ministries that had been modeled after the systems of Chinese states like Tang and Song had to go through a chaotic process of changing names and being divided and merged.

These changes simultaneously drew the welcome and opposition of working-level officials. However, most officials were in a welcoming mood like those of the Ministry of Rites.

As the Ministry of Rites was divided into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education, most officials belonging to the Ministry of Rites welcomed the reorganization.

“Yesterday I dealt with foreign affairs, and today I dealt with education-related matters, but now I only have to deal with one.”

“Concentration will increase too… But the best part is…”

As the organization differentiated and work became specialized, officials had hope.

“Work intensity will definitely decrease, and overtime will definitely decrease too!”

Hearing the mood of these officials, Hyang chuckled and muttered.

“Will it really be like that?”

***

The core of the government reorganization carried out by Sejong was “differentiation,” “specialization,” and “clear specification of work areas.”

For example, in the case of the Ministry of Punishments (Hyeongjo), it was divided into the Ministry of Justice, the Police Agency, and the Court of Judgment, and their duties were separated. The Ministry of Justice was in charge of revising laws over time, examining the expiration of laws that had become dead letters, etc. The Police Agency was responsible for public order in Hanseong and throughout the country, and the Court of Judgment made judgments based on the law code.

By splitting one department into several in this way and clearly defining the work areas, officials came to have a clear grasp of the work they were in charge of.

***

Although the overall flow of the reorganization was “differentiation,” there were also places that were “integrated” on the contrary.

The places that were integrated in this way were the Censorate and the Office of Inspector General. Sejong integrated the Censorate and the Office of Inspector General to create an auditing organization called the “Board of Audit and Inspection”.

The duties of the Board of Audit and Inspection included inspecting government officials and investigating civil complaints filed by the people.

However, one duty was added that made not only government officials but even Hyang widen their eyes.

“Protection of whistleblowers?”

The law created by Sejong explicitly stipulated the state’s protection for those who reported for the public interest.

-An internal whistleblower who exposes corruption related to public service shall be promoted by a minimum of 2 ranks to a maximum of 3 ranks according to the severity of the report. In addition, retaliatory measures such as demotion to idle posts are prohibited.

All of these measures shall be reported to the king.

The reason for establishing such methods was to prevent ostracism and the like against internal whistleblowers.

If there was no change in rank or only one rank was raised, it was clear as day that they would be ostracized. However, if raised by about 3 ranks, they could not be treated recklessly.

On top of that, even if the rank was raised, to prevent retaliation by sending them to idle posts, all measures were to be reported to the king.

Such protection for internal whistleblowers was also clearly applied to the private sector.

-In civil affairs, a person who reports for the public interest shall receive personal protection by law.

The state shall investigate the situation every 6 months and report to the king to ensure that the whistleblower does not suffer disadvantages in making a living.

In addition, even if it is not a regular investigation period, the state shall investigate the situation and report to the king whenever the king commands.

If it is confirmed that a public interest whistleblower is receiving unfair treatment, the state must severely punish the perpetrators.

Because the Board of Audit and Inspection was given such powerful authority, strict criteria were also set for personnel selection.

A person who has worked in a practical administrative organization for 10 years or more, has excellent work evaluations, and is clean and honest.

A person who has worked for 6 months or more after passing the state examination, is physically and mentally healthy, diligent, and clean and honest.

In simple terms, auditing duties were entrusted to those who had worked in practical organizations for 10 years or more, knew the work well, and had no scandals, or to diligent and sincere new recruits who had just passed the state examination.

Of course, as the reports submitted in writing could not be completely trusted, officials belonging to the Board of Audit and Inspection secretly monitored the candidates.

Sejong additionally used secret inspectors.

However, Sejong did not stop there.

-A person who exposes corruption within the Board of Audit and Inspection shall be promoted by a minimum of 3 ranks to a maximum of 5 ranks.

It was a preemptive measure to prevent corruption among officials of the Board of Audit and Inspection through mutual inspection within the Board of Audit and Inspection.

Regarding this action, quite a few officials opposed it as being too harsh, but Sejong enforced it as is.

“If you do not commit corruption, it doesn’t matter, does it?”

At Sejong’s point, the officials had to shut their mouths.

Of course, it was natural to also clearly stipulate punishment for false accusations.

Those who recklessly made false accusations would at minimum face ruin of their family, and if severe, had to perform hard labor in mines for 10 years or more.

***

Lee Jik, who was examining the matters related to this government reorganization, clicked his tongue and muttered.

“I wonder what expression Lord Ryu Jeong-hyeon would have had if he had seen this.”

“Shh!”

“Ahem!”

As Maeng Sa-seong warned while looking around, Lee Jik coughed exaggeratedly and shut his mouth.

The change that occurred through the reorganization carried out by Sejong was the “transfer of royal authority.”

Important state policies were decided in the “State Council Meeting” attended by the king, the prime minister and deputy prime ministers of the Ministry of State Affairs, and the ministers of each department.

Of course, this was something that had been done before as well.

It was precisely the morning court that Sejong and the ministers held every day by gathering at Geunjeongjon Hall.

However, what had fundamentally changed was explicitly stipulating that “policies shall be decided through meetings and consultations between the king and officials.”

On top of that, personnel authority for each department was transferred to each department and the Ministry of General Affairs. Each department would send personnel transfer-related matters to the Ministry of General Affairs, and the Ministry of General Affairs would compile them and report to the king.

The king only had to confirm this.

As the mighty authority of personnel rights was transferred, responsibility also became heavy.

If corruption was detected through the Board of Audit and Inspection or internal whistleblowing and facts were confirmed, the future of those involved was one of two things.

Confiscation of property followed by exile to the Records Office, or confiscation of property followed by exile to the mines.

Although Sejong transferred a significant portion of power to the government through various provisions and policies, he firmly held on to what he deemed absolutely necessary.

It included the independent operation rights of royal assets, the operation authority of the Board of Audit and Inspection, and the authority to reject budget execution.

Sejong, who had preemptively stipulated that “royal assets shall not be recklessly increased,” prevented interference in the operation of royal assets.

The Board of Audit and Inspection was the same. Although it was a won (院) lower than a seong (省) or bu (部), the head of the Board of Audit and Inspection attended the “State Council Meeting.”

In addition, by establishing the right to reject budget execution, he checked the arbitrariness of officials.

And he kept secret inspectors to the end, giving them the role of a “hidden blade.”

One of the reasons for insisting on the independent operation rights of royal assets was for the operation of these secret inspectors.

In this way, by protecting what needed to be protected and transferring what needed to be transferred, Sejong reduced the burden of work that he (the king) had to handle.

It was the perfect way to save face by holding officials accountable for the success or failure of policies while reducing his own workload.

The ministers were not unaware of this either. However, no fool would oppose the king sharing and transferring power.

“Knowing it’s a poisoned cup… We have no choice but to drink it!”

In the end, due to this situation, Lee Jik mentioned Ryu Jeong-hyeon. He became curious about what reaction Ryu Jeong-hyeon, who advocated for “harmony between royal authority and ministerial authority” and “republican politics,” would show.

‘Would he praise it as an ideal reform? Or would he curse it as turning a blind eye?’

It was the common thought of the senior ministers who knew Ryu Jeong-hyeon and those who had been purged along with him.

***

Meanwhile, Sejong summoned Hyang and asked for his impressions on this.

“What do you think?”

“It is something Father has done. How could I recklessly evaluate it?”

At Hyang’s answer, Sejong’s eyes narrowed.

“Answer properly, not with glib words.”

‘Tsk! Just let it slide for once! These days, the hurdles are getting higher and higher!’

Hyang, who had completely forgotten about the things he had done so far and was grumbling inwardly, cleared his throat and answered.

“An outstanding king would control his officials, an ordinary king would consult with his officials, and an incompetent king would be swayed by his officials.”

“Indeed. Then what should a king do?”

“Shouldn’t he ceaselessly strive to improve himself?”

“You know well.”

At Hyang’s answer, Sejong smiled inscrutably and replied.

However, the ministers who saw Sejong’s smile simultaneously had the same thought.

‘It’s a warning.’

‘It’s a warning.’

‘It’s a warning not to act recklessly and arrogantly just because he conceded power.’

‘Both His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince… At least until His Majesty hands over the throne to the Crown Prince, we won’t be able to make a move.’

The ministers who understood the warning conveyed by the conversation between Sejong and Hyang lightly shook their heads.

Hyang was the same.

‘Is it a warning to not pay attention to other things? Should I slowly give up my hobbies now?’

***

After that, the meeting continued with various agenda items. As the atmosphere of wrapping up slowly began to linger, Sejong suddenly threw an odd question at Hyang.

“By the way, Crown Prince.”

“Please ask.”

“I was curious about Westerners, so I read the books they wrote.”

“Yes.”

“But when I looked at those books, their calligraphy was peculiar. While we use the right-to-left vertical writing method, they write horizontally from left to right. What do you think is the reason for that?”

“Isn’t it because the characters they use are suitable for horizontal writing?”

“Is that so? Then which do you think is more comfortable to look at?”

At Sejong’s question, Hyang shut his mouth.

After arranging his thoughts for a moment, Hyang opened his mouth and answered Sejong’s question.

“Generally, when a person examines objects, they largely look at the whole, then examine from left to right, and then from top to bottom. In that case, wouldn’t horizontal writing from left to right be slightly more comfortable?”

“Why is that? I see. Let’s end it here for today.”

Nodding at Hyang’s answer, Sejong ended the meeting.

Hyang, who came out, tilted his head.

“Why is that? And why so suddenly?”

But a sense of crisis he couldn’t explain brushed past his spine.

Meanwhile, the historian who recorded all these events added the following:

-The historian says:

Why?