The Yŏngŭijŏng () or Chief State Councilor was a member of the State Council of Joseon and the highest government position in the Joseon period of Korean history.Choi (2006), The Origin of the Roman Catholic Church in Korea p. 375 The Yŏngŭijŏng held roles similar to a modern-day prime minister of a presidential system. As the senior member of the Chief State Council, the Yŏngŭijŏng participated in the administration of general government affairs alongside the Chwaŭijŏng and Uŭijŏng.
The title was created in 1400 with the creation of the State Council. Existing for over 500 years, the function was handed over in 1895 during the Kabo Reform to the newly-formed position of the Prime Minister of the Korean Empire. Only one official, usually an elder who had previously served as Chwaŭijŏng, was allowed to assume the position of Yŏngŭijŏng. The Yŏngŭijŏng was also referred to as Yŏngsang (), Sangsang (), Sugyu () or Wŏnbo ().
Although the title of Yŏngŭijŏng was legally defined as the highest post in charge of all state affairs, its practical roles and powers shifted drastically throughout history as the roles of the State Council were not clearly defined in the Kyŏngguk taejŏn. During the early years of Joseon, the Yŏngŭijŏng saw limited roles in government as the Six Ministries reported directly to the king.
History
Establishment Upon its founding in 1392, the state of Joseon initially inherited the state structure of its predecessor Goryeo (918–1392). In 1400, the second year of his reign, King Jeongjong reformed the ("Privy Council"), which was previously the supreme administrative body of the Goryeo dynasty, to the State Council. The head of the State Council was given the title "Yŏngŭijŏng pusa" (). As both functions of the State Council got stronger and its system was further revised, "Yŏngŭijŏng pusa" was renamed to "Yŏngŭijŏng" in a firm establishment of the office.
In 1466, the position was officially put in statutory form with the finalization of the Kyŏngguk taejŏn. The Yŏngŭijŏng title was generally conferred on a senior minister who had previously served as Chwaŭijŏng (Left State Councilor),Choi (2006), The Origin of the Roman Catholic Church in Korea p. 372 a post immediately below that of Yŏngŭijŏng but higher than that of Uŭijŏng (Right State Councillor). The three councilors were collectively known as the "Chŏngsŭng" (), or "Samŭijŏng" ().
Changes in the role Until April 1436, the 18th year of Sejong the Great's reign, Chwaŭijŏng and Uŭijŏng concurrently served as Panijosa (判吏曹事) and Panbyeongjosa (判兵曹事) respectively, so that they governed personnel affairs of the yangban (the literary and military nobility).
Yŏngŭijŏng continued to exist as an honorary post, and so only managed to contemplate and adjust diplomatic documents or re-examine the cases of condemned people.
However, when Hwang Hŭi was appointed as "Yŏngŭijŏng pusa" in that same year, Sejong modified the government system to strengthen the power of Chŏngsŭng from the Six Ministries centered system. With the reform, Sejong noted that a situation in which three highest senior advisors could not participate in the state affairs contravened the original intention to have them as the high state councillors.
During the reform, Six Ministries conferred with the State Council regarding the responsibilities of each minister. The State Council discussed the legitimacy of the issues and then reported to the king. After receiving an approval from the king, the State Council returned to Yujo to enact the assigned affairs. As a result, Yŏngŭijŏng came to participate more actively in the representative work as the head of the State Council. However, other ministerial duties, such as those of the ministries (Ministry of Personnel) and (Ministry of Military Affairs) to implement personnel management, Pyongjo's mobilization of soldiers, (Ministry of Punishments)'s right to handle all criminals other than condemned people, were still directly operated by the related ministers.
When Prince Suyang usurped the place of his nephew, King Danjong, the function of Yŏngŭijŏng was relegated to its previous powerless position. This was because when the King Sejo was still a prince, his actions were greatly restricted by his political rivals, Yŏngŭijŏng, Hwangbo In and Chwaŭijŏng, Kim Chongsŏ. So during the reigns of King Seongjong and Jungjong, there were several proposals to restore the former powers of the State Council, but those suggestions were not implemented.
Major affairs of the state were discussed when Bibyeonsa was established in 1558 (during the 10th year of King Myeongjong's reign). The three High Councillors attended meetings only as "Tojejo" (Supreme Commissioner). So the power of Yŏngŭijŏng tended to be increased or decreased, depending on the political atmosphere of the times, such as the degree of the king's power, the relationship between the State Council and Six Ministries, the establishment of the Border Defense Council, the later administration of Kyujanggak (the Royal Library), the conflicts between political parties, and the advancement of "in-law government" (), among others. Regardless, the title "Yŏngŭijŏng" continued as the apex in the bureaucratic system throughout the entire Joseon period.
List of Joseon Yŏngŭijŏng
Monarch PortraitName Term of OfficePolitical Faction Notes Ref.Took officeLeft officeTime in officeTaejong (1400–1418)이서李舒31 August 140128 May 1402이거이李居易28 May 140220 December 1402성석린成石璘20 December 14023 May 1403조준趙浚12 August 1403 21 July 1404 Cho Chun served as Left State Councilor from 21 July 1404 to 23 February 1405; he then served a second term as Yeonguijeong until his death on August 1 of the same year.23 February 14051 August 1405성석린成石璘6 August 140515 August 1407이화李和15 August 14078 February 1408Voluntarily retired on 8 February 1408하륜河崙March 17 140827 September 1409이서李舒27 September 140926 November 1409하륜河崙26 November 14095 October 1412성석린成石璘5 October 141215 May 1414하륜河崙15 May 14142 July 1415성석린成石璘8 December 141529 June 1416남재南在29 June 141629 November 1416류정현柳廷顯29 November 141617 July 1418한상경韓尙敬17 July 141811 October 1418 Taejong of Joseon abdicated from the throne on 18 September 1418.Sejong (1418–1450) -심온沈溫11 October 141811 January 1419류정현柳廷顯11 January 14198 October 1424이직李稷8 October 142427 June 1426While Yi Chik's position was transferred to Left State Councilor on 27 June 1426, the Veritable Records provide no mentions of his successor.구종길仇宗吉1426?1431?While Ku Chonggil is recorded to have served as Chief State Councilor from 1426 to 1431 in genealogy records, there are no mentions of him in any official annals of the Joseon dynasty.황희黃喜17 October 143130 October 1449Longest-serving Chief State Councilor.하연河演30 October 144918 August 1451 Sejong died on 8 April 1450.Munjong (1450–1452) -황보인皇甫仁29 November 145119 November 1453 Munjong died on 10 June 1452.Danjong (1452–1455)Hwangbo In was murdered on 19 November 1453 during Yi Yu, Grand Prince Suyang's coup against his nephew Danjong.이유李瑈20 November 14534 July 1455On 4 July 1455, Yi Yu and his associates exiled Danjong's last supporters and forced the young king to abdicate. He would assume the throne the same day.Sejo (1455–1468)정인지鄭麟趾3 August 14557 March 1458Hungu정창손鄭昌孫20 January 145931 January 1459HunguChŏng Ch'angson voluntarily resigned from Chief State Councilor, insisting that he complete his late mother's funeral rituals.강맹경姜孟卿9 December 14594 June 1461HunguKang Maenggyong died on 4 June 1461.정창손鄭昌孫16 June 146116 June 1462Hungu신숙주申叔舟26 June 14629 June 1466HunguThe title Yeonguijeong-busa was renamed to Yeonguijeong during Sin Sukchu's first term as Chief State Councilor.구치관具致寬9 June 14665 December 1466Hungu한명회韓明澮5 December 146618 May 1467Hungu황수신黃守身18 May 146730 June 1467Hungu심회沈澮30 June 146716 October 1467Hungu최항崔恒16 October 146716 January 1468Hungu조석문曺錫文16 January 146813 August 1468Hungu이준李浚13 August 146812 January 1469 Sejo died on 2 October 1468Yejong (1468–1470) -박원형朴元亨12 January 146912 February 1469HunguDied in office한명회韓明澮13 February 14696 October 1469Hungu홍윤성洪允成6 October 146915 May 1470Hungu Yejong died on 9 January 1470.Seongjong (1470–1495) -윤자운尹子雲15 May 147013 December 1471Hungu신숙주申叔舟13 December 14711 August 1475HunguDied in office정창손鄭昌孫11 August 147520 April 1485HunguVoluntarily resigned from office.윤필상尹弼商21 April 148516 December 1493HunguVoluntarily resigned from office.이극배李克培23 December 149323 April 1495Hungu Seongjong died on 29 January 1495.Yeonsangun (1495–1506) -노사신盧思愼23 April 149512 or 13 October 1495HunguImpeached and removed from office신승선愼承善30 October 149510 May 1497Hungu한치형韓致亨18 May 150012 November 1502HunguDied in office.성준成俊10 February 150327 May 1504Hungu류순柳洵5 June 1504 (?)19 November 1509Hungu Ryu Sun was likely appointed Chief State Councilor on 5 June 1504, when Right State Councilor Hŏ Ch'im was replaced with Pak Sungchil. Ryu is first mentioned as Chief State Councilor on 18 June.Jungjong (1506–1544)Yeonsangun abdicated on 28 September 1506.박원종朴元宗19 November 150923 April 1510Hungu김수동金壽童23 April 151027 August 1512HunguDied in office류순정柳順汀24 November 15125 February 1513SarimDied in office성희안成希顔16 May 15136 September 1513HunguDied in office송질宋軼3 December 151316 August 1514Hungu류순柳洵28 October 151417 May 1516Hungu정광필鄭光弼20 May 151617 January 1520Hungu김전金詮13 March 15209 March 1523SarimDied in office남곤南袞13 May 152320 April 1527SarimDied in office정광필鄭光弼24 November 152730 June 1533Hungu장순손張順孫30 June 153327 October 1534HunguDied in office한효원韓效元3 January 153511 February 1535Hungu김근사金謹思7 May 153511 December 1537HunguImpeached and removed from office윤은보尹殷輔13 December 15373 August 1544HunguDied in officeInjong (1544–1545)홍언필洪彦弼4 February 1545 (?)before 22 February 1545 (?)Ambiguous records.윤인경尹仁鏡26 February 15452 July 1548 Injong died on 17 August 1545.Myeongjong (1545–1567) -홍언필洪彦弼2 July 15487 March 1549Died in office이기李芑26 June 154928 September 1551심연원沈連源2 October 155114 June 1558상진尙震25 June 155819 February 1563윤원형尹元衡19 February 156319 September 1565이준경李浚慶19 September 156530 June 1571Sarim Myeongjong died on 12 August 1567.Seonjo (1567–1608) -권철權轍3 May 157320 October 1573Sarim이탁李鐸26 October 157311 May 1574Sarim홍섬洪暹11 May 15744 September 1574Sarim권철權轍5 October 1574August–September 1575SarimVarious records on specific dates of tenure during this period have been lost–see footnote.홍섬洪暹August–September 1575September–October 1576Sarim권철權轍September–October 1576September–October 1578SarimDied in office홍섬洪暹December 1578–January 1579March–April 1579Sarim박순朴淳March–April 1579January–February 1585Westerner노수신盧守愼May–June 1585June–July 1588Easterner류전柳琠March–April 15895 December 1589SarimDied in office이산해李山海Unknown11 June 1592Northerner이양원李陽元June 1592June 1592류성룡柳成龍June–July 1592July–August 1592Southerner최흥원崔興源July–August 159217 November 1593Southerner류성룡柳成龍19 November 15936 November 1598Southerner이원익李元翼6 November 159817 July 1599Southerner윤두수尹斗壽13 September 15996 November 1599Westerner이원익李元翼9 November 1599before 29 February 1600Southerner이산해李山海7 March 16009 June 1600Northerner이항복李恒福26 July 160024 March 1602Westerner이덕형李德馨26 March 16027 May 1604Southerner이항복李恒福16 May 160413 June 1604Westerner윤승훈尹承勳19 June 160415 January 1605Southerner류영경柳永慶24 January 160529 March 1608Smaller Northerner -Gwanghaegun (1608–1623)이원익李元翼29 March 160810 September 1609Southerner이덕형李德馨3 October 160930 September 1611Southerner이원익李元翼30 September 161119 July 1612Southerner이덕형李德馨4 September 161226 September 1613Southerner기자헌奇自獻27 February 16141 October 1617Bigger Northerner정인홍鄭仁弘12 February 161826 April 1619Bigger Northerner박승종朴承宗26 April 161913 April 1623Bigger NorthernerInjo