Jeong Jung-bu

From New World Encyclopedia
Jeong Jung-bu
Hangul 정중부
Hanja 鄭仲夫
Revised Romanization Jeong Jung-bu
McCune-Reischauer Chŏng Chungbu


Jeong Jung-bu (1106 – 1179) was a medieval Korean soldier cum dictator during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). He is most noted for leading, together especially with Yi Ui-bang (이의방, 李義方), a coup d'état in 1170, the Musin Jeongbyeon (revolt of military officers). King Injong was exiled and the puppet Myeongjong (명종, 明宗) installed on the throne. These events initiated a hundred-year military reign in Goryeo.


In 1177 the young general Gyeong Tae-seung rose to power and began an attempt to restore the full power of the monarch and purge the corruption of the state. However, he died in 1184, and was succeeded by the son of a slave Yi Uuimin. His unrestrained corruption and cruelty led to a coup by a more traditionalist general, Choi Chungheon, who assassinated Yi Uimin and took supreme power in 1197. For the next 61 years, the Choe house ruled as military dicators, maintaining the supreme kings as puppet monarchs; Choe Chungheon was succeeded in turn by his son Choi U, his grandson Choi Hang and his greatgrandson Choi Ui. On taking power, Choi Chungheon forced Myongjong off the throne and replaced him by Supreme king Sinjong, but after Sinjong died he forced two further kings off the throne until he found the pliable Supreme king Gojong.


Governance

With Jeong, Yi increased the size and power of the military and attracted military-class administrators to the regime and appointed these men to national offices which were previously reserved for scholar-class ministers. In 1173, when a scholar-class minister Kim Bo-Dang attempted to restore disposed king Uijong to the throne, Yi decisively slew the former king, preventing any further restoration attempts. With this merit, he was further promoted to Commander of Land Troops.

During his co-governance with Jeong, Yi also faced a series of Buddhist Monk uprisings from different shrines around the nation. As Goryeo was officially a Buddhist nation since Wangkon's unification of Korea, the Buddhists had great influence upon the government and most Goryeo kings appointed official Buddhist Great Monk advisors to assist in national administration. Due to the increasing Buddhist uprisings, Yi himself commanded his forces to put down these rebellions and raid Buddhist shrines. With his powerful forces, he swept the nation and raided and pillaged these shrines.

At this time, Cho Wi-Chong (조위총; 趙位寵), a general of the North-Western border attempted to start a rebellion. Yi responded by murdering favorers of this rebellion such as Yun In-Mi (윤인미;尹仁美), who was of Seogyung birth. Due to this action, Yi lost support and favors from the people, and when he attempted to put down this rebellion, he failed.

Downfall and death

Yi, attempting to put down Jeong and gain more power, tried to appoint his daughter as Royal Prince consort, an action which did not fulfill objective but instead further endangered Yi's political situation. Due to this action, the 2nd Cho Invasion force, led by Jeong Jung-bu's son Jeong Gyun subsequently murdered Yi Ui-Bang and his supporters and removed his daughter from the royal family. However, soon enough, Jeong Jung-bu was also murdered and the young and righteous dictator Kyung Dae Seung took power.

Legacy

General Yi Ui-Bang's main legacy remains in the balance that was achieved through the purging of scholars during his c-governance with Jeong. Before the arrival of Yi, the scholar class had more influence in the government to the extent that the warrior-class was greatly mistreated. With the changing of kings and shifting of power from scholar-class to warrior-class, Goryeo faced a new era. A final and very important legacy is his connection with the founder of the Joseon kingdom, Yi Songgye. Yi Ui-Bang's younger brother Yi In was a 6th generation ancestor of Yi Songgye, thus connecting Yi Ui-Bang and Yi Songgye together.



Early Life

Jeong was born in 1106; he learned martial arts and military tactics early on. He was reported to have been a seven-foot giant with great confidence and, more than his fellow soldiers, intelligence. He qualified in the military section of the civil service examination and made the army his career. He was a diligent soldier and his loyalty earned him the trust of the king. He was promoted through the ranks to general, and Chief of General Staff.

Background

The Goryeo Dynasty was founded as a Buddhist nation. Buddhist morality is underpinned by the principles of harmlessness and moderation, and Goryeo was governed in its early period under a policy that put civilian authority over military. This policy benefited the dynasty well during its early days, and many civilian officials were also able military commanders, such as Gang Gam-chan and Yun Gwan. As time passed, however, army officers came to be seen and treated as servants or even slaves of the civilian officials and royal advisers. King Mokjong, not long after a major invasion into Goryeo by nearly a million Khitan forces in Manchuria, in 998 had placed the military under civilian control. In such tense times this caused a coup d'état by General Gang Jo and triggered another massive invasion from the north. In 1014 military officers were angered at being unpaid that year because the government ran out of funds after having to pay civilian officials first; Generals Choi Jil and Kim Hoon attempted but failed a military rebellion. Later the government went so far as to close the military academy. Army officers suffered more and more as the their treatment harshened and their position in society and in public affairs eroded over the 11th and 12th centuries.

It is worth noting that the horseback warrior class among the northern Khitan, Jurchen and Mongol peoples who invaded Goryeo many times were by no means treated with contempt. This may have had to do with the degree to which Buddhist values were imbued in their leaderships and populations in those Manchurian regions; comparatively, rooted as it was in the glory of Shilla, Buddhism flowered to a very high crest on the Korean Peninsula.

The Coup

In 1167 during a royal banquet of King Uijong, Kim Don-jung, son of powerful aristocrat Kim Bu-sik (author of the Samguk Sagi), singed Jeong's long beard with a candle, and mocked him and the whole military. The incident incensed him and other officers against the arrogant aristocrats and civilian officials.

In 1170, King Uijong went to his villa to rest and to hold another feast. He conducted a martial arts competition; a young soldier won and Uijong praised him. Some of the court advisors and eunuchs challenged General Yi So-eung, in his late 50s, to face the champion, around 20. The old general fell to the ground, and a young civilian official Han Roe insulted the general, even slapping him in the face in front of the king and fellow officers. General Jeong could not tolerate Han's attitude and knocked him out. The incident triggered a littany of grievances harbored by the military to explode; younger officers, of note Colonels Yi Ui-bang, Yi Go and Chae Won, urged Jeong to launch a coup against the entire government and the king. Jeong first refused but later agreed to rebel. Under his order in the name of commander-in-chief, the entire army rose against the government. Most of the king's advisers including Kim Don-jung and Han Roe were killed and King Uijong was sent into exile. Jeong set a puppet on the throne, King Myeongjong.

However, after the coup d'état in 1170, the leaders of the revolution began to feud; Generals Yi Go and Chae Won were killed by General Yi Ui-bang for treason. Then Yi visited Jeong, who adopted him as a son, only for a while. In 1173, a survived civilian official Kim Bodang rebelled in northeastern border, trying to restore the civilian order under deposed King Uijong. Yi Ui-bang decided to assassinate Uijong; and after he killed the ex-king, Yi put down the rebellion, which put Yi on the peak of the power. Then Yi began to oppress Buddhism and Confucianism, executed many civilian administrators and scholars, raped royal family members and forced the Crown Prince to marry his daughter. His despotic reign caused the grief of many people, and finally in 1174, a chain of rebellion that lasted for 50 years began in Pyongyang by Cho Wi Chong. Yi Ui-bang sent massive troops to put down the rebellion.

General Jeong, who promoted himself as Prime Minister, decided to put an end on Yi's reign of terror; he ordered his son, Jeong Kyun and his son-in-law, General Song You In, to kill Yi Ui-bang. Yi was finally murdered by Jeong Kyun, and the power passed to Jeong Jung-bu. Jeong continued to fight against rebels in Pyongyang; however, slaves and people of lowest class of present-day Gongju rebelled against the government. Jeong managed to crush the uprising of Cho, and entered negotiation with outcast rebellion leaders Mang Yi and Mang So Yi, but as the official army continued its campaign against the uprising, Mang brothers revolted again. They were executed in 1177, ending the rebellion; but many other impoverished people continued to revolt against the government.

With the law and order crumbling over the whole nation, Jeong decided not to retire from politics even though he was at his late 70's. His son Jeong Kyun, backed by his powerful father, committed bribery from many officials who tried to gain more power and support from the reigning family; even Jeong's servants and slaves took bribes from politicians and brawled with some of them on the street. Politics drifted toward iniquity, and many people thought another coup d'état was necessary to put an end on Jeong's unjust rule; and in the end, General Kyung Dae Seung, the youngest general of Goryeo army, revolted against Jeong in 1179, murdering Jeong Kyun and Song You In. Jeong Jung-bu was arrested for corruption and treason, and executed in public few days later.

Notes


See also

  • Goryeo
  • List of Korea-related topics


Preceded by:
King Uijong
Military Leader of Goryeo
1170–1179
Succeeded by:
Gyung Dae Seung

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