19세기 류후조의 중앙정계진출과 정치활동

Abstract

Nakpa Ryu Ho-jo(洛坡 柳厚祚) was the first member of Namin in Yeongnam(嶺南南人) that held office as a minister in 170 years since Gapsulhwanguk(甲戌換局1694). He had his practical abilities recognized through his activities as a local government official, attracting attention from power politicians. He passed the state exam in the Mungwa in 1858(ninth year of King Cheoljong''s reign) when he served as a Busa in Gangreung(江陵府使) and immediately entered the central political arena. After King Gojong ascended to the throne, he was selected by Daewongun(大院君) and then appointed to Right Uijeong and Left Uijeong by the king. The academic circles have tended to examine his political activities and the backgrounds behind his selection as a minister within the framework of “Daewongun’s policy of engaging Namin members.” This tendency has failed to highlight Ryu’ individual capabilities as a government official. That is, it has become a general understanding that Ryu was selected passively by Heungseon Daewongun as part of his talent engagement policy to secure the Namin of Yeongnam as his supporters. This study examined closely Ryu’s activities as a local government official before Daewongun seized power as there had been little attention to his activities during the period. The study analyzed the process of Ryu entering the central political arena based on various historical materials and reviewed again the reasons why Daewongun paid attention to Ryu by connecting them to the fierce political situations during the period of power politics. Furthermore, the study highlighted Ryu’s diverse capabilities by describing how he worked hard to obtain international information in Qing, focusing on the abilities of Ryu from an objective perspective. It is not possible to explain Ryu’s entry into the central political arena and appointment as a minister only with his family backgrounds behind the Ryu family of Pungsan(豊山柳氏) and his political backgrounds behind the Namin of Yeongnam. The ruling forces needed Ryu''s family and political backgrounds to achieve their political goal of mustering the power of Confucian scholars in the Yeongnam region. His backgrounds would not, however, have been highlighted without his practical abilities and realistic judgment as a government official. More complete historical meanings can be attached to him only after total consideration into his practical abilities as a local government official, the attention he got from the forces of power politics and Daewongun in the political dynamics, and a series of activities that he engaged in during the ruling of Daewongun. Ryu was one of the politicians to represent the 19th century, meeting the needs of the times as a member of Namin in Yeongnam.