The major prestigious family’s trend in jeonju region in 18th centry
Authors:   The Bukak Historical Society, Oh Kyung-teak 
Published: January 2024

During the Joseon Dynasty, Jeonju was considered important with the founding of Joseon because it was the head of Jeolla－do and the birthplace of the royal family. Accordingly, this study examined the activities of the major prestigious families in the Jeonju region, organized into Jeonju and its jurisdiction, under the Tangpyeong political situation in the 18th century, focusing on their activities to enter politics.
The prestigious family whose prosperity is notable in the 15th century includes the Jeonju Choi, Jeonju Lee, Jeonju You, and Yeosan Song who were natives, and the Munhwa Yoo who were immigrants. In the 16th century, Jeonui Lee, Jinju So, Naju Na, and Dongrae Jeong who moved to this area around the end of the Goryeo Dynasty and the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty emerged as new major prestigious families. In particular, the two prestigious families, the Jeonui Lee, and the Jinju So, produced outstanding talents such as Lee Gye－maeng and the So Se－ryang, So Se－yang brothers contributing to the spread of Sarim in the local community and played the leading role of Honam Sarim’s entry into politics. Even in the 17th century, the Jeonui Lee and Jinju So families were the most active prestigious families in the region, and we can see the Hansan Lee and Jincheon Song families, as the new immigrant prestigious families, joining the ranks of the major prestigious families in the Jeonju region.
In the 18th century, the Joseon Dynasty faced a political situation that was different from before with the emergence of a new political ideology called Tangpyeong politics. After entering politics, members of the prestigious society in this region also acted according to their own political judgments and beliefs. To identify the categories of the major prestigious families in the Jeonju area in the 18th century, investigated the status of civil service examinations for each prestigious family, the listing of people in the 『湖南邑誌』, and the status of Seowon and Sawoo’s ancestral rites to identify 3 native families and 4 immigrants families. It can be summarized into a total of 7 families. Among these 7 families, the argument was developed focusing on the Jeonui Lee families, Jincheonsong families, Dogang Kim families, and Namyang Hong families which can be seen to have entered politics and been active in detail.
Among the prestigious families in the Jeonju region in the 18th century, the particularly noteworthy family is the Jeonui Lee family, which produced as many as seven people who passed the civil service exam. They are descendants of the Changsu, and at the beginning of their careers, they generally served as civil servants. Afterward, they actively participated in making decisions on major political issues, such as serving as Seungji, a myopic position, and as Ijochampan, who oversees personnel affairs. In particular, Moksan Lee Ki－gyeong, a writer of Doam Lee Jae, criticized King Yeongjo's policy of tangpyeong and personnel policy and maintained Euli Tangpyeong, and was eventually sent into exile for criticizing Yeongjo's 『Yugonrok』. In addition, we can pay attention to the activities of Lee Yeon-deok, who was recognized for his outstanding ability in the field of music, and Lee Seong-eok, who played an active role as a government official during King Jeongjo's reign.
Next, the Jincheon Song and the Dogang Kim also produced four and three people who passed the civil service examination respectively. So, they were positioned as a prestigious family in the Jeonju area during this period. In particular, Song Su－hyeong, a descendant of Pyoong Song Yeong－gu, was recognized by King Yeongjo for his ability as an outstanding government official. On the other hand, although the Dogang Kim family did not have any wise men, Kim Do-eon made a great contribution in subduing the key figures of the rebels during the Musin Rebellion and was listed as the 1st class Yangmuwonjong Gongsin.