Hongmun'gwan (), or the Office of Special Advisors, was one of the

Three Offices of Joseon Three Offices, or ''Samsa'' (), is a collective name for three government offices in the Joseon dynasty that functioned as major organ of press and provided checks and balance on the king and the officials. These were Sahŏnbu (), Saganwŏn (), ...

; it acted as the

Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

dynasty's administrative and research agency.

History

Hongmun'gwan was one of the

Three offices of Joseon Three Offices, or ''Samsa'' (), is a collective name for three government offices in the Joseon dynasty that functioned as major organ of press and provided checks and balance on the king and the officials. These were Sahŏnbu (), Saganwŏn (), ...

, together with the Saheonbu and the Saganwon. It was also known as the ''Ok-dang'' (옥당, 玉堂), ''Ok-seo'' (옥서, 玉署), and ''Yeong-gak'' (영각, 瀛閣). It was established in 1463 to replace the

Hall of Worthies The Hall of Worthies, or Jiphyeonjeon (; ), was a Korean royal research institute during the Joseon period. It was founded by King Sejong the Great in the 3rd month of 1420, and dissolved in the 6th month of 1456. The Hall of Worthies is known f ...

(Jiphyeonjeon·집현전). The Hall of Worthies was the body originally tasked with answering the kings' questions, however it was abolished in 1456 by

King Sejo Sejo (; 7 November 1417 – 23 September 1468), personal name Yi Yu (), sometimes known as Grand Prince Suyang (), was the seventh monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of Sejong the Great and the uncle of King Danj ...

; when many of its key officials (the "

Six martyred ministers The six martyred ministers or Sayuksin () were six ministers of the Joseon Dynasty who were executed by King Sejo in 1456 for plotting to assassinate him and restore the former king Danjong to the throne. The Six were Sŏng Sammun, Pak Pae ...

") became involved in an assassination plot in their effort to restore deposed king Danjong to the throne. The books stored in the Hall of Worthies were moved to Yemungwan. In 1463, the

Jangseogak Janseogak () is a Korean history archive operated by the Academy of Korean Studies near Seoul, South Korea. The collection focuses on works dealing with traditional Korean history and culture, and has its origins in the royal library once held at ...

was renamed the Hongmun'gwan. In 1478, Hongmun'gwan was divided and reformed from Yemungwan. Hongmun'gwan maintained the books of the royal library, archived the kings writings. It also served as a research institute in the study of Confucian philosophy and to answer the king's questions. Its officials took part in the daily lessons called ''gyeongyeon'' (경연), in which they discussed history and Confucian philosophy with the king. Gyeongyeons generally took place three times a day although few kings such as

Taejong Taejong (; 16 May 1367 – 10 May 1422), personal name Yi Pangwŏn (), was the third monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea and the father of Sejong the Great. He was the fifth son of King Taejo, the founder of the dynasty. Before ascending t ...

and

Yeonsangun Yeonsangun or Prince Yeonsan (; 23 November 1476 – 20 November 1506), personal name Yi Yung (), was the 10th monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. Often considered the worst tyrant in Joseon's history and perhaps all Korean history, he is ...

abolished them. Since these discussions often led to commentary on current political issues, its officials had significant influence as advisors. It was headed by the Chief Scholar (Daejehak·대제학), who served concurrently in another high post (such as in the State Council), and Deputy Chief Scholar (Bujehak·부제학), who actually ran the office. There was great prestige attached to being Chief Scholar in this deeply Confucian society. After the Seongjong period, Hongmun'gwan also acted on inspections and remonstrations. The Hongmun'gwan was abandoned in 1907.

References

Archives in South Korea Government agencies of Joseon {{Korea-hist-stub