Secret royal inspector
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Secret royal inspector | |
Hangul | |
---|---|
Hanja | |
Revised Romanization | Amhaengeosa |
McCune–Reischauer | Amhaengŏsa |
The secret royal inspector in
Position description
Generally, young officials (usually in their thirties) of low or middle rank were appointed as secret royal inspectors because they had to travel long distance for an extended period of time. Young officials were also more likely to have strong sense of justice and less likely to have personal connection with local officials. Even though secret royal inspector was a temporary position (and young men of lower rank were appointed to it), its authority was equivalent to a governor (highest-ranking local official) and he had the power to dismiss local officials including governor in the name of the king.
For their secret mission, they received a letter of appointment (bongseo, 封書, 봉서), a description of their destination and mission (samok, 事目, 사목), and "horse requisition tablet" called mapae(馬牌, 마패), which they used to requisite horses and men from a local station run by the central government. To ensure secrecy of the mission, a secret royal inspector could open bongseo only after leaving the capital. When they arrived at the assigned district, they surveyed the area in disguise. After the secret surveillance was completed, they revealed themselves by presenting mapae or bongseo and inspected the magistrate's office and records(Chuldu, 出頭, 출두). If they found cases that were unjustly judged, they presided in retrial(Eosa-Jegim, 御史題音, 어사제김) to redress wrongs. In the event of a severe dereliction of administrative duty by a magistrate, a secret inspector was authorized to seal the public assets surrounding the administrative offices(Bonggo, 封庫, 봉고) and suspend the magistrate's administrative privileges. After the completion of their mission, inspectors returned to the capital and presented a report to the king – detailing wrongs committed by former and active local officials, reporting on the mood of the populace, and recommending hidden talents for appointment and virtuous villagers for award.
The title is mentioned for the first time in 1555 during
The secret inspector system was very effective in reducing corruption in provinces, but it also had many problems. Many secret inspectors, such as Jeong Yak-yong, suffered political repercussions in the royal court from the magistrates they had prosecuted during their missions. In regional administrative offices, they sometimes faced threats from the corrupt local officials they had punished in the past.[1] In addition, secret royal inspectors had to pay expenses for the mission out of their pocket. Therefore, a secret royal inspector sometimes had to pose as a beggar more out of necessity than for sake of secrecy.[2] After Sukjong's time, secret royal inspector system was also abused as a weapon in factional fighting.
Since the Middle Joseon period, 613 secret royal inspectors went into action. Famous figures who served as secret royal inspectors include
"Undercover royal inspector" is more literal and accurate translation of Amhaeng-eosa, but it is more frequently translated as secret royal inspector. "Amhaeng" can be literally translated into "dark maneuver" but is usually translated into "undercover", and "eosa" can be translated into "government officer".
In popular culture
The position of secret royal inspector is prominent in the Korean folk tale of
References
- ^ "순조실록 32권, 순조 31년 4월 5일 정해 2번째 기사 1831년 청 도광(道光) 11년, 조중린과 이미옥의 사건을 박영원이 치계하니 이를 조사하여 관련자들을 처벌하다".
- ^ a b KBS, Neutinamu, Episode 151, Amhaengeusa[unreliable source?]
- ^ "[Photos] Script Reading Stills Added for the Upcoming Korean Drama "Blade of the Phantom Master"". HanCinema. October 13, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ Ahn Yoon-ji (October 6, 2021). "옥택연X김혜윤 '어사와 조이' 단체 포스터 공개..짜릿한 수사쑈 개막" (in Korean). Star News. Retrieved October 6, 2021 – via Naver.