中宗初의 政治變化와 士林의 成長

The Political Changes of King Jungjong and Growth of Sarim people

As meritorious retainers who hold power through the dethronement of King Yeonsan by King Jungjong became weak, King Jungjong lost its political foundation. Thus he tried to pick up new figures in order to reinforce his position and found that Sarim people were suitable in morality for his purpose. The Sarim power laid the political base through appealing the restoration of deposed queen Shin in the 10th year of the reign of King Jungjong and carried out political reformation, containing conservative powers based on Sung Confucianism. Through executing Hyangyak they pursued the expansion of Sung Confucianism and the establishment of the autonomous order of local communities, and through executing Hyeonryanggwa and deleting false merits they undermined conservative powers. Reformation by the Sarim power, however, drove King Jungjong and conservative powers to tie with each other out of political crisis and finally ended in Gimyo Sahwa. Sarim people during the period from the early reign of King Jungjong to the early reign of King Seonjo grew politically, materializing the theory of Silsagusi (‘Seek truth from practice’) based on Sung-Confucian political thought. They can be regarded as the Sarim power in the 16th century. They left great influences on later political thoughts and reformations. Thus the Sarim power is extremely important in history.