[Times] Prosecution reform and Yesong controversy, different but similar

During the reign of King Hyeonjong of Joseon, factional fighting over mourning clothes and attacks on one's own side

Old hardliners criticize President Lee every day... “We must take care of the people’s livelihood first.”

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Senior Reporter Kim Jae-hyeon = When King Hyojong passed away in 1659, the Westerners and Namin had a etiquette debate (yesong) over whether his stepmother, Lady Jaui, should wear mourning clothes for one year or three years. Hyojong was the second son who ascended to the throne after the death of Crown Prince Sohyeon, the eldest son of King Injo.

Seoin, led by Uam Song Si-yeol, said that since he was the second son, one year would be enough based on the logic of 'Cheonhadongrye (天下同禮)', which states that the etiquette of kings and noblemen is the same. On the other hand, Namin countered that the king's etiquette should be 3 years equivalent to that of the eldest son, based on the logic of 'Wangjaryebudongsaseo', which states that the king's etiquette is different from that of the noblemen. Yesong ended with the victory of the Seoin and led to the downfall of the Namin.

Fifteen years later, when Queen Inseon, Queen Hyojong's wife, died, Queen Dowager Jaui's mourning clothes became an issue again. Seo-in said that although she was the mother of the state, she was the second daughter-in-law, so she had to wear it for 9 months, while Nam-in insisted that she wear it for 1 year because she was the king's wife. The Seoin advocated the logic of maintaining the consistency of etiquette, but were attacked for lowering the legitimacy of Hyojong and the status of the royal family. King Hyeonjong, who had grown in power for 15 years, sided with Namin, causing Seoin to be overthrown and Song Si-yeol to go into exile.

Afterwards, the black-and-white logic of good and evil became prevalent in the government, labeling one's own party as a nobleman and the other party as a lesser person. He attempted to separate orthodoxy from heresy with a single phrase from the scriptures and drive the other party out of the government. During the reign of King Hyeonjong's son, Sukjong, the conflict intensified due to bloody politics of return to the country.

There was also division within the ruling party. Seoin split into Noron and Soron due to generational and academic differences in the strong-on conflict over the punishment of Namin. The fight to kill the opposing faction spread into a vicious cycle of division and retaliation that even targeted one's own side.

The division of the current ruling party over prosecution reform is reminiscent of the Yesong controversy during the reign of King Hyeonjong. They claim to be orthodox on reform and define even small disagreements as betrayal. The angry expression, saying, "I was deceived by the president," overlaps with the excitement of saying, "I will bite your ear off" toward the theory of internal compromise during the 2004 National Security Act abolition scandal.

If the conflict over political routes turns into a fight that turns one's side into an enemy, the foundation of the regime is bound to be shaken. Even during the Roh Moo-hyun administration, the rise of hardliners and the struggle for party leadership led to a crushing defeat in the election. When I look at the plosive sounds in my passport now, I can see that familiar path. If you get drunk on the applause of your own camp and criticize compromise as betrayal, the distance between you and the people will grow further.

Yesong was a life-or-death battle for the factions, but the people suffering from famine and plague desperately needed immediate meals. Now, the ruling party seems to be prioritizing the pedigree and signature of reform rather than the people's dinner table.

There are even saying, “If things continue like this, Seoul will be destroyed and the general election will be a disaster.” Without going back to the Roh Moo-hyun administration, you can understand what is important now just by recalling the memory of the defeat suffered by the Moon Jae-in administration.