정조의 日次殿講 운영

Abstract

日次殿講은 국왕이 성균관과 사학의 유생들을 궁궐로 불러 시행하던 講經 시험이다. 17세기부터 연 6차례 시행이 정례화되었지만 실제로는 그 명맥만을 유지해 왔을 뿐이다. 정조는 抄啓文臣制를 도입한 후 일차전강을 복구하는 한편 새로 齋任殿講과 上齋生應製를 도입하며 운영의 변화를 꾀하였다. 일차전강은 성균관 課試 중에서도 정조가 특별히 심혈을 기울인 시험이기도 하였다. 그렇다면 정조는 이 시험을 통해 어떤 효과를 기대하였던 것일까? 정조대 일차전강은 외형상 이전의 제도를 복구한 것이지만 실제로는 새로운 제도를 창안한 것이나 다름없었다. 이전에는 성균관 下齋生과 사학의 齋生을 주대상으로 하였지만 정조는 上齋生과 사학의 齋任을 주대상으로 삼았다. 정조대 일차전강은 講經生과 製述生이 이원화된 가운데, 제술생인 경화 엘리트를 대상으로 시행한 강경시험이었다. 정조는 이 시험을 통해 경화 엘리트들을 강경과 제술을 겸비한 인재로 배양하여 등용하고자 하였다. 정조대 일차전강은 초계문신제와 짝을 이루는 시험이었다.

The Regular Palace Oral Examination(Ilchajeongang) was an oral examination by the king at the palace to test students from National Confucian Academy and Four National Affiliated Schools. Since 17th century it was regularized to hold the exam 6 times a year, but in reality it was barely operated. Having adopted the Chogyemunsin system, king Jeongjo restored the Regular Palace Oral Examination and newly introduced the palace oral examination for student representatives and a writing test for students from National Confucian Academy. The Regular Palace Oral Examination was the exam he most devoted himself to among various exams of the National Confucian Academy. Then what particularly did he expect from this examination? The Regular Palace Oral Examination during the reign of King Jeongjo was in appearance a restoration of the previous system, but actually it was none other than a creation of a new system. While the palace oral examination in the past was for irregular students of National Confucian Academy and students from Four National Affiliated Schools, King Jeongjo held the exam mainly for students who passed the Classics and Literary Licentiate Examination and student representatives of Four National Affiliated Schools. During the period when students for oral test and students for literary composition were largely separated, this Regular Palace Oral Examination was implemented as an oral test for capital elites who were students for literary composition. Through this examination, King Jeongjo aimed to cultivate those capital elites as talented people who possess the ability of both oral and writing and appoint them in office. The Regular Palace Oral Examination during King Jeongjos reign was an exam that went hand in hand with the Chogyemunsin system.