[Opinion] Politics Without 'Tangpyeong'

To the left of the entrance of Sungkyunkwan University in Jongno-gu, Seoul, there is a Bigak (碑閣, a pavilion built to protect a monument from wind and rain). Inside the Bigak is the Tangpyeongbi (蕩平碑). It is a place that anyone involved in politics or dreaming of politics must visit.

The person who erected the Tangpyeongbi was King Yeongjo, who reigned the longest among Joseon kings (52 years). He ascended the throne on August 30, 1724. Having experienced the fierce factional strife between the Noron and Soron factions even before becoming king, he made the eradication of factional strife the top priority of state affairs. Just four months into his reign, in January 1725, he declared that those who formed factions would not be allowed to participate in government, announcing the policy of Tangpyeong (蕩平, appointing talents evenly from each faction to eliminate the harm caused by factionalism). This was the beginning of 'Tangpyeong,' the key keyword throughout his reign.

"~ The harm caused by factions (朋黨) has never been worse than it is now. At first, disputes arose within Confucianism, but now people on the other side are all labeled as traitors (逆黨). The harm of factions has worsened to the point where they have become mortal enemies trying to kill each other. Ah! It pains my heart. How can the royal law be enforced only after one side is completely destroyed? ~" he once issued a royal decree showing his strong will to eradicate factional strife.

King Yeongjo erected the Tangpyeongbi in 1742 (the 18th year of Yeongjo's reign). The monument is inscribed with the following words: ‘周而不比乃君子之公心 (ju i bul bi, nae gunja ji gongshim: To associate widely without forming cliques is the mind of a noble person) 比而不周寔小人之私意 (bi i bul ju, sik so in ji sa ui: To form cliques without associating widely is the selfish intention of a petty person).’ Yeongjo excluded the hardliners of the Noron and Soron factions from government and instead promoted the Wannon (緩論, moderate faction). Although there were limitations in fundamentally resolving factional strife, Yeongjo stabilized the political situation through 'Tangpyeong.' This led to Jeongjo’s 'principled Tangpyeong,' which opened the golden age of late Joseon.

Today’s politics reminds us of the Joseon era when factional harm was severe. Politics is conducted on the premise of killing the opponent to survive. The ruling and opposition parties are engaged in petty rivalry. Divided into factions, they overlook and defend their own side’s mistakes, while magnifying and attacking even the smallest faults of the opposing side. It is rare to find someone who speaks of morality (道義, the proper principles to uphold and practice). The same goes for appointments. Only people from one’s own side are appointed to key positions. Openly, terms like ‘Pro-Yoon (친윤, pro Yoon Seok-yeol)’ and ‘Pro-Myeong (친명, pro Lee Jae-myung)’ are mentioned. The moderate faction’s influence is shrinking while hardliners dominate. ‘Tangpyeong’ has long disappeared from politics.

Single-party opening, single-party legislation... unprecedented situations continue in the political arena. The misfortune is that this is not the end but the beginning. The second half of the political year, including special prosecutor bills, contentious bills, regular sessions, and budget sessions, is at a standstill. As factional strife reaches its extreme, it is a crisis for parliamentary democracy and the nation. It would not be surprising if even worse situations arise. What sin have the people committed that they must endure this extreme, confrontational politics indefinitely? Facing the Tangpyeongbi, this thought arises: politics without ‘Tangpyeong’ cannot open the future.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.