460 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
21st Day (Pyŏngsul)
The king ordered Yi Kŏin to resume his duty.There was a rumor that the government prohibited the people from raising
chickens, dogs, and horses that are white in color.23rd Day (Muja)
The Office of the Inspector-General impeached Ch’oe Kŭng, director of the
Criminal Administration Bureau in the Board of Punishments. At first, Pak
Inŭl, section chief of the Board of Punishments, had secretly changed some
words in litigation documents, and, upon discovering this, Kŭng impeached
him. Inŭl became furious and ran to the house of Kŭng. He found Kŭng
engaged in hearing lawsuits; nevertheless, he insulted him in front of people.
As a result, it happened that the Office of the Inspector General impeached
Inŭl together with Kŭng.24th Day (Kich’uk)
The king ordered the inspectors and censors not to wear headbands with jade.26th Day (Sinmyo)
Sim Hyosaeng,^106 minister of personnel, entertained the king.Pak Kyŏng, inspector-general, submitted a memorial to the king: “Since pub-
lic office is a public instrument (konggi), the official appointment must be
made based on the virtue of the candidate and nothing else. Following in the
footsteps of the previous dynasty, our government has appointed officials
according to their rank, and therefore no one is supposed to be appointed
or promoted by skipping ranks, unless he is indisputably distinguished in
talent and virtue.
“Concerned about the royal guards who might have been left out from
getting their just rewards, Your Majesty wanted to establish sinecure- Sim Hyosaeng (1349–1398): an official of late Koryŏ and early Chosŏn. He was the
father- in- law of Crown Prince Pangsŏk and killed during the First Strife of Princess in 1398.
He also served as pacification commissioner of Kyŏngsang Province and assistant director of
the Security Council.