The Annals of King T\'aejo. Founder of Korea\'s Choson Dynasty - Byonghyon Choi

146 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o

Successful candidates must present detailed personal documents con-

cerning the three generations of their immediate ancestry, as they did in the

former dynasty [Koryŏ], and their documents must be approved by the

Censorate. Those who fail to pass any of these seven examination types

shall not be officially employed. Whenever the government recruits offi-

cials, the department concerned must examine closely the personal docu-

ments of the candidates and finally allow them to proceed to comply with

the procedure for the approval of the Censorate.

The rules for evaluating local magistrates were established. The term of the

magistrates of small or large local districts is basically thirty months. When

their term expires, they are to be replaced by successors who are of a similar

rank or transferred to other posts with promotion. They are to receive the

government stipend based on the number of months they have served. If

they are found to be avaricious, cruel, and violent, or incompetent and weak,

or lazy and foolish, and thereby appear to be incapable of discharging their

duties properly, the provincial governor makes an investigation and dis-

misses them. Then he selects men of integrity and talent among the unem-

ployed sons of former central officials (hallyang) and lets them carry out the

duties of the magistrate on a temporary basis, reporting their names to the

king. If he finds that their job performance is outstanding, he recommends

them to the government so that they can be officially hired.

The Supreme Council requested the abolition of the Directorate for the

Tripitaka (Taejang togam).^118

5th Day (Kabin)

The Privy Council requested the abolition of the Festival of Eight Vows

(P’algwanhoe) and the Lotus Lantern Festival (Yŏndŭnghoe).^119

118. A temporary agency established during Koryŏ in order to produce Tripitaka Koreana,
     or “Eighty-Thousand Tripitaka.”


119. P’alg wanhoe and Yŏndŭnghoe were the largest Buddhist festivals observed on the
     fifteenth of the eleventh month and on the fifteenth of the first month, respectively. Combined
     with indigenous practices, the king and his subjects entreated the various Buddhas and the
     spirits of Heaven and Earth to bring peace to the nation (Ki-baik Lee, pp. 132–3). The request
     of the Supreme Council to abolish these Buddhist festivals reflects the shift from Buddhism to
     Neo-Confucianism as the national ideology of the Chosŏn dynasty.