804 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
difficult to distinguish right from wrong as far as the situations of people
are concerned. Nevertheless, the officials in charge of handling punish-
ments are only eager to establish their reputation in discharging their duties,
disregarding the importance of human life. Consequently, they interrogate
a suspect in every way possible, carrying out all kinds of torture that are not
authorized by the law, and the suspect dies of merciless beating even before
his crimes are fully investigated and decided. If a suspect dies during the
process of interrogation, it is certainly wrong. Even if he is a real thief, it is
still problematic if he dies without confessing his crime. Even worse, if an
innocent man loses his life in such legal proceedings, how can his griev-
ances and complaints be regarded as a trivial matter?
“We request that the law officials who are both in the capital and the
provinces be allowed to torture the suspects only in accordance with the
law and prohibited from carrying out all corporal punishments except those
permitted by the law. Even if torture is authorized by law, it should not be
applied more than three or four times a day. Always watching the words and
face of the suspect closely, the interrogator should only discriminate truth
from falsehood based on evidence, not reckless beating.”
Finding the request reasonable, the king sent it to the Privy Council so
that it could be implemented both in the capital and the provinces.The king ordered the Office of the Inspector-General that, after the morning
audience, officials should go to work in their respective offices, and those
who have other things to do in different places should first report to the
Office of the Inspector-General before they attend to their business. Before
sunrise, the king returned to the inner royal hall and sat down to have a
drink on the terrace, calling Left and Right Chancellors Chŏng Tojŏn, Count
of Ponghwa, and Nam Ŭn, Lord of Ŭisŏng. Everyone became drunk, and
the king, also under the influence, discussed the incidents related to founding
the new dynasty as well as his mistake in forgiving Ch’oe Unhae.^2028th Day (Kyemyo)
Military training was carried out at the state ranch in Yangju according to
the Diagram of Troop Dispositions.- Ch’oe Unhae was the military commissioner of Kyŏngsang Province who rendered
great service in repulsing the Japanese marauders, and the king repeatedly bestowed rewards