The Competence of Civil Officials and Military Command In the Early Goryeo Period

This study examines the specific actions of civilian officials in commanding military operations during the early Goryeo period and how these actions were understood by people of the time. Civilian officials, as members of the command structures of expeditionary armies(出征軍) and regional defense units(兩界), planned and executed military operations. Afterward, they either directly administered rewards and punishments based on the successes and failures observed during the operations or requested recognition and penalties from the central authority. At the time, commanders were required to possess “MunmuJiJae(文武之才)”, a quality understood as the aptitude enabling effective military performance. MunmuJiJae was a quality that stemmed from literary aptitude, exemplified by the act of reading books, which enabled the acquisition of military knowledge and its application to the military domain, specifically the conduct of military operations. While military officials were also thought to possess “MuJae(武才)”, this referred to physical and technical attributes, such as martial arts, which were distinct in nature from the intellectual and mental qualities associated with MunmuJiJae.