The Transformation of Revenge Discourse from King Seonjo to King Yeongjo: From Moral Duty to Political Rhetoric

This study analyzes the transformation of discourse on revenge from the reign of King Seonjo to King Yeongjo in the Joseon dynasty, through the framework of a shift “from duty to politics.” During the Imjin War under King Seonjo, revenge was driven by ethical values such as filial piety and loyalty. As the enemy was clearly defined and shared by the people, officials, and the monarch alike, the state was able to institutionalize the desire for revenge, even envisioning the formation of a “revenge army” as a feasible collective project. However, under King Hyeonjong, this discourse reached a turning point. The case of Kim Mangyun reveals a conflict between the private duty to avenge one’s grandfather and the public duty of loyalty to the Joseon state, which maintained tributary relations with the Qing dynasty. The resulting debate over public versus private righteousness (公義 vs. 私義) illustrates that revenge was no longer a purely moral obligation, but rather a matter of political judgment involving diplomacy, national loyalty, and individual ethics. By the time of King Yeongjo, revenge was no longer discussed as a practical or moral issue. Instead, the term bokguseolchi (復讐設置, institutional revenge) had been repurposed as a rhetorical tool within partisan strife, used to assert political legitimacy. Thus, revenge discourse in the late Joseon period evolved from a concrete social duty into a politicized concept, reflecting broader shifts in the political and ethical sensibilities of the era. This study aims to trace the internal transformation of the concept of revenge and its role as a discursive instrument throughout this period.