The Yeongnam area turned out so large a number of Confucian scholars
and public officials that there came about such a common saying as 'half
the conspicuous scholars and public officials came from the Yeongnam
area. From the standpoint of economy, rice transplantation was
disseminated, and wide farming fields and a lot of human power were
favorable to culturing intellectuals of Confucian learning. Academic
development in the area formed circles of pupils centering around Jongjik
Kim, Hwang Yi, Gu Jeong, and Hyeonil Yi, thus establishing a foothold
for working for the national government. However, there has been no
research on successful applicants for the national civil service examination
in the Yeongnam area. This is thought to be due to the opinion that the
national civil service examination was taken advantage of to reinforce the
political power of the Noron Faction as successful applicants for the
national civil service examination were concentrated in particular families
in the late Joseon Dynasty. Thus this study focuses on the general aspects
of successful applicants for the national civil service examination, their
growth and decline according to political fluctuations, and their politicalmarginalization.
This study investigates the number of successful applicants for the
national civil service examination in the Yeongnam area and how many
examinations they took. From the total of 445 national civil service
examinations, 1766 people succeeded. On average, one applicant coming
from the Yeongnam area passed the national civil service examination
every other year. This number of successful applicants is second only to
Seoul. Referring to the sections of the examination, people from the
Yeongnam area mainly passed the triennial examination (Siknyeonsi) and
an examination in honor of the enthronement of a king (Jeunggwangsi).
This was because it was easy to prepare for these examinations, and
many people could apply for local examinations as the first-step to success
in the national examination. From the 15th to the 17th century, a lot of
applicants from the Yeongnam area passed national examinations. In the
18th century the number of successful applicants for the national
examinations sharply declined,. And in the 19th century the number of
applicants who passed the national examinations returned to the levels in
the 15th to 17th century. Contrary to existing opinions, the Yeongnam area
consistently turned out successful applicants for the national civil service
examinations despite political fluctuations. An investigation of personal
histories of those who passed the national civil service examination showed
that a larger number of successful applicants did not take official positions
than those who were appointed as public officials. According to an
investigation, lower administration offices (Gun and Hyeon) and regions of
smaller economic scales turned out as many successful applicants for the
national civil service examination as higher administrative organizations
(Bu, Mok and Dohobu). This was affected by the existence or
nonexistence of gentry families. Referring to its relations to families, 237
families in the Yeongnam area turned out successful applicants for the
national civil service examination. In the early Joseon Dynasty, a large
number of families turned out successful applicants for the national civil
service examinations, but in the late Joseon Dynasty, the number offamilies that turned out successful applicants declined.
The results of this study about the aspects of successful applicants for
the national civil service examination in the Yeongnam area are organized
as follows. Firstly, though the number of successful applicants in the area
of Yeongnam temporarily declined in the 18th century, the region still
turned out a large number of successful applicants up to the late Joseon
Dynasty. Centering around the circles of students under the influence of
Hwang Yi and GU Jeong, many intellectuals from the Yeongnam area
were employed by the national government in the 16th and 17th century.
Afterwards, through the Revolt of Injwa Yi, the number of successful
applicants from the Yeongnam area sharply declined. But in the 19th
century, the number rose to the levels before the 18th century. Ruling by
king-commissioned power and Heungseon Daewongun's taking of power
changed the political direction of the national administration that centered
around the Noron Faction. Namin people from the Yeongnam area were
welcomed by the national government. They led the Confucian students'
collective plea to quench Prince Sado's bitter vexation and were against
the reception of Western culture and materials.
Next, according to the political fluctuations of the times, the characteristics
of successful applicants for the national civil service examination changed.
In the 16th and 17th century, successful applicants from the Yeongnam
area were people mainly from the circles of students under the influence of
Hwang Yi and Sik Jo. Inhong Jeong of the Nami School was in conflict
with the members of the Toegye School, leading to the decline of
influence of the Nami School through the enthronement of King Injo after
deposing King Gwanghae. On the other hand, the Toegye School
strengthened its influence with the power of Seongryong Ryu and Mok Jo
who came from Andong. A circle of students under the influence of Gu
Jeong thrived around Sangju. Gu Jeong integrated two school branches of
great Confucian scholars, Hwang Yi and Sik Jo, and he was more flexible
than Seongryong Ryu and Mok Jo of the Toegye School. However, as the
influence of Seoin people was gradually strengthened and arguments overtheories of manners came about, Hyeonil Yi stood out. Accordingly, many
of the Confucian students belonging to the circle under the influence of
Hyeonil Yi passed the national civil service examination, and were
appointed to work for the national government. In the 19th century, the
number of successful applicants for the national civil service examination
increased again. A close investigation of those successful applicants
showed that they belonged to certain families rather than particular circles
of students under the influence of great Confucian scholars. Most of them
were descendants of the following prestigious families: Hwang Yi's family
from Jinseong, Eonjeok Yi's from Yeoju, Hyeongwang Jang's from Indong,
and Seongil Kim's from Uiseong.
This was intended to exert influence on the Yeongnam region by
appointing and utilizing descendants of symbolic valued persons in the
community rather than members of circles united politically and
ideologically. At this time, descendants of principal families of Namin
people in the Yeongnam area passed the national civil service examination,
raised the status of their families, and tried to recover the tarnished
reputation of the Yeongnam area.
Finally, many of the successful applicants from the Yeongnam area were
not appointed to important official positions. In the 16th and 17th century,
many of those successful applicants were appointed to important official
positions such as the Inspection Office of Royal Speeches and Writings,
the Recording Office of the Royal Government, and the Ministry of
Education and Library. These were institutions favorable to appointment as
Dangsanggwan of a high rankng public official. However, the number of
figures who were appointed to elite courses decreased, and the number of
public officials appointed as Dangsanggwan of a high ranking public official
also decreased. Even public officials who were appointed as Dangsanggwan
were designated to honorary positions rather than to ones that could exert
actual power. Political marginalization of people from the Yeongnam area
was more conspicuous in their appointment as public officials than in
passing the national civil service examination.

‘인재의 절반이 嶺南에서 나온다.’라고 불릴 정도로 嶺南은 많은 학자와 관료들을 배출한 지역이다. 경제적으로는 이앙법이 보급되었으며, 田・民數가 많아 재지사족이 성장하기 유리하였다. 또한 학문이 발전하여 金宗直, 李滉, 鄭逑, 李玄逸을 중심으로 門人이 형성되고 중앙정계에 진출한다. 하지만 嶺南지역에 대한 문과급제자에 대한 연구는 전무한 실정이다. 이는 문과가 조선후기가 되면 특정 姓貫에게 급제자가 집중되고, 老論의 권력을 재생산하는데 이용되었다는 견해가 반영된 결과라고 생각된다. 영남지역 문과급제자의 연구를 통해 급제자의 전체적인 양상, 정치적 변동에 따른 성장과 쇠퇴, 정치적 소외 현상을 살펴보고자 한다.
嶺南지역의 문과급제자 수와 참여한 시험을 살펴보았다. 嶺南은 총 445회의 시험에서 1,766명이 급제하였는데 평균적으로 약 2년마다 1명씩 급제자가 배출되었다. 이러한 급제자 수는 서울 다음으로 많은 수치였다. 科名별로 살펴보면 式年試와 增廣試를 중심으로 급제하였다. 이는 시험을 미리 준비하기 쉬웠고 初試로 鄕試가 설치되어 응시를 많이 할 수 있었기 때문이다. 시기별로 살펴보면 15~17세기까지 많은 인원이 급제하다가 18세기 이후 급격히 급제자 수가 감소하고 19세기에 다시 이전의 수치를 회복하였다. 즉 기존의 인식과 달리 嶺南지역은 정치적 부침이 있었지만 지속적으로 문과급제자가 배출되었다. 前歷을 살펴보면 官職官品者보다는 벼슬을 하지 않은 인물[未仕者]의 비율이 더 많았다. 郡縣별 특징을 살펴보면 府・牧・都護府와 같이 상급행정기관 외에도 郡・縣(縣監)과 같이 하급행정기관과 경제적 규모가 작은 지역에서도 급제자가 많이 배출되었다. 이는 士族의 유무가 영향을 미친 것이다. 성관별로 살펴보면 영남은 총 237개의 姓貫에서 문과급제자가 배출되었다. 조선초기에는 다양한 성관에서 급제자가 배출되었지만 조선후기가 되면 특정 姓貫에 급제자가 집중되었다.
이 연구를 통해 嶺南지역 문과급제자의 양상을 정리하면 다음과 같다 첫째, 嶺南지역 문과급제자는 18세기에 일시적으로 감소하지만 조선 후기까지 급제자를 많이 배출하였다. 영남은 16~17세기에 李滉・鄭逑의 門人을 중심으로 중앙정계에 많이 진출하였다. 이후 李麟佐의 난을 거치며 급제자 수가 급감하였지만 19세기에 이르면 18세기 이전의 수치를 회복하였다. 勢道政治와 興宣大院君의 집권으로 老論 중심의 국정 운영이 개편되고 思悼世子의 伸寃 萬人疏와 衛正斥邪를 주장하던 嶺南 南人이 다시 조정에 주목을 받았다.
둘째, 시기별・정치적 변동에 따라 영남 문과급제자의 성격에 변화가 이루어졌다. 16~17세기는 영남지역에서 李滉과 曺植의 門人을 중심으로 급제자가 배출되었다. 南冥學派는 鄭仁弘이 退溪學派와 갈등을 벌였고, 仁祖反正을 겪으며 영향력이 축소되었다. 반면, 退溪學派는 안동 출신의 柳成龍, 趙穆의 영향력이 강화되었고, 상주를 중심으로 鄭逑 門人이 번성하였다. 鄭逑는 李滉과 曺植의 학문을 통합하였으며 柳成龍, 趙穆등의 退溪學派에 비해 유연한 입장을 취했다. 하지만 점차 西人의 영향력이 강화되고 禮說 논쟁이 벌어지면서 李玄逸이 부각되었다. 이에 따라 李玄逸의 門人이 문과에 많이 급제하고 중앙정계에 진출하였다. 19세기가 되면 문과급제자가 다시 증가하였다. 이때 급제자를 살펴보면 門人보다는 진성이씨 李滉, 여주이씨 李彦迪, 인동장씨 張顯光, 의성김씨 金誠一의 후예들이 중심을 이루었다. 이는 정치・사상적으로 결합된 집단보다는 지역사회에서 상징적 위치에 있던 인물들의 후손을 등용하고 이들을 통해 영남지역에 영향력을 행사하고자 한 것이다. 또한 嶺南 南人의 주요 가문은 이 시기 문과에 급제하여 가문의 권위를 높이고 실각된 嶺南의 명예를 회복하는데 주력하였다.
셋째, 많은 인물들이 문과에 급제하더라도 주요・핵심 관직에 임명되지 못했다. 16・17세기에는 당상관에 임명되기 유리한 관직인 藝文館檢閱, 注書, 弘文館 주요 관직에 임명되는 인물이 많았지만 18・19세기가 되면 이 엘리트코스에 임명되는 인물이 감소하여 당상관에 임명되는 인물도 감소하였다. 설령 당상관에 임명되더라도 행정적・정치적으로 실권을 행사하는 관직보다 명예직에 임명되는 경우가 많았다. 이러한 嶺南 출신 인물의 정치적 소외는 문과급제보다는 관직 임명에서 더욱 두드러졌다.