[War & Business] Lessons from the Jeonmin Byeonjeong Dogam

Portraits of King Gongmin (right) and Queen Noguk Daejang Gongju (left). [Image source=National Palace Museum of Korea]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-woo] The reform organization often mentioned alongside King Gongmin, known as the last reformist monarch of Goryeo in history books, is the "Jeonmin Byeonjeong Dogam (田民辨整都監)." As the name suggests, it was established to properly identify and rectify land and its owners. This organization was responsible for identifying the original owners of real estate that powerful aristocratic families held under borrowed names to evade taxes and confiscating lands illegally held for speculative purposes.

It is commonly believed that King Gongmin established Jeonmin Byeonjeong Dogam in 1365 by appointing the monk Shindon, but the actual history of this organization is much longer. The first establishment of Jeonmin Byeonjeong Dogam was in 1269, about 100 years before Shindon's appearance. From then until 1388, when Yi Seong-gye led the Wihwado Retreat, the organization was repeatedly established and disbanded seven times during periods of power transition. Because of this, it is not an exaggeration to say that the late Goryeo period's history is essentially the history of Jeonmin Byeonjeong Dogam.

The real estate issues during the Goryeo dynasty were far more complex than today. After the 40-year war with the Mongol Yuan dynasty ended in 1259, the land across Goryeo was reduced to ashes, but soon restoration policies by the court led to a century of rampant real estate speculation. The Goryeo kings, who became sons-in-law of the Yuan emperors, stayed in Goryeo only 2 to 3 months a year, spending the rest of their time in the Yuan capital, Yeon-gyeong, lobbying and attracting investments from the emperor and nobles for Goryeo's restoration.

When restoration areas were decided, the powerful aristocratic families connected to Yuan nobles were the first to obtain development information. They would purchase land designated for restoration at low prices and sell it later at soaring prices, gaining enormous profits. Part of these profits was often given as bribes to Yuan nobles. This international real estate speculation severely harmed the original landowners and tenant farmers who lived on leased land from the original owners.

Jeonmin Byeonjeong Dogam was established to solve this problem, but it never functioned properly. Over 120 years and seven rounds of investigations, the officials leading the Dogam often became the subjects of the investigations shortly after the surveys ended. Shindon himself, who served as an official wielding the reform sword, was labeled the greatest speculator in Goryeo within six years and became a target of investigation, ultimately executed.

It is shameful that large-scale real estate corruption entangled with officials' connections, which could be seen in medieval history over 600 years ago, is still a controversy in 21st-century Korea. Officials should remember the history of the Goryeo dynasty, which collapsed after failing to withstand public discontent following the last land survey in 1391, the year after the final Jeonmin Byeonjeong Dogam investigation.