Joseon system of government
Joseon built a central government around the State Council and Six Ministries, checked by the Three Offices, and a local administration sending governors and magistrates to the eight provinces. It was codified in the Gyeongguk daejeon (1485).
At the centre, the State Council (Uijeongbu), where the Chief, Left and Right State Councillors deliberated together, oversaw affairs of state, and the Six Ministries — Personnel, Revenue, Rites, Military Affairs, Punishments and Public Works — divided administration among them. Taejong and Sejo had the ministries report directly to the king, while Sejong ran affairs through the State Council. The Royal Secretariat (Seungjeongwon) issued and received royal orders, and the Royal Investigation Bureau (Uigeumbu) tried grave offenders such as traitors on the king’s order. The Office of Annals (Chunchugwan) compiled histories such as the Veritable Records, and the Hanseong Office administered and policed the capital.
The Office of the Inspector-General (Saheonbu, scrutiny of officials), the Office of the Censor-General (Saganwon, remonstrance) and the Office of Special Advisers (Hongmungwan, royal lectures and counsel) were the Three Offices. The Hongmungwan took over the role of the Hall of Worthies under Seongjong (1478). The censors of the first two had the right of consent (seogyeong) over appointments of officials of the fifth rank and below. Together with the royal lectures (gyeongyeon), where king and officials discussed classics and policy, these served to balance royal and ministerial power.
The country was divided into eight provinces, whose governors (gwanchalsa) supervised the magistrates, and a magistrate (suryeong) was sent to every county. The hyangni became hereditary clerks assisting the magistrate, their status lowered. Local yangban formed the Hyangcheong (yuhyangso) to assist the magistrate and watch over the clerks, while the Gyeongjaeso of officials in the capital controlled the yuhyangso of their home districts. Below the county were myeon and ri, and the five-household mutual responsibility system (ogajaktong) kept watch on residents.
