이 글에서 필자는 이른바 ‘진성이씨 이동표가 언간’이라고 알려진 한글간찰 몇 점을 통해서 조선후기 과거제도 운용상의 몇 가지 측면을 살펴보고 아울러 조선시대인들의 일상생활 속에서 과거가 어떠한 의미가 있었는지를 알아보려고 한다. 이동표(李東標, 1644-1700)는 조선 숙종대에 활약했던 문신으로 그가 작성한 남긴 한글간찰 36점이 ‘진성이씨 이동표가 언간’이라는 이름으로 전하고 있는데, 조선시대 일상생활을 연구하는 데 매우 중요한 사료로 평가된다.
이동표가 숙종 2년 10월에 초시에 응시했던 시험은 왕실 또는 종묘사직과 관련된 일곱 가지나 되는 경사를 축하하기 위해 실시된 대증광시였으며, 정규시인 식년시(式年試)에 선발한 33명보다 무려 7명이나 많은 40명의 합격자를 선발하기로 약속한 시험이었다. 이는 조선시대 500년 동안 시행된 과거시험 중에서 그 유래를 찾아볼 수 없는 가장 특이한 시험이었으며, 아래에서 살펴보는 바와 같이 시험 시행 과정에서 말썽이 많았던 시험 중의 하나였다.
이동표는 자신이 부정을 저지르지 않았지만 다른 응시자들이 과거시험장에서 부정을 저지른 탓에 초시와 복시 합격이 취소되었다. 그 자신은 잘못이 없는데도 억울하게 시험 자체가 무효화되고 만 것이다. 그는 아무런 잘못도 없이 같은 시험에 응시했다는 이유만으로 합격이 취소되고 말았으니 기구한 운명을 탓할 수밖에 없었을 것이다.
이동표는 천신만고 끝에 문과에 급제하였다. 그러나 가난한 시골 선비들은 과거에 합격해도 갖추어야 할 것이 너무 많아서 걱정이 이만저만이 아니었다. 관리가 되면 관복과 관대 등을 비롯하여 벼슬살이를 하는 데 필요한 모든 것을 갖추어야 했으며 이동할 때 필요한 노마도 자신이 준비해야 했다. 또 조선후기에는 서울의 주택난이 심각했기 때문에 대부분 다른 사람의 집에 얹혀살거나 하숙을 해야 했다. 그러나 무엇보다 어려운 것은 가족과 떨어져 살면서 혼자서 의식주를 해결해야 한다는 점이었다. 따라서 시골 선비들에게는 벼슬살이가 또 하나의 고행의 시작이었는지도 모른다.
조선시대인들은 대부분 과거와 관직생활에 이중적인 자세를 지니고 있었다. 한편으로는 과거에 급제하고 벼슬을 하기 위해 열심히 공부하면서 다른 한편으로는 이러한 것들을 세속적이라 규정하고 이로부터 멀리 떨어져 있으려고 하였다. 이동표가 상심한 어머니를 위로하기 위해 과거에 응시하였음에도 불구하고 일부러 시험장에 가지 않으려고 머리를 천 번이나 빗다가 늦어서 시험장에 들어가지 못했다는 것은 이러한 이중적인 자세를 잘 보여준다고 할 수 있다.
그러나 과거는 조선시대인들에게 일상이자 이루기 어려운 욕망이었다. 과거 급제는 문자를 아는 사람에게만 열망의 대상이 아니었다. 문자를 모르는 사람까지도 이것으로부터 벗어날 수 없었다. 물론 그것은 과거만이 조선시대에 가문을 일으키고 인간다운 인간으로 대접받으며 사는 거의 유일한 길이었기 때문이다. 그러나 한편으로는 바로 그러한 이유로 인해 조선시대인들은 과거에 대해 더욱 이중적일 수밖에 없었다. 우리는 이러한 사실을 ‘진성이씨 이동표가 언간’을 통해서 확인할 수 있다.
This paper attempts to research on some aspects of the state examination system in Joseon period and the meaning of the state examination in everyday life in Joseon, by inspection of some pieces of letters in Korean known as Jinseong Lee Dongpyo Family’s Korean letters. Lee Dongpyo (李東標, 1644-1700) was a civil official in Sukjong period, and the remaining thirty-six pieces of letters written by him known as mentioned above are evaluated as very precious historical data for studying everyday life in Joseon. The examination Lee has applied for on Feb 10th, the second year of Sukjong reign, was Grand Special Examination(Daejeunggwangsi) for commemorating even seven matters of royal congratulations, promised to pass forty applicants, even seven more than thirty-three of Regular Examination(Sikneyonsi). This was the most peculiar one in the whole five-hundred-year history of state examination, and also the most trouble- someone, as we take a look upon it below. Lee’s acceptance was later cancelled even though he himself didn’t cheated on the exam as some of others do. He probably just had to comply with his unfortunate fate in which he wasn’t to blame but only unlucky enough to unfairly treated only by the reason that he took the test with some cheating others. Later, Lee got through the examination after a great struggle. But for poor literati from countryside the woe is not over as they have to prepare themselves a lot after the acceptance. As they became a member of civil officials, they had to equip themselves everything required for the civil official as uniforms and belts, and transportation burden was also on themselves. In addition to that, the housing problem in late Joseon period made them dwell in acquaintance’s house or in the boarding house. The most severe thing for them is that they had to manage their own food and clothing by themselves as their family couldn’t come to the capital city. Life as an official might have meant to them another turmoil. Most of Joseon people retained an ambivalent attitude toward the state examination and the official life. On the one hand, they tried hard to succeed in this, at the same time tried to stay away from this secular business. An anecdote of an applicant who applied for the examination in order to comfort his grieving mother, purposedly late for the test, however, as he brushed his hair for thousand times, shows this ambivalent manner very strikingly. But the state examination was for Joseon people both of everyday life and of not-easy-to-acquire desire. Not only literates aspired for this, even illiterates were hard to throw off this from their mind. Of course, it was because the state examination was the only way to make one’s family prosperous and to be treated at least ‘humanely’. This was nevertheless the very reason for their ambivalence toward the examination. What Jinseong Lee Dongpyo Family’s Korean letters prove us is this manifold reality.
This paper attempts to research on some aspects of the state examination system in Joseon period and the meaning of the state examination in everyday life in Joseon, by inspection of some pieces of letters in Korean known as Jinseong Lee Dongpyo Family’s Korean letters. Lee Dongpyo (李東標, 1644-1700) was a civil official in Sukjong period, and the remaining thirty-six pieces of letters written by him known as mentioned above are evaluated as very precious historical data for studying everyday life in Joseon. The examination Lee has applied for on Feb 10th, the second year of Sukjong reign, was Grand Special Examination(Daejeunggwangsi) for commemorating even seven matters of royal congratulations, promised to pass forty applicants, even seven more than thirty-three of Regular Examination(Sikneyonsi). This was the most peculiar one in the whole five-hundred-year history of state examination, and also the most trouble- someone, as we take a look upon it below. Lee’s acceptance was later cancelled even though he himself didn’t cheated on the exam as some of others do. He probably just had to comply with his unfortunate fate in which he wasn’t to blame but only unlucky enough to unfairly treated only by the reason that he took the test with some cheating others. Later, Lee got through the examination after a great struggle. But for poor literati from countryside the woe is not over as they have to prepare themselves a lot after the acceptance. As they became a member of civil officials, they had to equip themselves everything required for the civil official as uniforms and belts, and transportation burden was also on themselves. In addition to that, the housing problem in late Joseon period made them dwell in acquaintance’s house or in the boarding house. The most severe thing for them is that they had to manage their own food and clothing by themselves as their family couldn’t come to the capital city. Life as an official might have meant to them another turmoil. Most of Joseon people retained an ambivalent attitude toward the state examination and the official life. On the one hand, they tried hard to succeed in this, at the same time tried to stay away from this secular business. An anecdote of an applicant who applied for the examination in order to comfort his grieving mother, purposedly late for the test, however, as he brushed his hair for thousand times, shows this ambivalent manner very strikingly. But the state examination was for Joseon people both of everyday life and of not-easy-to-acquire desire. Not only literates aspired for this, even illiterates were hard to throw off this from their mind. Of course, it was because the state examination was the only way to make one’s family prosperous and to be treated at least ‘humanely’. This was nevertheless the very reason for their ambivalence toward the examination. What Jinseong Lee Dongpyo Family’s Korean letters prove us is this manifold reality.
