최치원의 ｢謝恩表｣를 통해 본 몇 가지 문제

초록

This article has sought to elucidate several key issues through an analysis of the "Memorial of Gratitude" (Sa-eun-pyo) composed by Choe Chiwon in the early years of King Hyogong's reign. What follows summarizes the main arguments developed above in lieu of a formal conclusion. First, it examined the background to Queen Jinseong's request for the posthumous elevation of King Gyeongmun and King Heongang. Queen Jinseong not only aimed to overcome the complex political crises of her time but also intended to consolidate the legitimacy of the royal line descending from King Gyeongmun. In this context, she nominated Yo as her successor in an effort to renew the political order, while simultaneously seeking to institutionalize this arrangement by requesting from Tang the posthumous honors for King Gyeongmun and King Heongang. This may be understood as an attempt to secure external recognition for the legitimacy of the Gyeongmun royal line. In particular, the fact that an envoy to request such posthumous elevation was dispatched only in the fifth year of her reign suggests that these political intentions had by then sufficiently matured. Second, attention was paid to the unusually long period of six years required for the embassy, led by Choe Won, to receive the official document of posthumous conferment and return home. Compared with the normal duration of diplomatic missions, this was highly exceptional and closely related to the political turmoil within the Tang empire at the time. The rise of regional military governors (jiedushi) had significantly weakened the authority of the Tang court, and the central administrative system was no longer functioning properly. After arriving in Shandong, Choe Won and his party sought the cooperation of regional authorities in order to obtain an audience with the emperor, but they were unable to secure the necessary approval from Li Maozhen, who controlled the Guanzhong region. Moreover, the centrifugal tendencies of the various jiedushi disrupted the operation of central government offices, inevitably delaying the mission for an extended period. As a result, the embassy was only able to obtain the document of posthumous conferment and return after many difficulties, a process that took six years. Third, the nature and intention of the memorials composed after the receipt of the conferment document were examined. Queen Jinseong composed a "Memorial of Thanks for Posthumous Conferment" (Sa-chujeung-pyo), followed by King Hyogong's "Memorial of Gratitude" (Sa-eun-pyo) expressing thanks for the honor. Although the specific contents of the former are no longer extant, the latter survives in full and provides an important source for understanding the political intentions of the time. The "Memorial of Gratitude" goes beyond a mere expression of thanks ; it embodies the purpose of reaffirming the legitimacy of the Gyeongmun royal line and proclaiming it to an external audience. Furthermore, by emphasizing ritual propriety (li), it presents an ideological foundation for governance and serves to justify the legitimacy of King Hyogong's succession. Taken together, these observations demonstrate that the "Memorial of Gratitude" possesses significant value as a historical source for understanding the political trends during the late Silla period, particularly under Queen Jinseong and in the early reign of King Hyogong. At the same time, it offers useful insight into the nature of Silla–Tang relations. Notably, unlike other memorials, its adoption of the comprehensive title "Memorial of Gratitude" may be interpreted as reflecting a political design to establish the legitimacy of the Gyeongmun royal line through the medium of diplomacy with Tang.

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