Chwaŭijŏng
minister of Joseon
The Chwaŭijŏng (Korean: 좌의정; Hanja: 左議政; pronounced [tɕwa.ɰi.dʑʌŋ]), also known as the Left State Councilor or Second State Councilor, was a member of the State Council of Joseon. The Chwaŭijŏng was subordinate in rank only to the Yŏngŭijŏng, the highest-ranking official of the Joseon government, during the Joseon period of Korea (1392–1910). Only one official was appointed to the position and was variously referred to as Chwasang, Chwajŏngsŭng, Chwagyu, Chwahap, or Chwadae.
Since its foundation, the Joseon dynasty, which had succeeded to the state apparatus of the Goryeo period (918–1392), had been adjusting its government organization. In 1400, the second year after King Jeongjong came to the throne, he renamed the Top'yŏngŭisasa, the highest organ in charge of the state affairs of Goryeo, to "State Council" and created posts Chwaŭijŏng, Uŭijŏng (Third State Councilor), and Yŏngŭijŏng (Chief State Councilor). The three officials were collectively referred to as the Chŏngsŭng (정승; 政丞) or the Samuijeong ('three high councilors').
List of Chwaŭijŏng
References
Lee, Ki-Baik (1984). A New History of Korea. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-61575-1.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Chwaŭijŏng” is minister of Joseon. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Chwaŭijŏng, minister and Joseon, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “minister of Joseon” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jan 22, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q8013022. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1392, 1910, 1400 and 1984.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Chwaŭijŏng”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Chwaŭijŏng primary sources, Chwaŭijŏng archive and Chwaŭijŏng research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Chwaŭijŏng”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Chwaŭijŏng” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.