Hongbeom 14 Articles

Hongbeom Sipsa Jo (洪範十四條, Hongbeom 14 Articles) was enacted and promulgated on 12 December of the lunar calendar in 1894 (7 January 1895) and was the first modern constitution of Korea.

Overview

On 7 January 1895 (32nd year of Gojong's reign), Gojong led the crown prince, the Daewongun, the royal relatives, and the court officials to the Jongmyo shrine, where he first reported the oath of independence (誓告文) and proclaimed it. On 8 January, it was promulgated to the entire nation. This oath text is called the Hongbeom 14 Articles. It was written and published in three versions: in pure Hangul script, in pure classical Chinese script, and in mixed Chinese-character and Hangul script, the first such trio in modern times. In the pure Hangul version, the Hongbeom 14 Articles were rendered as '열 네 가지 큰 법' (fourteen great laws).

Content

The content consists of fourteen principles: the establishment of independence and self-reliance, the hereditary succession of the throne, the non-interference of royal consorts and concubines in politics, the principle of legality in taxation and the formulation of budgets, reform of local government systems and limits on the authority of local officials, the import of learning and culture from advanced foreign countries, legislation and the protection of the lives and property of the people, conscription and the training of armed forces, and the broad appointment of talented people.

• Article 1: Cut off the reliance on Qing China and establish the foundation of independence.
• Article 2: Draft the Royal Code (王室典範) to clarify the succession of the great line and the distinction between the royal clan and the consort clans.
• Article 3: The sovereign (大君主) shall personally attend to state affairs in the throne hall and decide them by consulting each minister; the queen, royal consorts, royal clan, and consort clans shall not be permitted to interfere.
• Article 4: Separate royal household affairs from state affairs so that they are not confused with each other.
• Article 5: Clearly define the limits of duties and authority of the Uijeongbu (State Council) and of each yamen (government office).
• Article 6: All taxes (賦稅, the levying of taxes) shall be fixed by statute, and no additional levies under new names shall be collected.
• Article 7: The imposition and collection of taxes and the disbursement of expenditures shall all be managed by the Takjiamun (Ministry of Finance).
• Article 8: The royal household shall take the lead in economizing on expenses to serve as a model for each yamen and local officials.
• Article 9: Expenses used by the royal household and each government office shall be set by a one-year budget to establish the foundation of finances.
• Article 10: Quickly revise the local administrative system and limit the authority of local officials.
• Article 11: Widely dispatch promising young people abroad to learn academic subjects and skills (技藝).
• Article 12: Train officers and establish a conscription system to lay the foundation of the military system.
• Article 13: Strictly establish civil and criminal law, do not arbitrarily imprison or punish, and protect the lives and property of the people.
• Article 14: In appointing people, do not restrict by family prestige (門閥) and widely appoint talented individuals.