18세기 친국(親鞫) 확대와 추국 운영의 개편 = The Expansion of Chinguk(親鞫) and the Reorganization of Chuguk(推鞫) in the 18th Century

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Chuguk(推鞫) was an important legal procedure for dealing with treason cases in the Joseon Dynasty. Until the reign of King Sukjong(肅宗), chillim-chuguk (親臨推鞫), in which the king personally presided over trials, was seen as compromising judicial fairness. Instead, most interrogations were conducted by Gwoljeong-chuguk(闕庭推鞫) or Geumbu-chuguk(禁府推鞫), led by Wigwan(委官).
During the Musin rebellion(戊申亂, 1728) in the 4th year of King Yeongjo’s(英祖) reign, the need for quick decisions led to an increase in chillim-chuguk. Over time it became institutionalised, and by the Eulhae Oksa(乙亥獄事, 1755) most interrogations followed this format rather than Gwoljeong-chuguk or Geumbu-chuguk.
Although chillim-chuguk allowed for quick resolutions, it also allowed King Yeongjo to override judicial procedures, often carrying out executions without a finalized judgment decree(結案省略處刑). What began as an emergency measure became an instrument of absolute judicial control.
King Jeongjo(正祖) attempted to reform this system, initially using Chillimchuguk for major treason cases, but later delegating trials to Gwoljeong-chuguk and Geumbu-chuguk, thus restoring judicial balance. His reforms reduced arbitrary royal authority and ensured that capital punishment followed legal procedures.
In summary, Chuguk evolved from delegated interrogation(委官委任推鞫) in the 17th century to Chillim-chuguk under King Yeongjo. In the late 18th century, King Jeongjo established a combined system of Gwoljeong-chuguk and Geumbu-chuguk, moving towards a more balanced judiciary.