1050s Goryeo Civil Service Examinations and Civil Bureaucracy

Timeline

1. 1051–1053Gaesong (Gaesong Capital) · GoryeoThe examination system introduced by King Gwangjong in 958 had become routine by the mid-11th century, running alongside the eumseo system by which sons of high officials obtained office through their fathers' and grandfathers' service. The examinations selected talent from humble families and local gentry through subjects such as classical exegesis and poetry composition; in theory open to commoners, in practice they were mostly taken by sons of yangban aristocrats.
2. 1054–1058Gaesong (Gaesong Capital) · GoryeoThe re-examination (boksi), personally presided over by the king, had been interrupted during the reigns of Deokjong and Gyeongjong but was restored and made more frequent under Munjong. The king used it to directly intervene in and grade the successful candidates, strengthening royal control over the selection process and weakening the monopoly of a few powerful clans over appointment outcomes.
3. 1055–1060Gaesong (Gaesong Capital) · GoryeoUnder Munjong, the National Academy added technical schools for calligraphy, mathematics, and law alongside the Confucian schools of the National Academy School, the Grand School, and the Four Literary Schools, forming the system of the Six Capital Schools. Professional specialists such as medical officials could also enter government through special examinations, broadening the knowledge base of the bureaucracy.