Joseon Saheonwon (Office of the Censor-General)

Timeline

1. 1398–1434Hanseong · Gyeonggi ProvinceAfter Joseon's founding, censure offices such as the Saheonwon and Saheonbu were established with duties of remonstrance, investigation, and moral supervision, but their organization and jurisdiction were repeatedly adjusted, and a unified central supervisory system had not yet taken shape.
2. 1431Hanseong · HanseongIn 1435 Sejong reorganized the Saheonwon into the Saheonwon, establishing ranks such as Daesaheon and Saheon to oversee impeachment, investigation, and participation in major cases; the unified supervisory system of remonstrance and censure was thus established, becoming one of the core pillars of Joseon political institutions.
3. 1440–1894Korean Peninsula · Korean PeninsulaThe Saheonwon was carried on by later generations with occasional adjustments to its duties; supervisory censors constrained powerful ministers and local officials through memorials, court debate, and participation in judicial proceedings, becoming an important institutional device for maintaining the balance between royal power and the bureaucracy in Joseon.