To specifically explore the operation of Seonghyeon Station(省峴驛),
Gyeongsang-do, in the lately Chosun Dynasty, and the problem of ensuring a
post horse, this article analyzed ⌈Record of Seongdodo Station⌋ and ⌈ Section of Seonghyeondojeoliyeokgaijeong 省峴道邸吏役價釐正節目⌋ or ⌈Case of Seonghyeon Station(省峴驛事例)⌋ and ⌈Section of Seonghyeondo janggyejiksa 省峴道狀啓直使新定節目)⌋.
Seonghyeondo means a station do system to control a bundle of many stations,
covering the stations belonging to Jeonju-do (金州道) and Gyeongju-do(慶州道)
in Goryeo Dynasty, where 13 stations such as Nueuli Station(無乙伊驛), Youngan
Station(永安驛), Yongga Station(用家驛) located. Consolidated by new establishment
and transfer of stations in Chosun Dynasty, they were reorganized as
19-sub-stations like Seonghyeon Station and Beomeo Station.
The station site of Seonghyeon was built on a building with 114 kans
including 16 kans of Asa(衙舍), 10 kans of Suweoljeong(受月亭), 6 kans of
Hyeonsanru(峴山樓), 3 kans of Hyeongjiango(形止案庫), 14 kans of warehouse, 6kans of Changsacheong(倉舍廳), 10 kans of Icheong(吏廳), 5 kans of Yangmacheong
(養馬廳), 3 kans of warehouse(庫舍), 8 kans of public kitchen(官廚), 4 kans of
warehouse(庫舍), 6 kans of civil warehouse(民庫), 4 kans of guest house(接賓館),
6 kans of grain lease warehouse(社倉庫舍), 4 kans of grain lease place(社倉舍),
4 kans of justice building(刑吏廳), 5 kans of stable(?養間) .
The post of Seonghyeon Station is a general name of station workers taking
charge of some station work and domiciled at the station, and according to
?Record of Seonghyeondo Station?, 15 station officials(驛吏: 時仕), 10 petty
officials(知印), 10 duty officers(使令), 12 male public servants(官奴) 12, 9 female
public servants(官婢) were dislocated.
The post horse is a transportation means to smoothing perform the functions
of a station such as the transmission of a royal order and a public document,
and transport of an envoy and a load on the packsaddle (cargo carried on cattle
or horse). The stations belonging to Seonghyeondo retained 146 horses divided
to larger horses(大馬). middle horses(中馬). and packhorses(卜馬), but at the 2nd
year of King Sunjo(1802) they decreased even by 100 horses. The main reason
is that the post horse was not properly satisfied due to Namgi(濫騎) using a post
horse without taking a proper procedure, the steep rise of the post horse, and
the private sale of horse field and the pillage of men of power. According to
?Section of Seonghyeondojeoliyeokgaijeong?, it enumerated the evils of the
arbitrary Namgi of Gyeongjuin(京主人) coming and going to Seoul to deliver
public documents and Ibyeongbang(吏兵房)’s Ipmajeon(立馬錢). To reform these
horse evils(馬弊), 1) if the horse price lacked a fixed price((闕額), and it was
decided again(改立), they were purchased by 6 horses with Gyeolbokjeon (結復錢
-tax collected by Bokhogyeol), in which the horse price was paid for a large horse(大馬) by 350 nyangs, a mid horse(中馬) by 290 nyangs. 2) The purchase and
delivery of the post horse was by Ganyangsaek(看養色) or footman(馬夫) in place
of conventional Macha(馬差). 3) Instead of collection Ibyeongbangjeongjeon of
Seonghyeongbon Station from horse merchants(馬商), action of six paragraphs was
taken by paying that from Gyeolbujeon(結復錢), and covering that to entertaining
envoys by change of local officials.