Joseon's Tangpyeong Policy

January 1, 1736

King Yeongjo of Joseon Korea, who had come to the throne in 1724 and would reign for half a century, ordered the compilation of detailed court records and agricultural surveys. His policy of tangpyeong, balance among factions, restored a semblance of stability to a kingdom racked by partisan violence. The Korean Enlightenment, such as it was, had begun.