The institution of Gwanchalsa in Korea of 15-19th centuries under the Gyenggukdaejeon legislation

The study considers the development of the provincial government system in Korea during the formation of the state structure of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897). The purpose of the study is to provide a brief explanatory overview of the regional administration system regulations as codified in the Gyeonggukdaejeon (the first of the fully preserved legal codes of Korea). Comparative analysis of the data of the Code and other historical sources performed by the author provides for assessment of the recruitment system, conditions of service, powers and duties of the governor’s corps and the place of this branch of the state apparatus in the political and socio-economic life of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The study reveals the role of the institution in the system of comprehensive control and development of territories, conditioned by the historical features of the centralized statehood formation, aimed at maximizing state revenues and the efficiency of administrative structures. The research can contribute to the broadening of knowledge about the nature of lifestyle and activities of officialdom and the specifics of power distribution and implementation in the preindustrial Korea.