Jikjeon Law

Sejo limited the grant of tax-collection rights to serving officials and abolished the grants to officials’ widows and orphans.

The Rank Land Law of 1391 gave serving and retired officials the right to collect rent from land in Gyeonggi, passing it on to widows and young children. As land ran short, Sejo in 1466 restricted grants to serving officials. When officials then squeezed their grants while they could, Seongjong had the state collect the rent and pay it out (1470), and in 1556 grants were abolished altogether, leaving officials only salaries. Private landlordism among the yangban grew in the process.

After seizing the throne in the Gyeyu coup, Sejo restored direct reporting by the Six Ministries, abolished the Hall of Worthies and the royal lectures, began compiling the Gyeongguk daejeon, and reorganized the army into regional garrison commands.