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How did civil service examinations strengthen the Goryeo dynasty?

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Map of the Korean Peninsula highlighted in orange, showing North Korea in the north and South Korea in the south. The peninsula is bordered by China and Russia to the north, the Yellow Sea to the west, the East Sea (Sea of Japan) to the east, and Japan across the sea to the southeast. A small inset globe at the top left shows the peninsula's location in East Asia. — Korea Map of the Korean Peninsula, indicating northern and southern regions.

In the later Goryeo dynasty, the civil service examination system served as a mechanism for the central government to recruit a new bureaucratic force known as the scholar-officials, or sadaebu.1

These scholar-officials were distinct from the established aristocracy, which had previously maintained power through hereditary status and family lineage. By introducing a merit-based recruitment path, the government was able to incorporate individuals who were often smaller landowners from native districts, rather than relying solely on the traditional aristocratic council.12

These officials were characterized by their adoption of neo-Confucianism, which provided a metaphysical framework that differed from the aristocratic preference for Buddhism. This new class of bureaucrats eventually became a source of political change; their dissatisfaction with the existing distribution of government resources and land led them to advocate for land reform. Ultimately, this shift in the administrative structure contributed to the decline of the Goryeo dynasty, as these scholar-officials, supported by Gen. Yi Seong-gye, seized power and established the Joseon dynasty in 1392.12