Yet, they were different from present-day partiesbecause they were pitted against each other based onnot only political interests, but scholastic stances,
many of which emerged from the "i-ki Debate,"
discussed previously. In addition, the ousted groupshad to be ready for violent purges, ironically, by otherConfucians who were supposed to act humanely andmorally.
The factional struggles became so aggravated laterthat they interfered with almost every issue, promptingsome neutral scholars and wiser kings to regard thefactions as one of the most serious weaknesses of theJoseon period.
Some of the "controversial issues" may seemridiculous today, for example, how long royal familymembers should wear mourning clothes when aking or queen passed away. One scholar, Yun Hyu(1617~1680), was actually forced to take his own lifeas his recommendation differed from that of anotherolder, prominent scholar in a rival faction.
Then came a pair of sagacious rulers who refusedto take sides and who strived to check the imbalancesbetween factions, which they feared were weakeningthe country.