순조 후반 노론 외척 세력으로는 새로운 ‘時派’인 안동 김문과 새로운 ‘僻派’인 풍양 조문을 위주로 해서 나누어 볼 수 있다. 반면에 외척 세력의 정치 참여를 배제하는 ‘淸論’ 세력은 외척 세력의 전횡을 논척했다. 양쪽 외척 세력과 ‘청론’ 세력 내에는 노론·소론·남인·소북인 일부 세력이 각각 연합하고 있었다. 효명세자 대리청정 시기 효명세자는 안동 김문 보다는 풍양 조문과 ‘청론’ 세력을 등용했다.
헌종 즉위 후, 순원왕후가 수렴청정을 했다. 1836년(헌종 2) 추국을 시행한 ‘南公彦·南膺中 사건’으로 남공언이 恩彦君의 손자를 추대하려 한 逆謀가 발각되고, 국가를 위협하는 大逆不道 죄인으로 법이 집행되었다.
이즈음 서양에서 神父가 국경을 넘어와서 전도 활동을 하며, 천주교 세력이 확산되었고, ‘신유옥사’ 이후, 40여 년만에 ‘기해사옥’이 일어났다.
邪學 謀叛 죄인 서양 사람 3인과 譯官 劉進吉에 대한 추국이 시행되었고, ‘신유옥사’에 연루되었던 丁若鍾·남필용의 아들인 丁夏祥·南履灌 등이 연루되어 죽임을 당했다. 委官 李止淵 등의 ‘벽파’와 ‘청론’ 세력은 은언군 손자를 추대하려는 세력과의 연관성을 심문했고, 국가를 위협하는 모반·역모죄로 법을 집행했다.
앞서 ‘신유옥사’에서는 ‘邪學’·‘邪說’·‘誣告’ 관련 역모 사건이 혼재해서 일어났었다. 각각의 정치 세력 내에서는 ‘무고’가 자행되며 추국이 설행되었다. ‘신유옥사’에서 ‘사설’ 관련 사건은 40여 년만에 은언군의 손자를 추대하는 모반·역모 사건인 ‘남공언·남응중 사건’·‘기해사옥’과 1844년(헌종 10) ‘閔晋鏞·李遠德 추국 사건’으로 이어진다. ‘신유옥사’에서 ‘사학’ 관련 사건은 40여 년만에 모반·역모 사건인 ‘기해사옥’으로, ‘기해사옥’은 1846년(헌종 12) 김대건 관련 ‘丙午邪獄’과 高宗 연간의 천주교 관련 사건으로 이어진다고 할 수 있다.
There were two “In-law” factions(“Wecheok, 外戚”) from the No’ron(老論) party during the latter half of King Sunjo(純祖)’s reign(1800-1834): the Andong(安東) Kim(金) House of the “Shi’pa(時派)” line, and the Pung’yang(豐壤) Cho(趙) House of the “Byeok’pa(僻派)” line. Meanwhile, there was another faction squarely against the in-law house members’ interference in state governance, the “Cheong’ron(淸論)” group, which criticized the in-law factions for their abuse of power. Yet both in-law houses as well as the Cheong’ron group all had their share of smaller alliances or groups, composed of members from different political bases such as No’ron, So’ron(小論), Nam’in(南人) and So-Bug’in(少北人), within them. Crown-prince Hyo‘myeong(孝明), when he was governing the dynasty on behalf of the king, appointed members from the Pung’yang Cho house and the Cheong‘ron group to governmental posts, more so than members of the Andong Kim house.
After King Heonjong(r.1834-1849) was enthroned, Queen Sun’weon(純元) stepped in and supervised the dynasty’s governance. Then in 1836, second year of the new king’s reign, Nam Gong-eon(南公彦) and Nam Eung-jung(南膺中) of the Eui’ryeong(宜寧) Nam(南) House, who conspired to enthrone the grandson of royal family elder Eun’eon-gun(恩彦君), were found out and interrogated. They were punished(“Jeongbeob, 법이 집행”) and labeled as offenders to the very stability of the dynasty(國事犯).
Around this time, Western priests crossed the border and came into Joseon. They propagated Catholicism, spreading influences and the Catholic belief to the Joseon people. And almost 40 years since the Shin’yu-year Purge of Evil(“Shin’yu Sa’ok, 辛酉邪獄”) that took place in 1801(1st year of King Sunjo’s reign), the Gi’hae-year Purge of Evil(”Gi’hae Sa’ok, 己亥邪獄“) occurred in 1839, 5th year of King Heonjong’s reign.
Three foreigners from the Western world and a Joseon translator(譯官) named Yu Jin-gil(劉進吉) were interrogated for conspiring and spreading evil studies(“Sahak, 邪學”), while Jeong Ha-sang(丁夏祥) and Nam Ih-gwan(南履灌), respective sons of Jeong Yak-jong(丁若鍾) and Nam Pil-yong(南必容) who had earlier been implicated in the Shin’yu Sa’ok Purge, were also implicated in the conspiracy and executed. The Byeok’pa faction and the Cheong’ron group, including the officer-in-charge(委官) Yi Ji-yeon(李止淵), interrogated them to find out their relationship to the faction which tried to enthrone Eun’eon-gun’s grandson, and also ruled them as “enemy of the state.”Around the Shin’yu Sa’ok Purge, multiple conspiracies involving “evil studies(邪學),” “evil theories(‘Saseol, 邪說’),” and various framing attempts(誣告) were reported. They were all followed by interrogations. And nearly 40 years after that purge, the conspiracy to enthrone Eun’eon-gun’s grandson, and the interrogation of Min Jin-yong(閔晋鏞) and Yi Weon-deok(李遠德) in 1844(Heonjong’s 10th year), both occurred. Then, the Gi’hae Sa’ok Purge led to the Byeong’oh-year Purge of Evil(“Byeong’oh Sa’ok, 丙午邪獄”) in 1846(Heonjong’s 12th year), which involved Kim Dae-geon(金大建), and other Catholic-related incidents during King Gojong(高宗)’s reign.