The most distinct characteristic of the mugwa in the late Joseon dynasty was the mangwa. Mangwa is a type mugwa held for selecting over a thousand soldiers at once. This type of exam could only be found in mugwa. Nothing like mangwa could be found in other examinations such as mungwa, Samisi and jabgwa. Among the 770 mugwa examinations held during the 493 years of the Chos??n dynasty, the mangwa was held 13 times. However, among the total number of officials elected by the mugwa examination amounting up to 140 to 150 thousand, the number of soldiers elected through the mangwa was 50,292. That was about one third of the total military officials. This shows how important the function of mangwa was. The mugwa, practiced for electing soldiers in the Joseon dynasty, was apt for changes in the practice due to the situations concerning national defense. Whereas only a total of 28 would be elected in times of peace, the quota would be flexibly changed in urgent situations when more military officers were at need. The mangwa came into practice due to such reasons. Such a characteristic of the mangwa can be observed in King Sejo`s reign in the fifteenth century when the mugwa system was established. Unlike the mugwa practiced normally in peaceful times, the mangwa was purported for obtaining soldiers as many as possible. The qualifications for passing the mangwa were not strict, one did not have to possess excellent skills but just past a certain level. In the late Joseon dynasty after the Japanese invasion in 1592, the mangwa was held to gather soldiers for national defense. The mangwa was particularly applied greatly during the early seventeenth century due to the Ming dynasty`s request for sending soldiers to support their military against the rapidly emerging the later Jin Dynasty and for protecting the northern territory of Chos??n. The mangwa was also practiced to elect bubang soldiers to prepare for invasions from the north. But starting from the mid seventeenth century, as the danger of invasions from the north decreased, the mangwa came to be practiced for other purposes. The mangwa came to be held as a means for obtaining officers under one`s command in order to become the strongest among the government parties. Such an aspect of the mangwa is well shown in the cases when it was applied in establishing the Hunry??ndogam`s Kukch`ulsinch`??ng, when Kim Ryu attempted to hold a mangwa in order to fortify the military of the Toch`ech`alsabu, when it was practiced to extend the central military division during King Hyojong`s early years at throne and also when soldiers were first elected for the conquest of the northern territory but was actually dispatched as the elite troop of the Toch`ech`alsabu. As observed in the case of Kukch`ulsins, the soldiers elected through the mangwa were actually dispatched to elite military troops. The mangwa was one of the most conveniest ways to acquire elite soldiers under the multi-party government system. Such a military organization, as depicted above, may be one of the reasons the government elected so many soldiers through the mugwa examinations. In the eighteenth century, when King Ch??ngjo was at throne and the individual`s skills and wisdom were the main concerns in the assignment of government officials rather than the party one belonged to, the mangwa came to be applied for selecting soldiers to be dispatched to Changyongy??ong. This became the main purpose of the mangwa during King Ch??ngjo`s reign. At this period, the abuse of state examinations was one of the main social issues. But King Ch??ngjo carried out the mangwa because ht felt the great need for acquiring the jangyongyeong, which the operation was centered to the king himself. Furthermore, the enforcement of the S??nch`??nnaeg??mwib??p after carrying out the mangwa reveals the king`s original purpose of selecting the mangwa soldiers for his personal military guards. Though it has not yet been firmly confirmed, it can also