Cho Pak

Cho Pak (Korean: 조박; Hanja: 趙璞; 1356 – December 22, 1408¹) was a Korean civil official during the late Goryeo and early Joseon era. The brother-in-law of King Taejong, Cho was a contributor to the founding of the Joseon dynasty.

Biography

Cho Pak was born in 1356 as a member of the Pyongyang Cho clan. Cho was the son of Cho Sagyŏm (조사겸; 趙思謙), who served as chŏnŭiryŏng (전의령; 典儀令). Cho Pak's art name was Ujŏng and his courtesy name was Ansŏk. In 1382, Cho passed the literary examination.²

As the brother-in-law of Yi Pangwŏn, son of Yi Sŏnggye, Cho Pak was a supporter of Yi Sŏnggye and his ambitions. As a result, Chŏng Mong-ju, Yi's political rival, demoted Cho to the post of magistrate of Cheongju.³ On April 23, 1392, Cho was stripped of his post as magistrate and exiled.⁴ However, Chŏng was killed and Yi Sŏnggye was able to found the new Joseon dynasty. As a reward for his contributions, Cho was awarded Dynasty Founding Merit Subject First Class (개국공신 1등), given the office of Minister of Rites (예조 전서; 禮曹 典書; yejo chŏnsŏ), and enfeoffed as the Lord of Pyeongwon (평원군; 平原君). A month after the founding of the new dynasty, Cho was also given the post of surveillance commissioner of Yanggwang Province (양광도 안렴사; 楊廣道 按廉使; Yanggwang annyŏmsa). In 1394, he was appointed as the governor of Jeolla province.³ However, on March 8, 1395,⁵ he was jailed in Gongju for his failure to conduct a head count of the provincial army. He was pardoned on April 10.