Cho Taerim

Cho Taerim (趙大臨, 1387 – 1430) was a royal son-in-law of early Joseon. His family seat was Pyeongyang, and his courtesy name was Gyeomji (謙之). He was the son of Cho Jun and married Princess Gyeongjeong, the second daughter of King Taejong.

Life

In 1402 he passed the Saengwon examination, and in 1403, the following year, he married Princess Gyeongjeong and was enfeoffed as Pyeongnyeong-gun (平寧君).¹ At the time, Cho Taerim was in mourning for his mother, but King Taejong hastily held the wedding in order to prevent Princess Gyeongjeong from being married off to the Ming dynasty.²

In 1408 he became Gyeomjwa Gun-do Chongje (兼左軍都摠制). However, Mok Inhae (睦仁海), a guard (護軍) who was the husband of Cho Taerim's female servant, slandered Cho Taerim, hoping to enjoy wealth and honor, and reported to Yi Sukbeon that Cho Taerim intended to raise troops.³ Yi Sukbeon reported this to King Taejong, and Mok Inhae, in order to make his slander true, urged Cho Taerim to raise troops under the pretext of capturing bandits.³ Deceived by Mok Inhae, Cho Taerim asked King Taejong for troops to capture the bandits. King Taejong, pretending to grant the request, had Gwon Huidal (權希達) seize Cho Taerim and strip him of his armor.³ Daesaheon Maeng Sasong, Vice Minister of Justice Kim Jaji (金自知), and others interrogated Cho Taerim. King Taejong said that since Cho Taerim was the son of Cho Jun, a founding meritorious subject, he should be questioned with moderation; however, the royal command was not properly conveyed, and Cho Taerim received sixty-four strokes of the rod.³ When King Taejong learned of Cho Taerim's innocence, he sent him home. He also imprisoned Maeng Sasong and others, who had requested that Mok Inhae's execution be delayed and that Cho Taerim's crime be investigated. Mok Inhae was subjected to hwanyeol (轘裂, being torn apart by chariots). King Taejong, on the grounds that they had attempted to weaken the royal family by killing a member of the royal house, also tried to imprison and kill Maeng Gwimi (孟歸美), the son of Maeng Sasong. then requested that the offenses of the censors be pardoned. In the following year, 1409, King Taejong appointed Cho Taerim as Byeongseo Gangto Chongje (兵書講討摠制), and he was greatly angered by memorials from censors such as calling for the recall of Cho Taerim's military power, and punished them.