Gi Dae-hang

Gi Dae-hang (奇大恒, 1519 – 1564) was a civil official of mid-Joseon. His courtesy name was Gagu (可久), his posthumous name was Jeonggyeon (貞堅), and his family seat was Haengju (幸州). He was the son of Gi Jun (奇遵), a Director of the Office of Special Advisers, and a fourth cousin of the scholar Gi Dae-seung. He was a close associate of the royal in-law Yi Ryang, but in 1563, when Yi Ryang tried to remove Heo Yeop, Yi Mun-hyeong, Gi Dae-seung and others, Gi Dae-hang acted on the instructions of Sim Ui-gyeom and led the impeachment and attacks against Yi Ryang's faction, bringing about its downfall.

Life

In 1546 (1st year of Myeongjong), he passed the regular civil service examination (식년문과) and was placed in the second rank, beginning his official career. He afterward held a series of prestigious posts in the Three Offices and the censorate. In 1551 he was dispatched as a royal secret inspector to Pyeongan Province, where he investigated the abuses of the people, exposed corrupt officials, and returned. In 1552 he became Junior Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, in 1553 Remonstrance Recorder of the Remonstrance Office, and in 1554 Remonstrance Commissioner of the Remonstrance Office. He then served as Senior Compiler and Reader-in-Waiting of the Office of Special Advisers. In 1556 he was sent out as Governor of Hwanghae Province concurrently Magistrate of Haeju (黃海道觀察使兼海州牧使), and in 1557 he was appointed Acting Great Guard of the Yongyang Guard (行용양위대호군).

He then became a close associate of Yi Ryang, the powerful figure of Myeongjong's reign and maternal uncle of Queen Inswun. In 1561, while serving as Grand Remonstrance Commissioner, when calamities struck, he submitted six articles of a memorial on calamities (災變疏), recommending that the king devote himself to reverence for Heaven (敬天), emulation of the ancestors (法祖), diligence in learning (務學), acceptance of remonstrance (納諫), appointment of worthy men (任賢), and care for the people (愛民).

In 1563 he became Vice Director of the Office of Special Advisers. At that time, Yi Ryang, the dominant power of the day, tried to install his son Yi Jeong-bin as a in the . However, since Yi Ryang himself was Minister of Personnel, the rule against officials serving in offices related to their kin (상피제) forced his removal, and he then appointed , a friend of , as his successor. , , , and others opposed this, and Yi Ryang had the Chief Censor impeach them for forming cliques and inciting disorder. Yet Gi Dae-hang heard from that Yi Ryang intended to start a purge and wipe out the Sarim scholars, and he joined and others in exposing Yi Ryang's conduct.