Hong Ga-sin (洪可臣, 1541 – 1615) was a Neo-Confucian scholar, civil official, and man of letters of mid-Joseon. At the beginning of the Imjin War, he raised a volunteer army, and in 1596 he took part in suppressing Yi Mong-hak's Rebellion. He was a disciple of Hŏ Yŏp and Min Sun, and was a third-generation disciple of Seo Gyeong-deok; he also studied under Yi Hwang. Hong Eon-pil and Hong Seom, chief ministers during the reign of Jungjong, were his first cousin once removed (grand-uncle) and first cousin once removed (uncle), respectively. His courtesy name was Heungdo (興道), his art names were Mancheondang (晩全堂), Manjeon (晩全), and Gan-ong (艮翁), and his family seat was Namyang. His posthumous name was Munjang (文莊).
He studied under Hŏ Yŏp, and also under Min Sun, who was a disciple of Hwadam Seo Gyeong-deok, making him a third-generation disciple of Seo; later he visited Toegye Yi Hwang to study Neo-Confucianism. In 1567 (the 22nd year of Myeongjong's reign), during the reign of Myeongjong, he passed the jinsa examination and studied at Sungkyunkwan. He was recommended for his learning and conduct and entered office; in 1571 (the 4th year of Seonjo's reign) he became chambong of Gangneung (康陵參奉). In 1573, during the reign of Seonjo, he served as Vice Director of Yebinsi (禮賓寺主簿), and then as Junior Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Junior Inspector of Saheonbu, and in 1584 as magistrate of Ansan (安山郡守) and prefect of Suwon (水原府使), among other posts. While serving as magistrate of Ansan, he received the highest rating for his performance, and as prefect of Suwon he was commended for his achievements in famine relief; however, because he had close ties with Jeong Yeo-rip, he was dismissed in 1589 during the treason incident involving Jeong Yeo-rip. Nevertheless, among those who died in the Gichuk Literati Purge, he gave his own clothing to Yi Bal, and when Yi Bal and his brother died in prison, he personally washed and dressed Yi Bal's body and arranged his funeral despite objections from those around him.
When the Imjin War broke out in April 1592 (the 25th year of Seonjo's reign), he could not follow the king in the royal flight to Ŭiju because his family was poor. He went to Namyang, raised a volunteer army, fought the Japanese forces, and took the heads of Japanese soldiers. In 1593 (the 26th year of Seonjo's reign) he became magistrate of Paju and resolved the problem of Ming soldiers who were starving for lack of military grain. In 1594 (the 27th year of Seonjo's reign) he again became magistrate of Hongju, and in 1596, when Yi Mong-hak (李夢鶴) rebelled, he gathered militia and commanded government troops and volunteer forces. Together with the generals Park Myeong-hyeon (朴名賢) and Im Deuk-ui (林得義), he pacified Yi Mong-hak's Rebellion and became a first-class merit subject. While serving as magistrate of Haeju, many land and fields belonging to the princes, their consorts, and the various palaces existed, but he did not flatter them, and he eventually resigned. Afterward, after serving as prefect of Ganghwa and Vice Minister of Justice, he was appointed Gangwon governor, but because the registration of merit subjects had not been completed, he was reassigned as vice prefect of Hanseong. He later twice served as commander of Gaeseong, and in 1604 he was recorded as a first-class Cheongnan merit subject (淸亂功臣一等) for his earlier achievement in pacifying Yi Mong-hak's Rebellion, and in 1605 he was enfeoffed as Yeongwon-gun (寧原君). He contracted and repeatedly requested to resign, but was not granted permission; after serving as a senior official of the he rose to in 1610 (the 3rd year of Gwanghaegun's reign), and then resigned and retired (致仕). He went down to Asan, and died of wind disease and other chronic illnesses. After his death, he was posthumously granted the title of Right State Councillor concurrently Crown Prince's Tutor and Lord Yeongwon (寧原府院君).
생애
생애 초반
출생과 가계
Jangwonseo Sub-Director of Gardens (掌苑署掌苑) Hong On (洪昷, posthumously promoted repeatedly to Vice Minister of Personnel, Minister of Personnel, and State Councillor of the Uijeongbu) and Lady Shin of the Heungyang Shin clan (興陽申氏, daughter of County Magistrate Shin Yunpil (申允弼)) had a son, Hong Ga-sin. His younger brother was Hong Gyeong-sin (洪慶臣) and others.
After giving birth to Hong Ga-sin, his mother fell gravely ill from postpartum complications immediately after delivery. Because she spent many days caring for Lady Shin's illness, she had no time to look after the infant, and he was left unattended for several days. His family assumed he had died. A few days later, Lady Shin's illness improved somewhat, and when she happened to open the blanket and look at him, a bright radiance was in his face, and everyone found this strange. After Hong Ga-sin's birth mother, Lady Heungyang Shin, died, Hong On remarried Lady Seong. He also served his stepmother, Lady Seong, just as he would have his birth mother.
At the age of eight, he composed a poem in front of his father, Hong On, and presented it. It read, "On the walls of Zhao, suddenly the banner of Han Xin rises (趙壁忽竪韓信幟)." His father considered him remarkable. Soon afterward, beginning with the Xiaoxue (《小學》), he read the Analects (《論語》), the Mencius (《孟子》), and other classics. Beyond the Four Books and Five Classics, he loved reading, and he read the collected works of the various masters of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, as well as many other renowned collections. It is said that his brushwork and poetry were forceful. His family regarded him as a child who would carry on the achievements of his great-grandfather Hong Han (洪漢), and they placed their hopes in him.
He rose before dawn every day, washed his face, arranged his clothing and cap, combed his hair, and paid respects at the family shrine (家廟). Even in later years, he diligently rose at dawn, washed, put his clothing in order, and paid respects at the shrine, never skipping a single day. When performing ancestral rites, he always personally handled the ritual vessels and food offerings, and he did not have his sons or servants do it on his behalf. When asked about this, he said, "How could one serve one's parents and carry out ancestral rites by having others do it?"
수학과 소년기
When he was young, he went to study under Heo Yeop (草堂 許曄). Once, while studying under Heo Yeop, he went together with his peers. One day, Toegye Yi Hwang (李滉) happened to visit Heo Yeop and was present. Pointing at Hong Ga-sin, he asked, "Among the students, who is the boy in the black clothes, the second from the left?" and gazed at him for a long time.
He loved literature and rhetoric, and his poetry and prose generally sought to emulate Ban Gu (班固) of the Former Han in China and Du Fu (杜甫) of the Tang dynasty. Later, while studying under Seupjeong Min Sun (習靜 閔純), he came to regard literature as a minor skill and sought to learn the teachings of the Confucian sages. Regarding Min Sun, he cited Zhu Xi's praise of Li Yanping (李延平), in which Zhu Xi said, "Master Yanping was gentle, humble, sincere, and generous. Those who lived with him for a long time could not see the limits of his character. He was truly a great gentleman." He said that these words corresponded to Min Sun's virtuous conduct (溫謙慤厚, 人與之處, 久而不見其涯, 蔚然君子人也。此言與其德行相符云).
Later, when Toegye Yi Hwang was staying in Hanseong, he visited Yi Hwang's residence in Hanyang and received instruction from him as well. Having personally received Yi Hwang's bearing and guidance (儀形與音旨), he gained much benefit from observing and being moved by him. From then on, he strove even harder with diligence, discarding frivolous ornament and striving to be faithful to the essential. Every day he recited the Xinjing (《心經》), the Jinsilu (《近思錄》), and the books of Zhu Xi, kept them in mind, and took them as the foundation of his practice. Thereafter, he made sure that whatever good conduct he could perform each day was clear and fully carried out. He followed public principles and strove to cut off partiality and self-interest. He feared and avoided the worldly splendor, sensual pleasures, and profit of the world, and regarded them as if they would defile him.
관례 이후
After the coming-of-age ceremony (冠禮), he sought out and associated with the famous figures and sons of notable families of his time. Once, he took the Seonggyeongsi examination (謁聖試). Before he had finished composing his essay, the deadline for submitting answers arrived. A friend who had taken the examination with him advised him to imitate the famous works of Korean writers and submit that, but he refused. By the time he had finished writing his answer, the time had already expired. When he tried to include the paper with the others, he said with a serious expression, "I am about to take office and serve the king. How could I first deceive the king by doing something improper?" and he refused.
When he was seventeen or eighteen years old, his stepmother, Lady Seong, fell ill, and he cared for her with utmost devotion. He went to a physician and earnestly asked about medicine, but it was a medicine that was difficult to obtain. However, because he asked for it with such sincerity, the physician was moved by his filial piety and later said to others, "There are many who come to ask about medicine for their parents' illnesses, but none have moved people through sincerity as much as Scholar Hong."
In 1567 (the 22nd year of King Myeongjong's reign), he passed the Jinsa examination and became a Jinsa. After that, he did not take the civil service examinations. The reason is unknown, but according to the obituary in the Veritable Records of Gwanghaegun (光海君日記), he had given up on the civil service examinations early on. In 1567 (the 22nd year of King Myeongjong's reign), he became a student and entered the Royal Confucian Academy, where he studied as a student. During this time, he always made sure his words and actions accorded with ancient rules, and fellow students and onlookers sometimes laughed at him, but he remained unchanged in his conduct.
관료 생활 초반
학행과 출사
In 1571 (the 4th year of King Seonjo's reign), he was recommended for his scholarly conduct and was appointed, together with Gi Daejeong (奇大鼎) and others, as Chamber of the Gangneung Royal Tomb (康陵參奉). In December of 1573 (the 6th year of King Seonjo's reign), he was promoted to 6th rank as a recluse-scholar (山林). In 1574 (the 7th year of King Seonjo's reign), because of his outstanding talent and conduct, he was appointed Junior Secretary of the Office of State Hospitality (禮賓寺主簿). Soon afterward, he was transferred to be Junior Secretary of the Board of Punishments (刑曹佐郞), and later he served as Junior Magistrate of the Office of the Inspector General (司憲府持平).
In the autumn of 1574 (the 7th year of King Seonjo's reign), he took up his post as Magistrate of Buyeo. While implementing policies for the people, he also devoted his leisure time to reading, and he encouraged the young people of the region and the scholars of neighboring counties to study, teaching them in person. If anyone came wishing to learn, he accepted them and taught them directly. Since Buyeo County had been the former capital of Baekje (百濟), he especially built a shrine to honor Baekje's loyal ministers Seong Chung (成忠), Heungsu (興首), and Gyebaek (階伯). Because Yi Jon-o (李存吾), a Junior Remonstrator of the late Goryeo period, had denounced and opposed the abuse of power by Sin Don (辛旽) and had once been exiled to this place, Yi Jon-o was also enshrined there. When this became known, the court bestowed a special royal plaque, naming it the Uiyeol Shrine (義烈祠). He also built a small house by Nakhwa Rock (落花巖), named it Ijeong Pavilion (吏隱亭), and had local scholars and literary men gather there to discuss learning and refine their poetry and prose. At first only one or two scholars came, but later many scholars visited and came to enjoy a carefree, self-fulfilling life there. After he had invigorated the literary culture of the region and his term came to an end, he was appointed Junior Magistrate of the Office of the Inspector General and returned to the capital. The people of Buyeo County petitioned that he be reappointed, but since their request was not granted, they erected a monument in his honor and inscribed songs of praise upon it to commemorate him specially.
When he was serving as a censor, a friend of his was in the Board of Personnel but failed to recommend suitable people properly. He showed no leniency at all and impeached this friend, having him dismissed from office. In June of 1578 (the 11th year of King Seonjo's reign), he was investigated for failing to tame horses that had been distributed for raising, and he resigned on his own accord.
계미삼찬과 기축옥사
In 1579 (the 12th year of King Seonjo's reign), he resigned due to the death of his stepmother and observed the three-year mourning period. During this mourning, he carried out every ritual observance strictly according to proper ceremonial rules. After he took off his mourning clothes, he could not bear to part from his younger brother Hong Gyeong-sin, and so he built a house on the site where he had observed the three-year mourning and lived within the same wall enclosure.
Meanwhile, in 1583 (the 16th year of King Seonjo's reign), due to conflict between the Easterner and Westerner factions, several people, including Song Eung-gae (宋應漑) and Heo Bong (許篈), impeached Yi I (李珥) and denounced him as a Buddhist monk. They criticized and rejected Yi I by referring to his past as a man who had become a monk in a black robe (緇髡). Hong Ga-sin, however, said that this was not the kind of discourse a gentleman should engage in, and he criticized Song Eung-gae, Heo Bong, and others for it.
In the summer of 1583 (the 16th year of King Seonjo's reign), he became Junior Magistrate of the Office of the Inspector General (司憲府掌令). In 1584 (the 17th year of King Seonjo's reign), he took up his post as Magistrate of Ansan (安山郡守). While serving as Magistrate of Ansan, he received the highest rating in the annual evaluation of local officials' performance, and he was promoted to Prefect of Suwon (水原府使). In 1588, while serving as Prefect of Suwon, he accumulated merit in famine relief and was commended. However, in 1588, Jo Heon and others submitted a memorial that attacked him as a member of Heo Bong's faction. In 1589 (the 22nd year of King Seonjo's reign), the rebellion plot of Jeong Yeo-rip occurred and expanded into the Gihuk Purge. Because he had been closely associated with Jeong Yeo-rip, Hong Ga-sin was impeached by Baek Yuham (白惟諴) and others on that ground. He resigned and spent several years at home.
Although he had been on friendly terms with Jeong Yeo-rip, he was critical of Jeong's extensive learning and erudition, and he expressed the view that because Jeong read many miscellaneous books, he could hardly be considered a true scholar.
임진왜란 전후
임진왜란 직후
In April of 1592 (the 25th year of King Seonjo's reign), the Imjin War broke out. On April 30, King Seonjo resolved to flee and the royal procession departed for exile (播遷). Because his family was poor and he had no horse, he could not accompany the royal carriage. He went on foot to Goyang (高陽), but the royal carriage had already left, so he always gazed toward the west and wept. In the autumn of 1592, he went to Namyang (南陽), raised a militia and established a Gipo (機捕) post, led the sons of his fellow villagers, fought the Japanese invaders and won, and took the heads of the enemy as trophies.
Afterward, he was appointed Magistrate of Paju (坡州牧使). He handed over the militia to a prominent local figure and went to take up his post in Paju.
On May 11, 1593 (the 26th year of King Seonjo's reign), he was appointed and took up his post as Magistrate of Paju. At that time, Paju was a gateway leading to the southwest, and during the Imjin War it suffered severe devastation from war. When a Ming general entered the Paju area, the soldiers went without food for two days, and he grew angry and waited for the new magistrate to arrive. When Hong Ga-sin arrived at his post, he presented his calling card and requested a meeting. The Ming general, observing that his bearing was extraordinary, immediately bowed and said, "The lack of military provisions in this county is entirely due to the laxity of the county's discipline and the crimes of its clerks." Hong Ga-sin, with his hands clasped, expressed thanks and said, "The fault truly lies with the magistrate. How could the magistrate dare to refuse to die for it?" The Ming general raised both hands and said that ordinarily, human nature always tends to push faults onto others, but now only Your Excellency does not do so, and that he was far more virtuous than others.
As soon as he arrived at Paju as magistrate, he restored order to the confused popular sentiment of Paju and rebuilt and recovered the region, which had been reduced to ruin by the war. At the same time, he notified the Office of the Commissioner-General (體察使府) and obtained several hundred hok (斛) of rice, which he quickly used to relieve the hunger of the Ming relief troops. Not long afterward, because it was deemed unsuitable for a scholar like him to take charge of military affairs and resist the enemy, he was removed from his post as Magistrate of Paju according to the court's deliberations, and a military officer was appointed in his place. On the day he left Paju, people of the county, young and old, came out to the ferry crossing, wailing, and then returned home. After he was dismissed from office, he went to Hoyu (湖右) and lived there temporarily. At this time, his entire household went hungry, but he did not mind at all.
In 1593 (the 26th year of King Seonjo's reign), when King Seonjo's royal procession returned to the capital, he submitted a memorial of ten thousand words, which proposed the framework of schools, the reasons the rebellion had occurred, and strategies for recovery. In the following spring, by special royal appointment, he was appointed Magistrate of Hongju (洪州牧使). At this time, Kim Eung-nam (金應南) said to others, "When I first read the memorial of Mr. Hong, I felt a chill run through my body without realizing it, and my hair stood on end. Yet not only did King Seonjo not punish him, but he appointed him to a large county. One can say that this is a worthy king with a worthy minister."
홍주목사 재직 시절
At this time, Prince Gwanghae (光海君), who was serving as Supervisor (監務), arrived at Hongju by way of Jeonju (全州). The civil and military officials who followed and guarded Prince Gwanghae dragged their wives and children along with them and caused various kinds of harm to the people through extortion. When the eunuchs and officials attending Prince Gwanghae in Hongju tried to flaunt their authority, he restrained them completely, conveyed the matter to Prince Gwanghae, and prevented it. He also supervised the local clerks so that they gave not even one mun (文) of money privately beyond what was provided according to law and official duties. The palace attendants and eunuchs came to hate him, spread rumors and slander against him, but he was not in the least moved.
As the Imjin War was not resolved easily and no sign of an agreement between Ming China and Japan appeared, local officials along the coast competed to prepare ships to evacuate their families in case of emergency. He alone did not do any such thing at all. When people sometimes asked him the reason, he said, "If some misfortune should come, I will die for the country, and my wife and children will die for me. Why should I make plans in advance to keep my own body safe and protect my wife and children?" Those who heard him were moved to admiration.
In 1596 (the 29th year of King Seonjo's reign), the Ming envoys Yi Jong-seong (李宗誠) and Yang Bang-hyeong (楊邦亨) came to Joseon carrying an imperial edict to conciliate Toyotomi Hideyoshi of Japan by enfeoffing him as a feudal lord. At this time, he was appointed as a deputy official of the Wonjeopsa (原接使), took charge of hospitality duties, and went to Jeoneui County (全義縣). At that time, the Provincial Governor and magistrates of each county had all arrived and were seated in a row along the road. A Ming general, displeased with something, released his military officers to threaten them violently, and the various magistrates, alarmed, fled and hid. He alone knelt down, sat solemnly, and did not move. A Ming official who watched him for a long time scolded the officers and had them withdraw, then sought paper and brush, wrote something, and showed it to him. This official was Zhang Bangda (張邦達), the chief secretary (掌書記) of the Ming envoys. Zhang Bangda wrote that he had seen many scholars under heaven, but few like Hong. He then came forward, stroked Hong's knees, and said, "If you kneel like this every time, is it not painful?" and helped him up. From then on, he kept up constant contact with the Ming envoys, and Zhang Bangda in particular showed him heartfelt warmth and sent gifts when they parted. Zhang Bangda was also known for his skill in writing and for his talent in reading people's physiognomy.
On July 16, 1596 (the 29th year of King Seonjo's reign), he was reappointed as Magistrate of Hongju.
이몽학의 난
That autumn, in Chungcheong, Yi Mong-hak (李夢鶴), who was presumed to be of royal lineage, took advantage of the unrest among the people to raise an army. He lured foolish commoners into forming a force of more than ten thousand men. After capturing six counties in Chungcheong and two magistrates, they tried to march on the capital, and the surrounding regions fell into chaos. At this time, the garrison of Hongju numbered only a few hundred men, and because the walls were small and low, those who discussed the matter urged him to abandon the city and go to the king to render loyal service (勤王). He sighed and said, "The ministers who guard the country die defending the city walls and the borders. This is the ancient system. I have received an order to guard this land. How could I leave because the situation is urgent?" At that time, some people also urged him to send his wife and children away to safety, but he refused to listen to any of them. He called all his descendants and relatives who were outside the walls into the city, closed the gates, and showed his resolve to die together with them. As a result, the hearts of the people became even firmer.
Thereupon, he divided the soldiers and devised a plan to defend the city. Naval Commander Choe Ho (崔湖) was stationed at his garrison and sent him a proclamation (檄文) summoning him to the naval headquarters. He did not comply, and said, "Hongju is like the throat of Hoseo. If I retreat even a single step, the enemy will surely seize the advantage." Instead, he summoned Naval Commander Choe Ho to that place and proposed that they defend the provincial city together. Choe Ho followed, led the magistrates and troops of Nampo and Boryeong, and arrived at Hongju with his forces.
He divided the defense of the city with Commander Choe Ho, giving Choe Ho the secure section and taking the vulnerable section for himself. He personally encouraged the troops, carried bowls and distributed food, and swore to defend the city to the death. The soldiers were moved to tears. After several days, Yi Mong-hak's army arrived at Hongju, pressed against the ramparts, and set up camp, dividing into three camps. At times they charged on horseback to display their strength, and at other times they scattered to form the appearance of encircling Hongju Fortress, using all kinds of intimidation.
He kept the city quiet and silent, strictly guarded the watchtowers, and arranged the ranks of soldiers to show a formation that could not be breached. The enemy, having exhausted their strategies and lost their spirit, hesitated and tried to withdraw. As night fell and rain began to fall, the enemy scattered among the villages and became very disorderly. He said, "The rebels are a mob of disorganized soldiers. Their noise shows that we can defeat them." He then tore down the fence of the government office and used bamboo stored in the armory to make torches, which he gave to the soldiers guarding the battlements. He also selected several hundred archers and crossbowmen, had them leave the city and lie in ambush in the rice paddies, and ordered them to wait for a signal fire from inside the city. In the middle of the night, the men guarding the battlements of Hongju Fortress raised fire three times as a signal, and also shot fire arrows from the walls to burn the tents where Yi Mong-hak's army was encamped. The fire blazed up fiercely in the strong wind. At this time, he beat drums inside the city to raise morale, and the heavens and earth shook, causing Yi Mong-hak's army to panic and fall into disorder.
At that moment, the several hundred archers and crossbowmen he had sent rose all at once and shot arrows, killing many of Yi Mong-hak's soldiers. Yi Mong-hak's army began to flee in great defeat. He sent the brave general Park Myeong-hyeon (朴名賢) and others to pursue the fleeing army of Yi Mong-hak, and they killed them all. At this time, Yi Mong-hak, who was fleeing, was betrayed and killed by his subordinate Lim Eok-myeong (林億明), who cut off Yi Mong-hak's head and presented it to him. Thus the rebellion came to an end.
In 1599 (the 32nd year of King Seonjo's reign), he was removed from the post of Magistrate of Hongju upon the expiration of his term.
전란 종결 직후
When he left his post as Magistrate of Hongju, his travel belongings were meager, and his household had no food to sustain them morning or evening. The people of Hongju sent him several dozen hok of barley as a special gift, but he refused to accept it. Only after they insisted did he keep one hok and returned the rest to the Hongju Office. From then on, King Seonjo offered him several official posts, but he declined them all and did not take up any of them. In 1600 (the 33rd year of King Seonjo's reign), when he was appointed Chamchu (僉樞), he expressed gratitude and took up his post.
Soon afterward, he was appointed Magistrate of Haeju (海州牧使). At this time, a certain minister, through a junior official of the Personnel Board (選曹), hinted to him that Haeju was a difficult place to govern. The junior official, speaking on the minister's behalf, advised him, "Haeju is where the estates held by many royal princes and the twelve palaces of the royal princesses are concentrated within one county. How could governing this region not be difficult? Therefore, it would be better to resign and not take up the post." However, he replied that it was a subject's duty to undertake difficult tasks, and in the end he took up his post at Haeju.
When he arrived at Haeju, a clerk said that according to recent custom, a magistrate upon first taking office would first visit the various palaces before assuming his duties. He did not follow this custom, and after he had first assumed his post as Magistrate of Haeju, he visited the various palaces. During his tenure as Magistrate of Haeju, a local clerk said that previously there were always separate tributes to be presented to the various palaces, and that they had also provided hospitality to the royal princes and royal sons-in-law. He replied, "Frequent dealings with the palace harm the integrity of the scholar-officials. Moreover, the people's strength is exhausted from supporting the many palaces with the land of a single county and paying military supplies. Yet I cannot bring myself to do such a thing merely to show that I am preserving my position and keeping my status." In the end, he resigned from his post as Magistrate of Haeju before completing his term and returned home.
공신 책록
In May of 1601 (the 34th year of King Seonjo's reign), he was appointed Acting Vice Commander of the Guard (行副護軍). The Office for the Compilation of Merit Records for Meritorious Subjects (功臣錄勳都監) recorded him again as a meritorious subject. When an order for his reinstatement was issued, on May 21 of that year he submitted a memorial requesting that the Office be abolished and that his reinstatement be revoked. However, King Seonjo did not listen.
In 1602 (the 35th year of King Seonjo's reign), he was recorded among the Meritorious Subjects of the Cheongnan Merit for suppressing the rebellion of Yi Mong-hak, and he was enfeoffed as Lord Yeongwon (寧原君). Having received the order, he went to the capital and submitted a memorial declining the honor.
"The disorderly soldiers of Yi Mong-hak had no roots. They were merely a spirit that survived by borrowed breath and fish inside a cauldron. How could they not be destroyed? That I defended Hongju Fortress was simply fulfilling a subject's duty. What merit could there be that deserves to be recorded? I respectfully dare to decline."
He submitted memorials twice declining the honor of being recorded as a meritorious subject, but King Seonjo did not grant his request and recorded him as a meritorious subject. Immediately afterward, he was appointed Judge (判決事) of the Office of Public Documents. Later he took part in the Office for the Correction of the Book of Changes (周易校正廳) and was concurrently appointed as a Senior Official (堂上). He was then transferred to Vice Minister of the Board of Punishments and was appointed Governor of Gangwon Province (江原道觀察使). At this time, the Meritorious Subjects Office reported that the recording of meritorious subjects had not yet been completed, so his assumption of the post as Governor of Gangwon was put on hold, and he was soon removed from it. Shortly afterward, he became Vice Governor of the Hanseong Court and concurrently Senior Official of the Geumo (漢城右尹兼金吾堂上).
관료 생활 후반
When he became a Senior Official of the Geumo, a certain prime minister had been captured when Japanese forces overran the country during the Imjin War. It was said that he had called himself a subject of the Japanese forces. Someone witnessed this and testified to it, and the minister was punished and exiled because of his conduct during the Imjin War. When his son submitted a memorial pleading that he be allowed to return to his home and be released, the court was asked to release this senior official. Several senior officials, moved by human sentiment, were inclined to comply with the request, but he opposed it on the ground that it was a crime related to the moral order (倫紀), and so the matter was finally dropped.
Once, when a drought occurred and the court had to handle a case of wrongful imprisonment, a high official who had taken a bribe tried to release that prime minister, but the matter was discovered and he was interrogated. Many people's opinions favored saving the high official who had given the bribe and the prime minister, but he said that under the law, the crime of accepting bribes must never be forgiven, and he refused. The elder brother of the high official who had given the bribe was related to him by marriage and had been on good terms with him. When this relative came to him, wept, and pleaded on behalf of his younger brother, he felt sorrow for his request and, though he was moved to tears, he said that private sentiment could not override public opinion, and in the end he did not grant the request.
In 1604 (the 37th year of King Seonjo's reign), he was promoted to Jahon Daebu (資憲大夫). He declined, but King Seonjo did not allow it. Soon afterward, he was appointed Minister of the Board of Punishments and attended the royal lecture sessions as a Special Tutor (經筵特進官). At that time, King Seonjo had been bedridden for a long time, and the ministers competed to submit prescriptions. However, instead of a prescription, he offered this advice to the king: "The ancients said that treating an illness is like governing a country. Just as the country is well governed when the ruler is upright, the mind is the master of the five viscera, the six organs, and all the pulses. Therefore, one must keep the mind pure and reduce desires to nourish the root of the illness. Then all diseases can be cured. One must not rely on medicine alone." Those who heard him all said that his metaphor was excellent.
While serving as Minister of the Board of Punishments, he arrested several palace servants who had committed illegal acts and had them beaten to death.
In the autumn of 1605 (the 38th year of King Seonjo's reign), Hanseong and Gyeonggi Province suffered a flood in which many people and livestock were swept away and drowned. He was granted a special audience and spoke very earnestly about the causes of the calamity. Oh Eok-ryeong, who had attended the Gyeongyeon at the same time, came out and told others, "What he presented had a sincere flavor. He is truly a man of learning." By this time, he already intended to retire from office, and he said to others, "Among the scholar-officials of our country, none step down even when they reach old age. They do not know how deeply shameful this is."
On 21 July 1603, he went out as Yusu of Kaesong Prefecture. By the old custom of Kaesong, silver and ginseng needed whenever an imperial envoy arrived were purchased in the marketplace in advance and stored in the government warehouse before the envoy's arrival. When he took office at Kaesong Prefecture, he said that the goods were greasy and that handling them would soil people. He therefore had merchants count the number of gift lists and buy the goods only when the relevant messenger arrived, and he did not allow clerks to interfere. The people found this very convenient.
Many palace slaves relied on their power to commit robbery, and wherever the palace estates of each palace were located, they appeared and made various demands, so that the people could not survive. When he took up a post as a local official, he consistently punished palace slaves by law whenever they committed abuses of the people or robbery. From that time on, the palace slaves feared and avoided him and did not approach his post. Earlier, when he served as Minister of Justice, he had arrested several palace slaves who had committed illegal acts and had them beaten to death with heavy rods. Because of this, palace slaves and local functionaries generally knew of it and feared him even more. On 30 August 1603, he was appointed as a special adviser to the Gyeongyeon.
Later life
Illness and retirement
On 12 March 1605 (the 38th year of King Seonjo's reign), he was appointed Minister of Justice, and on 14 March he was granted the rank of Jeongheon and concurrently served as a special adviser to the Gyeongyeon. On 10 December of the same year, he was again appointed Yusu of Kaesong Prefecture, and on 25 August 1606 he resigned and was transferred to the post of Yeongwon-gun.
He once asked a painter to paint for him the "Returning Home" scroll of Tao Yuanming (陶淵明, also called Tao Qian 陶潛) of the Tang dynasty of China, and he hung it on the wall as something to look at morning and evening. At this time, in the autumn, he was stricken with wind disorder, and because of his illness he submitted a memorial requesting to resign, and King Seonjo permitted it. On that very day he took a boat from Yeseong River and went down by way of the Yellow Sea to Asan, where his lands were.
In the spring of 1607 (the 40th year of King Seonjo's reign), King Seonjo summoned the meritorious subjects and held a banquet for them, and he was summoned by the king's order, but because of his illness he could not go to court. He submitted a memorial declining and expressing thanks. At this time, he composed an admonitory text of sixteen characters and presented it.
Cultivate virtue and strengthen oneself (修德自强)
Purify the mind and nourish the vital energy (淸心養氣)
Be close to the worthy and keep away from flatterers (親賢遠佞)
Fear heaven and protect the people (畏天保民)
In the summer of 1607, he requested to retire (致仕) in accordance with the old precedents of the Tang and Song dynasties, but King Seonjo did not permit it. In the autumn of 1607, he suffered severely from wind paralysis, and King Seonjo personally sent physicians to care for him and sent medicines. He was moved to tears and expressed his gratitude. In 1608 (the 41st year of King Seonjo's reign), when King Seonjo died, he, though bedridden, wept loudly, was carried to the capital, entered the mourning place of King Seonjo, and wept there before returning.
After Gwanghaegun ascended the throne, he served as Jeong of the Office of Court Ceremonies, Vice Mayor of Hanseong, and concurrently Commissioner of the Office of Royal Inspection, among other posts. In the early years of Gwanghaegun's reign, in response to Jeong Gyeong-se's (愚伏 鄭經世) call for opinions, he submitted a sealed memorial stating that royal in-laws and powerful nobles were trying to abuse their power, and he petitioned that they be removed. This angered Gwanghaegun, who intended to reprimand him severely. Upon hearing this, he again submitted a memorial asking for understanding, saying that one should distribute likes and dislikes fairly and accept frank words. Gwanghaegun then suspected him, asking whether these words were not meant to defend a particular faction.
Early reign of Gwanghaegun
In September 1610 (the 2nd year of Gwanghaegun's reign), the Five Worthies were enshrined in the Confucian temple. Beyond the scholars who had long been enshrined there, the decision was made to newly enshrine Kim Gwang-pil, Jeong Yeo-chang, Jo Gwang-jo, Yi Eon-jeok, and Yi Hwang in the Confucian temple. At this time, when Cho Shik was excluded from the enshrinement of the Five Worthies, Jeong In-hong (鄭仁弘) submitted a memorial requesting resignation, and in it he said that the enshrinement of Yi Eon-jeok (李彦迪) and Yi Hwang (李滉) in the Confucian temple was improper. On the contrary, he mentioned that Yi Hwang had criticized his teacher Cho Shik and defended his teacher Cho Shik.
At this time, when Jeong In-hong criticized Yi Eon-jeok of Hoejae and Yi Hwang, many scholars from the provinces took turns submitting writings to reject him, and they also criticized Nammyeong Cho Shik (南冥 曺植). He said that it was not right to criticize even Cho Shik, and asked: how is this different from the quarrels of merchants or women? He said that if the moral virtue and conduct of the two worthies were made clear, heretical theories would quiet down by themselves, so why must it go so far? He dismissed the matter by saying that the lofty conduct of Nammyeong Cho Shik, who withdrew from the world and lived in seclusion, was also admirable.
In 1610 (the 2nd year of Gwanghaegun's reign), he became Minister of Justice, but citing his advanced age, he again requested to retire (致仕), and Gwanghaegun permitted it. Thereupon Shim Hui-su (沈喜壽) sent him a letter of congratulation, praising him as the foremost among recent scholar-officials in preserving his reputation and remaining without flaw from beginning to end. After submitting his resignation memorial, he immediately went down to Asan by boat. Though he was ill and bedridden, when scholars, young men, and students came to visit him, he taught them writing, and his bearing never became disordered.
Death
In the winter of 1610, he was specially promoted to Sungjeong Daebu (崇政大夫) for his service as an attendant when the royal carriage stayed at Hongyang. He earnestly declined, but the promotion was not revoked. That year, he was again summoned to attend the meritorious subjects' covenant banquet, but he declined due to old age and illness. Even as his illness grew grave, he lay in bed and personally bathed and dressed, straightened his clothing and hat, and sometimes, supported by others, rose and sat upright on his knees with his collar straightened. His spirit and complexion did not change in the slightest. In 1611, he submitted a memorial saying that it was not right for him to receive a salary even though he had left office, but Gwanghaegun said that it was given because he was a meritorious subject and told him not to refuse.
In his later years, he delighted in reading the Book of Changes (周易), and he read it late into the night, even forgetting to sleep. He arranged his desk and seat, gathered his knees, and sat upright, calming his mind and carefully considering the meaning of the examination writings, and he never neglected to think about their intent. When junior students came to learn from him, he taught them according to their talents, and he did not try to force explanations on matters he himself did not understand.
His works include the Collected Works of Manjeon (晩全集) and Manjeondang Manrok (晩全堂漫錄). In the spring of 1615 (the 7th year of Gwanghaegun's reign), he lay ill in bed and became gravely ill, and at that time his wife, Lady Yi of Jaeryeong, died first. Upon hearing of his wife's death while lying in bed, he wept sorrowfully, and his illness grew worse, and on 14 June of that year he died of wind disorder and old age at his private residence in Asan. It is said that on the day he died the sky was overcast, and he passed away amid sudden thunder and lightning.
After death
On 24 July 1615 (the 7th year of Gwanghaegun's reign), he was posthumously granted the title of Jeung (贈) Daegwang Boguk Sungnok Daebu, Right State Councilor of the State Council (大匡輔國崇祿大夫議政府右議政), concurrently Chief of the Gyeongyeon and Supervisor of the Office of the Royal Historiographer and Tutor to the Crown Prince (兼領經筵事監春秋館事世子傅), and was posthumously enfeoffed as Yeongwon Bu-wongun (寧原府院君).
He was temporarily buried nearby, and then in June 1616 (the 8th year of Gwanghaegun's reign) he was reburied on the Oh-hyang slope of Daedong in Namyeon, Asan County. When he died, Gwanghaegun suspended court audiences, issued government funds, and ordered that his funeral be conducted at public expense in accordance with the rites for meritorious subjects. The inscription for his spirit stele was written by Jo Gyeong (龍洲 趙絅), known as Yongju.
Scholars of Asan and Onyang counties built a shrine and held sacrificial rites for him, and it was granted a royal name plaque as Insan Seowon in Asan and Jeongtoe Seowon in Onyang. Later, the Confucian scholars of Hongju (洪州) built a shrine to him on Baekwol Mountain (白月山) in Wolsan-ri, Hongseong-eup, Hongseong County, and named it Hongju Jeongnan Shrine (洪州靖難祠). They also erected a stele to him to honor his merit, and they specially called it the "Cheongnan Stele" (淸難碑), and Yongju Jo Gyeong wrote its inscription.
Yi Hyeon-il (葛庵 李玄逸) submitted a memorial on his behalf, and on 2 January 1693 (the 19th year of King Sukjong's reign) he was posthumously granted the posthumous name Munjang (文莊) by King Sukjong.
His descendants preserved the royal edicts that had been passed down in their family, and on 20 July 2011 the family's royal edicts were designated as Regional Tangible Cultural Heritage No. 219, and on 20 January 2014 they were designated as Treasure No. 1815.
Works
- Collected Works of Manjeon (晩全集)
- Manjeondang Manrok (晩全堂漫錄)
Genealogy
His great-grandfather was Hong Han (洪瀚), a disciple of Kim Jong-jik who suffered in the Muo Literary Purge during the reign of Yeonsangun and who served as Councillor of Personnel (이조참의). His grandfather was Hong Yun-chang (洪允昌), Magistrate of the Naeseomsa, who wrote the Chungju Famine Relief Manual, the earliest famine relief book of Joseon, and his father was Hong On (洪昷), who served as Jangwon-seo Jangwon (掌苑署 掌苑).
He was in-laws with Admiral Yi Sun-sin, and his son Hong Bi (洪棐) was Yi Sun-sin's son-in-law. His son Hong Yeong was the son-in-law of Heo Seong. His grandsons included Hong Woo-won, who rose to the rank of Minister, the scholar Hong Woo-jeong, who was honored as one of the Five Worthies of Taebaek and received a perpetual ancestral tablet (不遷位), and Hong Woo-ryang, who became a model of incorruptible officials. The nephew of his great-grandfather Hong Han was Hong Eon-pil (洪彦弼), the father of the wealthy and prime-minister-level official, and Hong Seom was his son, making him a first cousin once removed of Hong Ga-sin.
- Grandfather: Hong Yun-chang
- Father: Hong On (洪昷)
- Mother: Lady Heungyang Shin (興陽申氏), daughter of Magistrate Shin Yun-pil (申允弼)
- Stepmother: Lady Seong
- Wife: Lady Yi of Jaeryeong (載寧李氏, ? – 1615), daughter of Byeoljae Yi Hyeong (李衡), great-grandchild of Governor Yi Maeng-hyeon (李孟賢)
- Son: Hong Eun (洪檃), Magistrate
- Son: Hong Yeong (洪榮, ? – 20 April 1624), Seo-yun (庶尹) of Hanseong
- Grandson: Hong Woo-jeong (洪宇定, 1593 – 1654)
- Grandson: Hong Woo-gwan (洪宇寬)
- Grandson: Hong Woo-won (洪宇遠)
- Grandson: Hong Woo-ryang (洪宇亮)
- Grandson: Hong Woo-goeng (洪宇宏)
- Granddaughter's husband: Yi Wi-gyeong (李偉卿)
- Granddaughter's husband: ?
- Son: Hong Jeol (洪楶), Chambong
- Grandson: Hong Woo-suk (洪宇肅)
- Granddaughter's husband: Yi Hae (李澥), Hamreung Bu-wongun (咸陵府院君)
- Son: Hong Bi (洪棐), Eopyu (業儒), posthumously Champ'an (參判)
- Grandson: Hong Woo-tae (洪宇泰)
- Grandson: Hong Woo-gi (洪宇紀)
- Grandson: Hong Woo-hyeong (洪宇逈)
- Grandson: Hong Jin-ha (洪振夏)
- Son: Hong Gye (洪棨), Eopyu (業儒)
- Daughter: Lady Hong of Namyang
- Son-in-law: Shim Cheon-jeong (沈天挺), Pan-gwan
- Daughter: Lady Hong of Namyang
- Son-in-law: Shin Yong (申涌), Gamsa
- Outer grandson: Shin Deuk-hong (申得洪)
- Outer grandson: Shin Deuk-myeong (申得溟)
- Maternal grandfather: Shin Yun-pil (申允弼)
- Others
- Hong Eon-pil, first cousin twice removed
- Hong Eon-gwang, first cousin twice removed
- Hong Seom, first cousin once removed
- Hong Dam, first cousin once removed
Evaluation
The Veritable Records say that he was pure, simple, and had few desires, and that he strove to fulfill his duties, and that in every post he held there were achievements of good governance.
He did not want the boisterous evaluations of later generations, and so he left a self-written epitaph. In it he briefly evaluated himself: "A hundred years of life is fleeting, so I did not indulge in dissipation; the moon shines on the paulownia, and the clear breeze passes through the willow." He also briefly described, in three or four lines, his participation in suppressing Yi Mong-hak's Rebellion.
Miscellaneous
Defense of monism of principle and material force
He also paid deep attention to Neo-Confucianism. Although he was a disciple of Seo Gyeong-deok and also a disciple of Toegye Yi Hwang, he rejected dualism of principle and material force and defended monism of principle and material force (理氣一元論). He regarded principle and material force as the essence of the universe, and as the essence of principle and material force. He viewed principle and material force as circulating with each other, and therefore he considered principle and material force to be one. He held that all things are generated in the process of principle and material force circulating with each other, and that they are harmonized and separated into yin and yang. Accordingly, he agreed with the monism of principle and material force. From youth, with outstanding talent, he was valued by his teachers when he came and went among the disciples of Min Sun, Heo Yeop, and Yi Hwang.
He also regarded the afterlife as illusory and rejected Buddhism and Taoism. He criticized the philosophy of Laozi, which advocates the separation of life and death, the theory of the afterlife, and the view of Buddhism that drives human life into empty extinction.
Relations with Jeong Yeo-rip
He was of about the same age as Jeong Yeo-rip (鄭汝立) and was one of his friends. In a conversation with someone, Jeong Yeo-rip praised him as broadly learned, but he did not respond. After the guest left, his younger brother Hong Gyeong-sin asked him the reason, and he replied that because he had read many miscellaneous books, he had not heard himself called a man of learning.
When Jeong Yeo-rip came to visit him in Suwon, their conversation went as far as criticizing Zhu Xi. When he heard Jeong Yeo-rip say that Zhu Xi was not bright in mathematics, he thereafter regarded Jeong Yeo-rip as not a worthy scholar and did not meet him again. However, when Jeong Yeo-rip was accused of treason in the Gichuk Literary Purge and died, he did not show any sign of its subtle beginnings on his face beforehand.
Conducting Yi Bal's funeral
At the time of the Gichuk Literary Purge, the brothers of Yi Bal (李潑) did not participate in the rebellion of Jeong Yeo-rip, but they were falsely accused, exiled, and later beaten to death. When the brothers of Yi Bal died, people all feared the calamity and did not speak to one another, but he pitied Yi Bal and sighed.
When Yi Bal was exiled, he visited him and took off his own robe and gave it to Yi Bal. When Yi Bal and the others died, he visited and took off his own clothes to cover the corpses. He also personally wished to conduct Yi Bal's funeral and shrouding, and although his children and relatives all tearfully tried to stop him, he sighed and said, "I know of his injustice. How could I bear to change my mind because of disaster or fortune?" He shrouded Yi Bal and the others and buried them.
Related cultural properties
This article contains content based on the Global World Encyclopedia distributed under the GFDL or CC-SA license by Daum Communications (now Kakao).