Hong Yeo-sun

Hong Yeo-sun (洪汝諄, 1547 – 1609) was a civil official of Joseon. His courtesy name was Sasin, and his family seat was Namyang. Jeongbin Hong, a concubine of King Seonjo, was his niece.

Life

He passed the civil service examination during the reign of King Seonjo and served as Jipyeong, Jangnyeong, and magistrate of Cheongpyeong County before becoming governor of Hwanghae Province. He traveled to Ming China as a deputy envoy for the Chinese emperor's birthday. On the 23rd day of the 6th lunar month of 1591, he resigned as Daesagan.¹ He later became Minister of War. During the Imjin War in 1592, he served as Governor-Inspector of the Northern Provinces, and he was promoted to Senior Assistant State Councillor (Upchamchan). However, when Gwanghaegun, who was obsessed with factional strife, looked upon him, he fabricated his character as bad, and he was impeached by the censorate and exiled to Suncheon. As a member of the Northern Faction, he served as Jungchubusa, Governor of Hamgyong Province, and Governor of Jeolla Province. When the Imjin War ended, he drove out Ryu Seong-ryong and seized political power. He then served as Commissioner of the Royal Secretariat, Minister of Justice, Minister of War, Grand Minister of the Office of the Inspector-General (Daesahon), Senior Assistant State Councillor, Minister of Revenue, Director of the Office of Public Works, and Left Assistant State Councillor. The Northern Faction later split in two, and he became the leader of the Great Northern faction and fought against the Small Northern faction. In 1608, when Gwanghaegun ascended the throne, he became Minister of Justice, but he was then exiled to Jindo, where he died.

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