Mok Ho-ryong

Mok Ho-ryong (睦虎龍, 1684–1724) was a geomancer (jigwan) during the reign of Gyeongjong of Joseon and the informant in the Sinim Purge. His family seat was Sacheon (泗川).

Life

Sinim Purge

In the third lunar month of 1722 (second year of Gyeongjong), he reported that there was a plot by traitors to kill the king. The king immediately opened a court inquiry (jeonggug) and arrested more than sixty people whom Mok Ho-ryong had named as traitors, including Jeong In-jung, Kim Yong-taek, Yi Cheon-gi (李天紀), Baek Mang, Sim Sang-gil, Yi Hui-ji, and Kim Seong-haeng (金省行). While under interrogation, Baek Mang argued that the accusation had been fabricated by the Soron and Namin factions, who had lost power, in order to frame Yeonin-gun, the heir presumptive. However, the Namin officials in charge of the interrogation did not accept this. As a result, Yi Cheon-gi, Yi Hui-ji, Sim Sang-gil, Jeong In-jung, Kim Yong-taek, Baek Mang, Jang Se-sang, Hong Ui-in, and the so-called Four Ministers of the Gunjeo (who had established the heir presumptive), namely Yi I-myeong, Kim Chang-jip (金昌集), Yi Geon-myeong (李建命), and Jo Tae-chae (趙泰采), were executed one after another.

Mok Ho-ryong was named a Meritorious Subject for Supporting the State (扶社功臣), received the post of Concurrent Councillor of the Central Office (同中樞府事), and was enfeoffed as Lord Dongseong (東城君). After this incident, Yun Seon-geo and his son Yun Jeung (尹拯), who had formerly been leaders of the Soron, were posthumously restored to their official ranks.

Death

In 1724 (the year of Yeongjo's accession), after Yeongjo ascended the throne and the Noron came to power, Kim Il-gyeong, Mok Ho-ryong, and others were arrested. Yeongjo had been greatly harassed by the Soron while he was crown prince, and during Mok Ho-ryong's denunciation he had even been threatened with his life. Therefore, upon his accession, he immediately rejected the Soron and employed the Noron. Kim Il-gyeong called Yeongjo "Naeuri" (進賜, a respectful term for a prince who is not a king) while being tortured, did not treat him as king, and ultimately insisted that there were no accomplices. Only Mok Ho-ryong and were beheaded at Danggogae (唐古介). Mok Ho-ryong's head was hung in the street for three days, and the document in which he had made his denunciation was burned. Afterward, Min Jin-won (閔鎭遠) and Kim Jae-ro, who had long been in exile, were pardoned, and as the Noron came to lead the court, the official ranks of the four ministers were restored.