Mok Nae-seon (睦來善, 1617 – 1704) was a Joseon scholar-official. His family seat was Sacheon (泗川). His courtesy name was Naeji (來之), and his art names were Suong (睡翁) and Suheon (睡軒). He rose to the posts of Left State Councillor and Right State Councillor.
He was a Neo-Confucian scholar and a specialist in ritual studies, and he was also well known as a calligrapher. As a central figure of the Namin (Southern Faction), when the Namin split over the punishment of Song Si-yeol, he did not side with his teacher Heo Mok (許穆), the leader of the hardline Cheongnam faction. Instead, he became a central figure of the moderate Taknam faction.
Life
He was a descendant of Kim Sik (金湜), a Neo-Confucian scholar and one of the Gichu Myeongheon (己卯名賢), and of Mok Se-ching (睦世秤), who was Kim Sik's first cousin once removed and a disciple. He was the son of Mok Seo-heum (睦敍欽), who served as Jungchuchubusa and was posthumously appointed Chief State Councillor of the State Council. His mother, Lady Gwon, was the daughter of Gwon Tak (權晫), who was posthumously appointed Minister of War. Early on, he became a disciple of Heo Mok, who carried on the scholarly lineage of Yi Hwang and Jeong Gu, and he learned calligraphy and Neo-Confucianism from him. There he met Yi Dam-myeong, Yi Seo-u, and others.
In 1646 (the 24th year of King Injo's reign) he passed the Samasi and became a Jinsa. In 1650 (the 1st year of King Hyojong's reign) he passed the Jeunggwang civil examination in the third rank. After holding several posts, he served as Jiphyeon of the Saheonbu and Gyori of the Hongmungwan, and then as Pangyeolsa of the Jangnyewon. Afterward, because the disciples of his teacher Heo Mok joined the Namin faction, he too became a member of the Namin. In 1672, when a Dongjisa was sent to the Qing dynasty, he went to Beijing as Deputy Envoy. He then served as Vice Minister of Justice and Vice Minister of Works, held the post of Seungji, and was sent out as Magistrate of Yangju, where he governed the people.
After returning home, in the Second Ritual Controversy of 1674, the Seoin (Western Faction) lost and the Namin came to power. He became a Dangsang of the Uigeumbu, and after being selected he became Dosseungji in 1675 (the 1st year of King Sukjong's reign). He then passed through the post of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and became Minister of Justice. When the Namin split over the punishment of Song Si-yeol into hardline and moderate wings, he became part of the moderate faction and joined the Taknam faction of Heo Jeok and his circle. The following year he served as Daesaheon of the Saheonbu, and then held the posts of Minister of Rites, Minister of Revenue, Pan Uigeumbusa, Right Assistant State Councillor of the State Council, Minister of Personnel, and Minister of Justice. Afterward, he concurrently served as Vice Director of the Seonggyungwan and Vice Lecturer of the Jigyeongyeon. Because he was a Namin, he was impeached by the Seoin and dismissed from office in the Gyeongsin Purge of 1680.
At that time, although he was a Taknam, he was not close to the faction of Heo Jeok, so he barely saved his life and was driven out of the capital. Afterward, his administrative ability was recognized, and under the Seoin government he was specially selected and became Mayor of Hanseong, Minister of Justice, and Right Assistant State Councillor of the State Council. In 1689 he was specially selected and became Right State Councillor of the State Council. That same year, the Gisa Purge brought the Namin back to power in large numbers, and he took the lead in greatly promoting the Namin and attacking and removing the Seoin. He then rose to Left State Councillor of the State Council.
In 1694, the Gapsul Purge, in which the Namin were ruined on the pretext of the affair of Consort Hui Jang, took place, and he was confined to the island of Jeoldo under wiri anchi. He was released in 1699 and returned to his home. Afterward he was reinstated as Left State Councillor and pursued a policy of promoting the Namin, but he soon withdrew from office. After that, he devoted himself to scholarly research and the education of younger scholars. He excelled at calligraphy, and many literati came to him to learn writing. He was especially skilled in haeseo and choseo.
After death
In 1701, the Namin were swept away in the Mucho Incident, and his official rank was stripped. In 1720 his rank was restored. However, in 1728, when the Namin forces declined after the Rebellion of Yi In-jwa, his rank was again revoked. Later, in 1795, during the reign of King Jeongjo of Joseon, the Namin came to power, and he was rehabilitated along with Heo Mok, Yun Hyu, Heo Jeok, Yi Hyeon-il, and others. However, after the death of Jeongjo, he was stripped of his rank again in 1801.
In 1873 (the 10th year of King Gojong's reign), a petition was submitted calling for the rehabilitation of Yi Hyeon-il, Yun Hyu, Han Hyo-sun, Mok Nae-seon, Jeong In-hong, Jeong Do-jeon, and others. In response, Choe Ik-hyeon (崔益鉉), known as Myeonam, and Kim Pyeong-muk (金平黙), known as Jungam, strongly opposed it, calling it absurd. However, as petitions calling for the rehabilitation of Jeong Do-jeon, Yi Hyeon-il, Yun Hyu, and others continued, Choe Ik-hyeon and Kim Pyeong-muk worked tirelessly to block them.
From 1873 to 1876, Choe Ik-hyeon, Kim Pyeong-muk, and others argued through petitions and other means that "those who demanded the rehabilitation of Yi Hyeon-il, Han Hyo-sun, Mok Nae-seon, and others should be punished under the posthumous law for treason (追律), and since Yun Hyu of the Namin our Seoin (Noron) and the Namin have been enemies. If, after a treaty with the West is concluded, the descendants of Min Am, Mok Nae-seon, Yi In-jwa, Jeong Hui-ryang, and Yi Hyeon-il exploit the people's compassion and take up spears to invade the capital and the palace, then the righteous scholars will be swept away." In this way they opposed to the end the public demand for their rehabilitation and succeeded in halting it. Afterward as well, Choe Ik-hyeon and Kim Pyeong-muk resolutely opposed the rehabilitation of the Namin and of those involved in the Rebellion of Yi In-jwa. Eventually, after both Kim Pyeong-muk and Choe Ik-hyeon had died, in 1907 (the 2nd year of Yunghui) he was finally rehabilitated along with Yun Hyu, Yi Hyeon-il, and others.
Family
- Great-grandfather: Mok Se-ching (睦世秤, ? – 1551)
- Grandfather: Mok Cheom (睦詹, 1515 – 1593)
- Father: Mok Seo-heum (睦敍欽, 1571 – 1652)
- Mother: daughter of Gwon Tak (權晫)
- Younger brother: Mok Seong-seon (睦性善)
- Younger brother: Mok Haeng-seon (睦行善)
- Wife: daughter of Yun Chang-eon (尹昌言)
- Son: Mok Im-il (睦林一)
- Daughter-in-law: daughter of Woo Chang-jeok (禹昌績)
- Grandson: Mok Cheon-hyeon (睦天顯)
- Grandson: Mok Cheon-im (睦天任)
Actors who portrayed Mok Nae-seon