Sim Hoe

Sim Hoe (沈澮, 1418 – 1493) was a civil official of Joseon. He was the son of Chief State Councillor Sim On and the younger brother of Queen Soheon. He was therefore the brother-in-law of King Sejong and the maternal uncle of Munjong and Sejo. He was also the elder brother of Grand Minister Sim Gyeol. His noble title was Cheongsong Buwon-gun (靑松府院君), his courtesy name was Cheongbo (淸甫), and his posthumous name was Gongsuk (恭肅). He was the grandson of Sim Deokbu, who served as Munha Sijung of Goryeo and as Left Chief Councillor under King Jeongjong of Joseon, and the son of Sim On, who served as Chief State Councillor under King Sejong. Sim Hoe also served as Chief State Councillor under King Sejo, so three generations of the family held the highest office in succession.

Life

Because of the involvement of his father, Sim On, who was executed for treason, Sim Hoe was barred from public office.¹ Under King Munjong, he was appointed, together with his younger brother Sim Gyeol, his nephew Sim Mi (son of his eldest brother Sim Jun), and his nephew Kang Huian, to a post in the Dongnyeongbu as Junior Secretary (敦寧府注簿).² Under King Danjong, he became Co-Magistrate of the Dongnyeongbu (同知敦寧府事).³ Under King Sejo, he became Minister of Works (工曹判書) in 1457, Magistrate of Hanseong (判漢城府事) in 1458, Chief Secretary of the Chunchu Office (領中樞院事) in 1461, and in 1466 Grand Minister of the Chunchu Office (領中樞府事) concurrently Commander-in-chief of the Five Guards General Headquarters (五衛都摠府 都摠管), before becoming Left State Councillor (左議政) of the (議政府). In 1467 he rose to Chief State Councillor (領議政) of the State Council. Sejo called Sim Hoe "uncle," did not address him by name, and treated him with particular favor and respect. As a man of a distinguished family who had close ties with both the royal house and officials, Sim Hoe was indispensable to Sejo, who had taken the throne through the Jeongnan Incident, in legitimizing the new royal house. In 1468, the first year of the reign of , Sim Hoe was credited with achievements in the Nam I incident, was recorded as a Second-class Meritorious Subject of Ikdae, and was enfeoffed as Cheongsong-gun (靑松君). Under , he served as Wonsang (元想), was enfeoffed as Cheongsong Buwon-gun (靑松府院君), and was recorded as a Second-class Meritorious Subject of Jwari. In 1476 he again became Left State Councillor, enjoying power as an elder statesman. In 1491 he received a stool and armrest (几杖) as a royal gift, and in 1493 he died at the age of 76. In 1504, during the , he was posthumously stripped of his official rank and subjected to posthumous decapitation of his corpse (剖棺斬屍) on the grounds that he had supported the Yun affair concerning Queen Yun, but he was later exonerated after the .