First place in the special civil service examination of 1537 (21st year of Jungjong), placed third in the civil service examination reserve round of 1546 (1st year of Myeongjong)
Four sons and two daughters. Eldest daughter – wife of Yi Hwang; eldest son – Sim Roe; second son – Sim Hoeng; third son – Sim Hwa; fourth son – Sim Jeon; second daughter – Sim Eodon-gae
In 1565, he was impeached, along with Yun Won-hyeong and others, as a royal in-law who had abused his power, and he resigned. However, after Seonjo ascended the throne in 1567, he was impeached by Yulgok Yi I and others and stripped of his office.1
He was the great-uncle of Sim Ui-gyeom and Sim Chung-gyeom, the brothers who were the first leader of the Westerners, and of Queen Inseon, the consort of Myeongjong. Together with Yi Ryang, Kim An-no, Yun Im, and , he was a representative royal in-law faction of mid-Joseon, and he was known as one of the "Three Villains" together with Yi Ryang and Yun Won-hyeong.
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He was born in 1499, in the reign of Sejo, as the fourth son of Sim Sun-mun, who had been beheaded by Yeonsan-gun during the Gapja Purge and was a grandson of the Chief State Councillor and Cheongsong Lord Sim Hoe (沈澮). He was the fifth-generation descendant of Joseon founding merit subjectSim Deok-bu, and his great-grandfather was Sim On, the father-in-law of Sejong.
He was the younger brother of Chief State Councillor Cheongcheon Lord Sim Yeon-won Sim Yeon-won, the Gimyo Famous Scholar Sim Dal-won Sim Dal-won, and Sim Bong-won (沈逢源), who held the post of Dongji Donnyeong-bu Sa. He was the uncle of Cheongreung Lord Sim Gang Sim Gang, the father-in-law of Myeongjong, and his granddaughter Queen Inseon was Myeongjong's consort. He was also the great-uncle of Sim Ui-gyeom, the first leader of the Westerners and a Minister of War under Seonjo, of Sim Chung-gyeom, a Minister of War under Seonjo known as Cheongnim Lord, and of Cheongseong Lord Sim Hui-su Sim Hui-su.
He had an extraordinary memory and was called a genius from an early age. In 1519 (13th year of Jungjong), he passed the Saengwon examination in 13th place and became a Saengwon. After that, he took the examinations many times but failed, until in 1537 (31st year of Jungjong, as recorded) he passed the special Munkwa examination in first place.
Official Career
In 1541 (36th year of Jungjong), he was considered for the post of Jongsagwan. In February 1543, while serving as Pilseon of the Seja Sigangwon, he was impeached by the Saheonbu on the grounds that his lectures at the Gyeongyeon were improper. The impeachment stated: "At this time his scholarship was not correct, and he has long had public criticism; when he served as a Sasu of this Office before, while lecturing at the Seoyeon, he expressed an improper argument and stubbornly insisted on it, and has hardly reflected on it." When the king accepted this, he was dismissed.
Afterwards, he passed the reserve round of the Munkwa examination in third place, was appointed Buungyo of the Hongmungwan, and assisted the king's studies as a Sigangwan. He then became Jikjehak, in which post he took charge of drafting official documents of the court.2 In 1546 (1st year of Myeongjong), he became Daesagan of the Office of Remonstrance; in 1547, Byeongjo Chamji of the Ministry of War and Dongbu Seungji of the Royal Secretariat; in 1548, he served as Right Buseungji and Left Buseungji before becoming Right Seungji; and in 1549 he became Left Seungji and served as provincial governor of Gyeongsang Province. He then served as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites and Chief Inspector-General, and immediately afterwards became Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. Later he served as Governor of Hanseong and, in July 1557, as Minister of Works.
In early 1558, upon receiving a report from Jangmunbo, the magistrate of Pungi County, he worked with Right State Minister An Hyeon and others to arrange the repair and restoration of the damaged portrait of An Hyang. In August 1558, he served as Minister of Rites and, as envoy for the winter solstice mission to the Ming dynasty, he went to Beijing. In December 1558, he was promoted to Right State Councillor of the State Council, and in 1559 he served as Left State Councillor, among other posts.
In early 1560, he became Minister of Personnel and was then promoted to Right State Minister of the State Council. Following Sim Yeon-won, who had been Chief State Councillor, he rose to the position of chief minister, and became known for his brotherly pair of chief ministers.
In 1564, he reached the post of Left State Minister of the State Council and entered the Giroso. Afterwards, when Myeongjong, intending to check his maternal uncle Yun Won-hyeong, installed Yi Ryang, Sim Tong-won, who had also been a rival of Yun Won-hyeong, supported him. In 1565, as a royal in-law, he abused power together with Yun Won-hyeong and others, accepted bribes and caused public outrage; he was impeached by the Three Offices, withdrew from the post of Left State Minister, was reassigned as Chief State Adviser, and concurrently served as Director of the Pharmacy Office.
The sickly Myeongjong was on the verge of death without an heir. Yi Jun-gyeong regarded Ha Seong-gun Gyun, the third son of Prince Deokheung, as a suitable king. However, Left State Minister Sim Tong-won, who was a royal in-law, harbored a different intention and showed no sign of agreeing. Then Yi Jun-gyeong said to Sim Tong-won:
"The royal physicians have examined Your Majesty's pulse and say a certain medicine would be effective. Would you, Minister of the Left, go to the Special Chamber of the Royal Medical Bureau and fetch that medicine?"3 Sim Tong-won had his subordinate carry out the order of the Chief State Councillor. Yi Jun-gyeong glared at Sim Tong-won and scolded him: "Your Majesty's illness is extremely precarious, and how can you have a subordinate fetch the medicine to be presented to the king!"
Sim Tong-won quickly apologized, and went up himself to the attic of the Special Chamber of the Royal Medical Bureau to look for the medicine. Meanwhile, Yi Jun-gyeong locked the door leading to the attic. Then, in a hurry, he audienced with Myeongjong and petitioned him to name a successor.3 "The foundation of the state has not yet been settled, so I beg Your Majesty to issue a command." Myeongjong, breathless, barely managed to say, "The third son of Prince Deokheung," and when Yi Jun-gyeong looked back and loudly repeated the words, the Juseo Hwang Dae-su took them down in large characters, carried them on his back and went out. Thus Ha Seong-gun inherited the royal succession, and he became Seonjo.3
Later Years and Death
After Seonjo4 ascended the throne, in 1567 Sim Tong-won was impeached by Yulgok Yi I for having, in the reign of Myeongjong, accumulated wealth and power by taking bribes together with Yun Won-hyeong and others. Although there was public opinion calling for mitigation of his punishment on the grounds that he was a close relative of the Queen Dowager, he received impeachment from the Three Offices for flattery, and Yi I and others submitted another impeachment memorial, and he was stripped of his office. At his death in 1572, he was 73 years old.
Son-in-law of second daughter: Sang Si-son of Mokcheon Sang clan – Pangwan (判官)
Evaluation
He was called one of the Three Villains (三凶) together with Yi Ryang and Yun Won-hyeong.7 He was also sometimes called one of the Three Villains together with Yi Gi and Yun Won-hyeong.
Baekundong Seowon Becomes Sosu Seowon
Six years after the founding of Baekundong Seowon by Ju Se-bung, Magistrate of Pungi County, in 1543, in 1549 the successor magistrate of Pungi County, Toegye Yi Hwang, wrote a letter to Sim Tong-won, the provincial governor of Gyeongsang Province (Yi Hwang's disciple Sim Ui-gyeom's great-uncle).
This was after the Eulsa Purge of 1545, when scholar-official politicians from the Sarim faction had been purged en masse.
"If the name is not recorded in history, I fear it will not be transmitted for long." (From the Geunjaejip (謹齋集), Yi Hwang, "Letter to Provincial Governor Sim Tong-won (與沈方伯通源 書)")
It was a letter asking that Baekundong Seowon be officially recognized by the state.
The following year, in 1550, at a royal council, Left State Minister Sim Yeon-won (the grandfather of Queen Inseon, the consort of Myeongjong, and of Sim Ui-gyeom) raised the matter of Baekundong Seowon with Myeongjong.
The powerful figure Sim Yeon-won was the elder brother of Provincial Governor Sim Tong-won.
"Baekundong has land and slaves; please bestow a name and books." (Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty, Myeongjong, 11 February 1550)
Two months later, Myeongjong bestowed the name "紹修 (Sosu)" and books on Baekundong. This became Sosu Seowon in Yeongju, the first royally sanctioned (sayaek, 賜額 – where the king bestowed a plaque) seowon in Joseon.
It was the first time the state officially recognized a privately run educational institution, the seowon.
Afterwards, the practice of exempting land belonging to royally sanctioned seowon from taxes and granting books and slaves was institutionalized by law.
— 30 January 2019, Chosun Ilbo – [Park Jong-in's Land History] "Enlightenment is more important than relief from drought!"8
In 1565, he was impeached, along with Yun Won-hyeong and others, as a royal in-law who had abused his power, and he resigned. However, after Seonjo ascended the throne in 1567, he was impeached by Yulgok Yi I and others and stripped of his office.1
He was the great-uncle of Sim Ui-gyeom and Sim Chung-gyeom, the brothers who were the first leader of the Westerners, and of Queen Inseon, the consort of Myeongjong. Together with , , , and , he was a representative royal in-law faction of mid-Joseon, and he was known as one of the "Three Villains" together with Yi Ryang and Yun Won-hyeong.
He was born in 1499, in the reign of Sejo, as the fourth son of Sim Sun-mun, who had been beheaded by Yeonsan-gun during the Gapja Purge and was a grandson of the Chief State Councillor and Cheongsong Lord Sim Hoe (沈澮). He was the fifth-generation descendant of Joseon founding merit subjectSim Deok-bu, and his great-grandfather was Sim On, the father-in-law of Sejong.
He was the younger brother of Chief State Councillor Cheongcheon Lord Sim Yeon-won Sim Yeon-won, the Gimyo Famous Scholar Sim Dal-won Sim Dal-won, and Sim Bong-won (沈逢源), who held the post of Dongji Donnyeong-bu Sa. He was the uncle of Cheongreung Lord Sim Gang Sim Gang, the father-in-law of Myeongjong, and his granddaughter Queen Inseon was Myeongjong's consort. He was also the great-uncle of Sim Ui-gyeom, the first leader of the Westerners and a Minister of War under Seonjo, of Sim Chung-gyeom, a Minister of War under Seonjo known as Cheongnim Lord, and of Cheongseong Lord Sim Hui-su Sim Hui-su.
He had an extraordinary memory and was called a genius from an early age. In 1519 (13th year of Jungjong), he passed the Saengwon examination in 13th place and became a Saengwon. After that, he took the examinations many times but failed, until in 1537 (31st year of Jungjong, as recorded) he passed the special Munkwa examination in first place.
Official Career
In 1541 (36th year of Jungjong), he was considered for the post of Jongsagwan. In February 1543, while serving as Pilseon of the Seja Sigangwon, he was impeached by the Saheonbu on the grounds that his lectures at the Gyeongyeon were improper. The impeachment stated: "At this time his scholarship was not correct, and he has long had public criticism; when he served as a Sasu of this Office before, while lecturing at the Seoyeon, he expressed an improper argument and stubbornly insisted on it, and has hardly reflected on it." When the king accepted this, he was dismissed.
Afterwards, he passed the reserve round of the Munkwa examination in third place, was appointed Buungyo of the Hongmungwan, and assisted the king's studies as a Sigangwan. He then became Jikjehak, in which post he took charge of drafting official documents of the court.2 In 1546 (1st year of Myeongjong), he became Daesagan of the Office of Remonstrance; in 1547, Byeongjo Chamji of the Ministry of War and Dongbu Seungji of the Royal Secretariat; in 1548, he served as Right Buseungji and Left Buseungji before becoming Right Seungji; and in 1549 he became Left Seungji and served as provincial governor of Gyeongsang Province. He then served as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites and Chief Inspector-General, and immediately afterwards became Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. Later he served as Governor of Hanseong and, in July 1557, as Minister of Works.
In early 1558, upon receiving a report from Jangmunbo, the magistrate of Pungi County, he worked with Right State Minister An Hyeon and others to arrange the repair and restoration of the damaged portrait of An Hyang. In August 1558, he served as Minister of Rites and, as envoy for the winter solstice mission to the Ming dynasty, he went to Beijing. In December 1558, he was promoted to Right State Councillor of the State Council, and in 1559 he served as Left State Councillor, among other posts.
In early 1560, he became Minister of Personnel and was then promoted to Right State Minister of the State Council. Following Sim Yeon-won, who had been Chief State Councillor, he rose to the position of chief minister, and became known for his brotherly pair of chief ministers.
In 1564, he reached the post of Left State Minister of the State Council and entered the Giroso. Afterwards, when Myeongjong, intending to check his maternal uncle Yun Won-hyeong, installed Yi Ryang, Sim Tong-won, who had also been a rival of Yun Won-hyeong, supported him. In 1565, as a royal in-law, he abused power together with Yun Won-hyeong and others, accepted bribes and caused public outrage; he was impeached by the Three Offices, withdrew from the post of Left State Minister, was reassigned as Chief State Adviser, and concurrently served as Director of the Pharmacy Office.
The sickly Myeongjong was on the verge of death without an heir. Yi Jun-gyeong regarded Ha Seong-gun Gyun, the third son of Prince Deokheung, as a suitable king. However, Left State Minister Sim Tong-won, who was a royal in-law, harbored a different intention and showed no sign of agreeing. Then Yi Jun-gyeong said to Sim Tong-won:
"The royal physicians have examined Your Majesty's pulse and say a certain medicine would be effective. Would you, Minister of the Left, go to the Special Chamber of the Royal Medical Bureau and fetch that medicine?"3 Sim Tong-won had his subordinate carry out the order of the Chief State Councillor. Yi Jun-gyeong glared at Sim Tong-won and scolded him: "Your Majesty's illness is extremely precarious, and how can you have a subordinate fetch the medicine to be presented to the king!"
Sim Tong-won quickly apologized, and went up himself to the attic of the Special Chamber of the Royal Medical Bureau to look for the medicine. Meanwhile, Yi Jun-gyeong locked the door leading to the attic. Then, in a hurry, he audienced with Myeongjong and petitioned him to name a successor.3 "The foundation of the state has not yet been settled, so I beg Your Majesty to issue a command." Myeongjong, breathless, barely managed to say, "The third son of Prince Deokheung," and when Yi Jun-gyeong looked back and loudly repeated the words, the Juseo Hwang Dae-su took them down in large characters, carried them on his back and went out. Thus Ha Seong-gun inherited the royal succession, and he became Seonjo.3
Later Years and Death
After Seonjo4 ascended the throne, in 1567 Sim Tong-won was impeached by Yulgok Yi I for having, in the reign of Myeongjong, accumulated wealth and power by taking bribes together with Yun Won-hyeong and others. Although there was public opinion calling for mitigation of his punishment on the grounds that he was a close relative of the Queen Dowager, he received impeachment from the Three Offices for flattery, and Yi I and others submitted another impeachment memorial, and he was stripped of his office. At his death in 1572, he was 73 years old.
Son-in-law of second daughter: Sang Si-son of Mokcheon Sang clan – Pangwan (判官)
Evaluation
He was called one of the Three Villains (三凶) together with Yi Ryang and Yun Won-hyeong.7 He was also sometimes called one of the Three Villains together with Yi Gi and Yun Won-hyeong.
Baekundong Seowon Becomes Sosu Seowon
Six years after the founding of Baekundong Seowon by Ju Se-bung, Magistrate of Pungi County, in 1543, in 1549 the successor magistrate of Pungi County, Toegye Yi Hwang, wrote a letter to Sim Tong-won, the provincial governor of Gyeongsang Province (Yi Hwang's disciple Sim Ui-gyeom's great-uncle).
This was after the Eulsa Purge of 1545, when scholar-official politicians from the Sarim faction had been purged en masse.
"If the name is not recorded in history, I fear it will not be transmitted for long." (From the Geunjaejip (謹齋集), Yi Hwang, "Letter to Provincial Governor Sim Tong-won (與沈方伯通源 書)")
It was a letter asking that Baekundong Seowon be officially recognized by the state.
The following year, in 1550, at a royal council, Left State Minister Sim Yeon-won (the grandfather of Queen Inseon, the consort of Myeongjong, and of Sim Ui-gyeom) raised the matter of Baekundong Seowon with Myeongjong.
The powerful figure Sim Yeon-won was the elder brother of Provincial Governor Sim Tong-won.
"Baekundong has land and slaves; please bestow a name and books." (Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty, Myeongjong, 11 February 1550)
Two months later, Myeongjong bestowed the name "紹修 (Sosu)" and books on Baekundong. This became Sosu Seowon in Yeongju, the first royally sanctioned (sayaek, 賜額 – where the king bestowed a plaque) seowon in Joseon.
It was the first time the state officially recognized a privately run educational institution, the seowon.
Afterwards, the practice of exempting land belonging to royally sanctioned seowon from taxes and granting books and slaves was institutionalized by law.
— 30 January 2019, Chosun Ilbo – [Park Jong-in's Land History] "Enlightenment is more important than relief from drought!"8