This is a partial list of people who lived during the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and r ...

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

, 1392–1910.

Rulers

''See:

List of Korean monarchs This is a list of monarchs of Korea, arranged by dynasty. Names are romanized according to the South Korean Revised Romanization of Korean. McCune–Reischauer romanizations may be found at the articles about the individual monarchs. Gojoseon ...

Royals

Grand Prince Yangnyeong Grand Prince Yangnyeong (Hangul: 양녕대군, Hanja: 讓寧大君, 1394–1462) was a former Crown Prince of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He was the first son and fourth child of King Taejong and his wife, Queen Wongyeong. Yangnyeong was the ...

Queen Munjeong Queen Munjeong (Hangul: 문정왕후, Hanja: 文定王后; 2 December 1501 – 5 May 1565), of the Papyeong Yun clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and third queen consort of Yi Yeok, King Jungjong. She was queen consort of Joseon ...

Queen Inhyeon Queen Inhyeon (Hangul: 인현왕후 민씨, Hanja: 仁顯王后閔氏; 15 May 1667 – 16 September 1701), of the Yeoheung Min clan, was the second wife and queen consort of King Sukjong, the 19th Joseon monarch. She was Queen of Joseon fr ...

Prince Sado Crown Prince Sado (Hangul: 사도세자, Hanja: 思悼世子; 13 February 1735 – 12 July 1762), personal name Yi Seon (Hangul: 이선, Hanja: 李愃), was the second son of King Yeongjo of Joseon. His biological mother was Royal Noble ...

Queen Jeongsun Queen Jeongsun (정순왕후 김씨; 2 December 1745 – 11 February 1805), of the Gyeongju Kim clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and second queen consort of Yi Geum, King Yeongjo, the 21st Joseon monarch. She was queen consort ...

Heungseon Daewongun Heungseon Daewongun (흥선대원군, 興宣大院君, 21 December 1820 – 22 February 1898; ), also known as the Daewongun (대원군, 大院君), Guktaegong (국태공, 國太公, "The Great Archduke") or formally Internal King Heungseon Heon ...

Lady Hyegyeong Lady Hyegyeong of the Pungsan Hong clan (혜경궁 풍산 홍씨, 惠慶宮豊山洪氏; 6 August 1735 – 13 January 1816), also known as Queen Heongyeong (헌경왕후, 獻敬王后), was a Korean writer and Crown Princess during the Jose ...

Empress Myeongseong Empress Myeongseong or Empress Myungsung (명성황후 민씨; 17 November 1851 – 8 October 1895In lunar calendar, the Empress was born on 25 September 1851 and died on 20 August 1895), informally known as Empress Min, was the official wife ...

Empress Sunjeong 36-year-old Empress Sunjeonghyo in 1930. Empress Sunjeonghyo,or literally known as Sunjeong, the Filial Piety Empress (Hangul: 순정효황후, Hanja: 純貞孝皇后; 19 September 1894 – 3 February 1966), of the Haepyeong Yun clan, was ...

Scholar-officials

Scholar-officials, or ''munsin'', held much of the power in the Joseon Dynasty bureaucracy. Many members of the intellectual elite, also remembered for their work as poets or philosophers, served as scholar-officials. Such service, however, was restricted to members of the hereditary

yangban The ''yangban'' () were part of the traditional ruling class or gentry of dynastic Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The ''yangban'' were mainly composed of highly educated civil servants and military officers—landed or unlanded aristocrats ...

class. *

Jeong Dojeon Jeong Dojeon (Korean: 정도전, Hanja: 鄭道傳, 1342 – October 6, 1398), also known by his pen name Sambong (Korean: 삼봉), was a prominent Korean scholar-official during the late Goryeo to the early Joseon periods. He served as the first ...

Ha Ryun Ha Ryun (January 22, 1348 – November 24, 1416), also spelled as Ha Yun, was a Joseon politician and Neo-Confucian scholar, educator, and writer. He served as Chief State Councillor during the reign of King Taejong from 1408 to 1409, from 140 ...

Kwon Geun Gwon Geun (1352–1409) was a Korean Neo-Confucian scholar at the dawn of the Joseon dynasty, and a student of Yi Saek. He was one of the first Neo-Confucian scholars of the Joseon dynasty, and had a lasting influence on the rise of Neo-Confucian ...

Jeong Inji Jeong In-ji (; December 28, 1396 – November 26, 1478) was a Korean Neo-Confucian scholar, historian who served as Vice Minister of Education or Deputy Chief Scholar (Head of Office for Special Advisors) during the reign of King Sejong the Gre ...

Hwang Hui Hwang Hui (8 March 1363 – 28 February 1452) was a politician of the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, who came from the Jangsu Hwang clan and once served as prime minister of the Joseon dynasty from 1431 to 1449. Biography Hwang Hui was an offi ...

Hwangbo In Hwangbo In (1387–10 November 1453) was a Joseon Dynasty politician who was Chief State Councillor from 1450 to 1453 during the era of King Munjong and King Danjong. As the King Danjong was 12 years old when the latter succeeded as King, Hwa ...

* Kim Jong-seo *

Yu Eung-bu Yu Eung-bu (?~1456) was a military official of the early Joseon Dynasty and is remembered as one of the six martyred ministers. Yu was born in Pocheon; his date of birth and lineage are not known with certainty. He served in the Gyeongwon garris ...

Yu Seong-won Yu Seong-won (also Ryu Seong-won) (died 1456) was a scholar-official of the early Joseon Dynasty, who is remembered as one of the six murdered ministers. He was born to a yangban family of the Munhwa Ryu lineage, but his date of birth is not kn ...

* Pak Paeng-nyeon *

Seong Sammun Seong Sam-mun (1418 — 8 June 1456) was a scholar-official of early Joseon who rose to prominence in the court of King Sejong the Great (r. 1418–1450). He was executed after being implicated in a plot to dethrone King Sejo (r. 1455–1468) an ...

Ha Wi-ji Ha Wiji (1387–1456) was a scholar-official of the early Joseon Dynasty, and is remembered as one of the six martyred ministers. He was born to a yangban family of the Jinju Ha lineage. He passed the lower national service examination in 1435 ...

Yi Gae Yi Gae (; 1417–1456) was a scholar-official of the Joseon Dynasty who came from the yangban family Hansan Yi clan and one of the six martyred ministers. He was the great-grandson of Goryeo period philosopher Yi Saek and third cousin of Yi ...

Kim Jil Gim Jil (1422 – 24 February 1478), also often spelled Kim Chil, was a scholar-official of the early Joseon Dynasty. He is remembered today primarily for his participation in, and betrayal of, the conspiracy led by the six martyred ministers. ...

Shin Suk-ju Shin Suk-ju ( ko, 신숙주, hanja: ; August 2, 1417 – July 23, 1475) was a Korean politician during the Joseon Dynasty. He served as Prime Minister from 1461 to 1466 and again from 1471 to 1475. He came from the Goryeong Shin clan (고령 ...

* Han Myung-hoi * Choi Se-jin * Kim Jong-jik *

Yi Eon-jeok Yi Eon-jeok (25 November 1491 — 23 November 1553), sometimes known by his pen name Hoejae, was a Korean philosopher and politician during the Joseon dynasty. He was a public official and intellectual of the middle era of the Joseon Dynasty of ...

Jo Gwang-jo Jo Gwangjo (, 23 August 1482 – 10 January 1520), also often called by his pen name Jeong-am (), was Korean Neo-Confucian scholar who pursued radical reforms during the reign of Jungjong of Joseon in the early 16th century. He was framed with ...

Yun Im Yun Im (윤임, 尹任; 26 July 1487 - 30 August 1545) was a politician, general, and soldier of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. He was from the aristocratic family of the Papyeong Yun clan (파평 윤씨, 波平尹氏), and related to the Royal Jeon ...

Yun Won-hyeong Yun Won-hyeong ( ko, 윤원형, 尹元衡; 1503 – 18 November 1565) was a Korean political figure of the Joseon period. He was the younger brother of Queen Munjeong, the 3rd wife of 11th King Jungjong and was the maternal uncle of the 13th Ki ...

Yi Hwang Yi Hwang (January 3, 1502– January 3, 1571) was the most important Korean philosopher, writer, and Confucian scholar of the Joseon Dynasty. He was a figure of the Neo-Confucian literati, established the Yeongnam School and set up the Dosan S ...

Jo Sik Jo Sik (July 10, 1501 – February 21, 1572) was a Korean philosopher, poet, and politician during the Joseon Dynasty. He was a Neo-Confucian scholar who had a major influence on the Easterners and the Northerners. Life Jo sik was born in Togol ...

Seong Hon Seong Hon (1535 – 1598) was a Korean philosopher, poet, and politician during the Joseon Dynasty. He was a Neo-Confucianist scholar who was a close friend of the scholar Yi I (Yulgok) and an older contemporary of Yi Hwang (Toegye), leader of th ...

Ryu Seong-ryong Ryu Seong-ryong (November 1542 – May 1607), was a scholar-official of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He held many responsibilities including the Chief State Councillor position in 1592. He was a member of the "Eastern faction", and a follower ...

Yi San-hae Yi Sanhae (; 20 July 1539 – 1609) was a Korean politician, scholar, writer and poet of the Joseon period who came from the Hansan Yi clan. He served as the Chief State Councilor of Joseon from 1590 to 1592 and 1600. Yi was a member of the poli ...

Yi I Yi Yi (; December 26, 1536 – February 27, 1584) was a Korean philosopher, writer, and Confucian scholar of the Joseon Dynasty. Yi I is often referred to by his pen name Yulgok (" Chestnut valley"). He was also a politicianKim Jang-saeng Kim Jang-saeng (김장생, 金長生) (July 8, 1548 - August 3, 1631) was a Neo-Confucian scholar, politician, educator, and writer of Korea's Joseon period. He was successor to the Neo-Confucian academic tradition of Yulgok Yi I (이이) and ...

Kim Jip Kim Jip (1574–1656) was a Korean Joseon Neo-Confucian scholar, politician, educator and writer. He was also the teacher of Song Si-yeol and Song Jun-gil, great Korean Neo-Confucian scholars. Family * Great-Great-Grandfather ** Kim Jung-yu ...

Jeong Cheol Jeong Cheol (Hangul: 정철, Hanja: 鄭澈; 18 December 1536 – 7 February 1594) was a Korean statesman and poet. He used the pen-names Gyeham (계함) and Songgang (송강), and studied under Kim Yunjae at Hwanbyeokdang. He was expelled by the ...

Jo Heon Jo Heon (, 1544 – 1592) was a Joseon official and militia leader in Korea at the time of the Imjin war. He believed that Japan under Toyotomi Hideyoshi posed a threat to Korean security, but his warnings were not heeded. When war broke out in ...

Kim Yuk Gim Yuk or Kim Yuk (Hangul: 김육; Hanja: 金堉; 1580 – September 1658) was a Korean Neo-Confucian scholar, politician and writer of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. His nickname was Jamgok (잠곡, 潛谷), Hoejeongdang (회정당, 晦靜堂), a c ...

* Yi Su-gwang *

Song Si-yeol Song Si-yeol ( ko, 송시열, Hanja: 宋時烈; 30 December 1607 - 19 July 1689), also known by his pennames ''Uam'' (우암) and ''Ujae'' (우재) or by the honorific ''Songja'' ( ko, 송자, Hanja: 宋子), was a Korean philosopher and politic ...

* Chae Je-gong * Shin Gwang-su *

Yu Hyeong-won Yu Hyeongwon (1622–1673), also spelled as Yoo Hyung-Won, was a Korean philosopher and politician. He was a Neo-Confucianist and science scholar of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. He was Korean pioneer of the early silhak ("practical learning") sch ...

* Yi Ik *

Yun Hyu Yun Hyu (Hangul: 윤휴, Hanja: 尹鑴; 1617 – 1680) was a Korean Neo-Confucian scholar and official, who lived during the Joseon Dynasty. Yun was the political leader of the Southern (''Namin'') faction of the Joseon Dynasty. His pen name ...

* Bak Jiwon *

Song Jun-gil Song Jun-gil (Hangul: 송준길, Hanja: 宋浚吉; 28 December 1606 – 2 December 1672), also known by his pen name Dongchundang, was a Korean politician and Neo-Confucian scholar, who lived during the Joseon Dynasty. Born in Okcheon, North Chu ...

* Hong Dae-yong *

Yu Deuk-gong Yu Deuk-gong (; 1749–1807) was a Korean scholar during the Joseon Dynasty. He is remembered today for his work in recovering the history of Balhae, which had not generally been considered part of Korean history before his time. See also * Hist ...

Jeong Yak-yong Jeong Yak-yong (August 5, 1762 – April 7, 1836) or Chong Yagyong, often simply known as ‘Dasan’ (茶山, one of his ‘ho’ / pen-names meaning ‘the mountain of tea’), was a Korean agronomist, philosopher, and poet. He was one of the ...

Pak Je-ga Bak Jega (; 1750–1805) was a scholar of school of Practical learning (Silhak) in the late Joseon Dynasty. He was a student of Bak Jiwon. Background Bak Jega was a famous Silhak scholar in the late Joseon Dynasty. He was a student of anot ...

Kim Jeong-hui Gim Jeong-hui (김정희, 金正喜, born on the 3rd day of the 6th lunar month 1786, died on the 10th day of the 10th lunar month 1856), also known as Kim Jeong-hui, was one of the most celebrated practitioners of calligraphy, epigraphists, an ...

* Pak Gyu-su *

Pak Yeong-hyo Park Yung-hyo or Bak Young-hyo (; 1861 – 21 September 1939) was a Korean politician from the Joseon Dynasty, an enlightenment activist, diplomat and pro-Japanese collaborator. He was one of the organizers of the Gapsin Coup of 1884, in ...

Kim Okgyun Kim Ok-gyun (김옥균; 金玉均; February 23, 1851 – March 28, 1894) was a reformist (''Gaehwapa'', 개화파) activist during the late Joseon dynasty of Korea. He served under the national civil service under King Gojong, and actively pa ...

* Yi Yu-won

Military officials

Military service was technically open to people outside the

class, but in practice most high posts were held by the aristocracy. *

Yi Il Yi Il (; 1538 – 1601) was a Korean military official of the mid-Joseon Period. During the reign of Seonjo of Joseon, he made a great contribution to the conquest of the Jurchen people in the north. When Imjin War occurred, he was appointed Mob ...

Shin Rip Sin Rip (sometimes romanized as Shin Rip or Shin Rib) (Hangul: 신립, Hanja: 申砬; 16 November 1546 – 7 June 1592) was a Korean general and a member of the Pyeongsan Sin clan. He passed the Korean national military examinations at the age of ...

Yi Sun-sin Admiral Yi Sun-sin (April 28, 1545 – December 16, 1598) was a Korean admiral and military general famed for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon Dynasty. Over the course of his career, Admiral Yi foug ...

Kwon Yul Gwon Yul (; December 28, 1537 - July 6, 1599) was a Korean Army General and the Commander-in-chief (도원수; 導元帥) of the Joseon Dynasty, who successfully led the Korean forces against Japan during the Japanese invasions of Korea (임진� ...

Kim Si-min Gim Si-min (1554–1592), also known as Kim Si-min, was a prominent Korean general during the Joseon Dynasty. He is most famous for having defended Jinju Castle against the Japanese invaders during the Seven Years' War. Background Gim Si-min wa ...

Yi Eok-gi Yi Eok-gi (; 3 September 1561 – 27 August 1597) was the commander of the Eastern Jeolla Fleet and later came to be the commander of the Western Jeolla Fleet. At age 32, despite being 15 years younger than Supreme Naval Commander Yi Sun-sin, Yi ...

Won Gyun Won Gyun (; 12 February 1540 – 27 August 1597) was a Korean general and admiral during the Joseon Dynasty. He is best known for his campaigns against the Japanese during Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea. Won was a member of Wonju Won family, ...

Gang Hong-rip Gang Hongrip (1560 – 6 September 1627) was a Korean general during the Joseon Dynasty. Under repeated requests from Ming China, Gwanghaegun commanded Gang Hongrip to help Ming forces with ten thousand soldiers against the Manchus in 1619. ...

Shin Ryu Shin Ryu (; 1619–1680) was a general of the Joseon dynasty. He was born into a yangban family of the Pyeongsan Shin lineage in modern-day Chilgok County, Gyeongsangbuk-do, near where his shrine now stands in Yangmok-myeon. He passed the mili ...

Others

The common classes of Joseon included the

yangmin The ''sangmin'' () were the common people of Joseon-era Korea. Etymology A more polite but less accurate name for the ''sangmin'' is "''yangmin''" (). History The ''sangmin'' consisted of peasants, heavy laborers, fishermen, some craftsmen an ...

free farmers, the

jungin The ''jungin'' or ''chungin'' () were the upper middle class of the Joseon Dynasty in medieval and early modern Korean society. The name "jungin" directly means "middle people". This privileged class of commoners consisted of a small group of p ...

technical class, and the

cheonmin ''Cheonmin'' (), or "vulgar commoners", were the lowest caste of commoners in dynastical Korea. They abounded during the Goryeo (918–1392) and Joseon (1392–1897) periods of Korea's agrarian bureaucracy. Social class system In the caste s ...

underclass. These constituted the bulk of Joseon society, but only a handful of them are known to us today.

Women

Prominent women of the Joseon period were usually either of the high aristocratic class or

kisaeng Kisaeng (Hangul: 기생, Hanja: 妓生, RR: ''Gisaeng''), also called ginyeo (Hangul: 기녀, Hanja: 妓女), were women from outcast or slave families who were trained to be courtesans, providing artistic entertainment and conversation to men ...

female entertainers. *

Hwang Jin-i Hwang Jini or Hwang Jin-Yi (; 1506 – 1560), also known by her gisaeng name Myeongwol ("bright moon", ), was one of the most famous gisaeng of the Joseon Dynasty. She lived during the reign of King Jungjong. She was noted for her exceptio ...

Non Gae Nongae or Joo Nongae (Hangul: 주논개, Hanja: 朱論介) (3 September 1574 – 1593) was a gisaeng of Jinju during the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. A popular legend tells the story of her sacrificial assassination of the Japanese general K ...

Jang Geum Jang-geum (fl. early 16th century) was reputedly the first female Royal Physician in Korean history. She was mentioned 10 times in the ''Annals of the Joseon Dynasty''. It is known that King Jungjong was pleased with Jang-geum's medical knowledg ...

, royal physician * Yi Mae-chang * Seo Yeongsuhap, poet and mathematician

Popular leaders

Choe Je-u Choe Je-u, who used the pen name Su-un (18 December 1824 – 15 April 1864), was the founder of Donghak, a Korean religious movement which was empathetic to the hardships of the minjung (the marginalized people of Korea), opposed Catholicism an ...

Hong Gyeong-nae Hong Gyeong-Rae (1780–1812) was a rebel leader in the Joseon province of Pyeongan, in present-day Democratic People's Republic of Korea, during the early 19th century. He was born in Yonggang to a family of the Namyang Hong lineage. His back ...

* Jeon sang ki

Painters

Danwon Gim Hongdo (김홍도, born 1745, died 1806?-1814?), also known as Kim Hong-do, most often styled Danwon (단원), was a full-time painter of the Joseon Dynasty, Joseon period of Korea. He was together a pillar of the establishment and a key fi ...

* Gyeomjae * Hyewon *

Owon Jang Seung-eop (1843 – 1897) (commonly known by his pen name Owon) was a painter of the late Joseon Dynasty in Korea. His life was dramatized in the award-winning 2002 film ''Chi-hwa-seon'' directed by Im Kwon-taek. He was one of the few pain ...

Authors

Many of the best-known writers of the Joseon period were also scholar-officials; they are listed above. *

Kim Jeong-ho Kim Jeong-ho ( pen name Gosanja; ‘the guy of old mountain’ 1804–1866?) was a Korean geographer and cartographer. He was born in Hwanghaedo. It is believed that he walked the entire length and breadth of the Korean peninsula, through mo ...

Inventors

Some scholar-officials, such as

, also worked as inventors. *

Jang Yeong-sil Jang Yeong-sil (; ; 1390 – after 1442) was a Korean mechanical engineer, scientist, and inventor during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897). Although Jang was born as a peasant, King Sejong allowed Jang to work at the royal palace. Jang's inven ...