Yu Ja-gwang

Yu Jagwang or Yu Chagwang (Korean: 유자광; Hanja: 柳子光, 1439 – June 1512) was a Korean Joseon Dynasty politician, soldier and writer. Born as the son of a yangban father and a concubine, he was one of the few secondary sons who served in high government offices during the Joseon dynasty.[1] His courtesy name was Uhu (우후; 于後). His prime political rival was Kim Jong-jik.

In this Korean name, the family name is Yu.
Yu Ja-gwang
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationYu Ja-gwang
McCune–ReischauerYu Cha-gwang
Courtesy name
Hangul
우후
Hanja
Revised RomanizationUhu
McCune–ReischauerUhu

Life

In 1439, Yu Jagwang was born as the secondary son of Yu Gyu, of the Yeonggwang Yu clan, and his concubine, Lady Choe. Yu first served as a gapsa (갑사; 甲士) or armoured soldier, who guarded Geonchunmun Gate. When Yi Si-ae's Rebellion broke out, he volunteered to serve the government forces in suppressing the rebels. He was quickly promoted to the position of byeongjo jeongnang (병조정랑; 兵曹正郞) or a section chief in the Ministry of Defence by King Sejo.[2] In 1468, he took the mungwa exam and placed first.[1] When Sejo's son Yejong ascended to the throne, Yu Jagwang accused Nam I of plotting treason and was rewarded as a first class merit subject. In 1498, Yu played a key role in the First literati purge during the reign of Yeonsangun, accusing Kim Il-son of writing history drafts that were negative on King Sejo. Yu also went after Kim Il-son's deceased teacher, Kim Jong-jik, for his composition of Lament for the Rightful Emperor (조의제문; 弔義帝文) which he interpreted as treason. Kim Jong-jik was posthumously charged with high treason and his corpse was beheaded. Other members belonging to the sarim faction were also purged. According to later historians who wrote the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty, Yu's hatred of Kim Jong-jik was due to an incident where Kim, when he served as the county magistrate of Hamyang, he destroyed Yu's poem that he had put up in that county.[3] In 1506, he once again became a merit subject when Jungjong obtained the throne, becoming the only secondary son in the history of Joseon to become a merit subject twice.[1] However, in 1507, Yu Ja-gwang was accused by the Censorate of "personal motivation" and was exiled. He was still in exile when he died on June 15, 1512. [4]

See also

References
  1. Peterson, Mark Arlen (1987). "Women, Marriage, Concubinage and Sŏja: Problems and alternatives in Questions of Heirship". The Mid Yi Dynasty Transformation Of The Korean Family And Lineage: An Examination Of Adoption And Inheritance Practices (PhD thesis). ISBN 979-8-6431-0083-6. ProQuest 303557557. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  2. "유자광(柳子光)". Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean). Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  3. Wagner, Edward Willett (1974). The Literati purges: Political conflict in early Yi Korea. Cambridge: East Asian Research Center : distributed by Harvard University Press. pp. 42–46. ISBN 0674536185.
  4. Wagner, Edward Willett (1974). The Literati purges: Political conflict in early Yi Korea. Cambridge: East Asian Research Center : distributed by Harvard University Press. p. 74. ISBN 0674536185.


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