Mun Ik-jeom

Mun Ik-jeom (Korean: 문익점; 8 February 1329 – 13 June 1398^[1]) was a politician of the Goryeo period and a Neo-Confucian scholar. His given name was Ikcheom (익첨; 益瞻), his courtesy name was Ilsin (일신; 日新), and his art names were Saeun (사은; 思隱) and Samudang (삼우당; 三憂堂).

History

Moon Ik-jeom was born in Gangseong-hyeon, Jinju-mok, Gyeongsang Province (modern day Danseong-myeon, Sancheong County, South Gyeongsang Province) in 1329. His father was Moon Suk-seon, who had passed the civil service examination but did not work for the government. Ik-jeom started working for the government as a historical recorder in 1360. In 1363, he went to Yuan China as a delegation member from Goryeo dynasty. On the way back to Korea he stole cottonseed in his writing brush cap to bring it secretly into Korea. In 1364, he went back to his home town Jinju to spread the seed and successfully grew one of the seeds he had brought back and continued to grow the number of plants significantly. Within ten years, Korea was able to produce cotton and was able to distribute it to the citizens. He died in 1398.

Family

• Father - Moon Suk-seon (경주 사록 문숙선; 文叔宣)
• Mother - Lady Jo of the Haman Jo clan (함안 조씨; 咸安 趙氏)
• Wives and their issue
  • Lady Ju (주씨) - No issue.
  • Lady Jeong of the Jinju Jeong clan (진주 정씨; 晋州 鄭氏); daughter of Jeong Cheon-ik (전객령 치사 정천익)
    • Son - Moon Jung-yong (사간원 헌납 문중용; 文中庸)
    • Son - Moon Jung-seong (한림 문중성; 文中誠)
    • Son - Moon Jung-sil (간의대부 문중실; 文中實)
    • Daughter - Lady Moon of the Nampyeong Moon clan (남평 문씨; 南平 文氏)
    • Son - Moon Jung-jin (진사 문중진; 文中晉)
    • Daughter - Lady Moon of the Nampyeong Moon clan (남평 문씨; 南平 文氏)
    • Son - Moon Jung-gye (상서 문중계; 文中啓)
    • Daughter - Grand Princess Moon of the Nampyeong Moon clan (삼한국대부인 남평 문씨; 南平 文氏); third wife of Grand Prince Wanpung
      • Son-in-law - Yi Won-gye, Grand Prince Wanpung (완풍대군 이원계; 1330–1388); King Taejo’s older half-brother

Works

• Samudangsilki (삼우당실기 三憂堂實記)

See also

• Ch'oe Mu-sŏn

References

• Kim Haboush, JaHyun and Martina Deuchler (1999). Culture and the State in Late Chosŏn Korea. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674179820; OCLC 40926015
• Lee, Peter H. (1993). Sourcebook of Korean Civilization, Vol. 1. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231079129; ISBN 9780231079143; ISBN 9780231104449; OCLC 26353271
• Noh, Daehwan. "The Eclectic Development of Neo-Confucianism and Statecraft from the 18th to the 19th Century," Korea Journal. Winter 2003.
• 朝鮮王朝實錄太祖 14卷, 7年(1398 戊寅 / 洪武31年) 6月 13日(丁巳)

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This page was last edited on 2 May 2024, at 09:50