Chae Je-gong

Joseon-era Korean scholar and politician

채제공

Portrait of Chae Jegong who served as Yeonguijeong during the reign of King Jeongjo.

Left State CouncillorIn office
25 January 1796 – 14 July 1798Preceded byYu Yeon-hoSucceeded byYi Byeong-moIn office
14 November 1789 – 2 July 1793Preceded byYi Jae-hyeopSucceeded byKim Jong-suRight State CouncillorIn office
15 February 1795 – 25 January 1796Preceded byYi Byeong-moSucceeded byYun Si-dongIn office
18 March 1788 – 14 November 1789Preceded byYi Seong-wonSucceeded byKim Jong-suChief State CouncillorIn office
2 July 1793 – 11 July 1793Preceded byKim IkSucceeded byHong Nak-seong Personal detailsBorn(1720-05-12)12 May 1720
Hongju-mok, Chungcheong Province, JoseonDied22 February 1799(1799-02-22) (aged 78)
Hanseong-bu, JoseonSpouse(s)Lady, of the Dongbok Oh clan
Lady, of the Andong Kwon clan
Unnamed womanChildrenChae Hong-won (adopted son)
Chae Hong-geun (son)
Chae Hong-sin (son)Parents

Chae Eung-il (father)
Lady, of the Yeonan Yi clan (mother)

Korean nameHangul

채제공

Hanja

蔡濟恭

Revised RomanizationChae Je-gongMcCune–ReischauerCh'ae Che-kongArt nameHangul

번암, 번옹

Hanja

樊巖, 樊翁

Revised RomanizationBeonam, BeonongMcCune–ReischauerPŏn'am, Pŏn'ongCourtesy nameHangul

백규

Hanja

伯規

Revised RomanizationBaekgyuMcCune–ReischauerPaekkyuPosthumous name Hangul

문숙

Hanja

文肅

Revised RomanizationMunsukMcCune–ReischauerMunsuk

Chae Je-gong (12 May 1720 – 22 February 1799^[1]) was a noted scholar, writer, politician of the Joseon period of Korea. Chae was the leader of the Southerners (or Namin faction) during the reign of King Jeongjo. He passed the regional civil examination (향시) at the age of 15, the mungwa exam at age 23 in 1743, and held high government offices throughout his life, the Yeonguijeong position (i.e. Chief State Councilor) among them.^[2] He came from the Pyeonggang Chae clan.

Family

Great-Grandfather
- Chae Si-sang (채시상; 蔡時祥)
Grandfather
- Chae Seong-yun (채성윤; 蔡成胤; 1659–1733)
Father
- Chae Eung-il (채응일; 蔡應一; 1686–1765)
  - Uncle - Chae Eung-man (채응만; 蔡膺萬)
  - Uncle - Chae Eung-jong (채응종; 蔡膺鍾)
  - Uncle - Chae Eung-pal (채응팔; 蔡膺八)
Mother
- Lady Yi of the Yeonan Yi clan (연안 이씨)
  - Grandfather - Yi Man-seong (이만성; 李萬成)
Siblings
- Older sister - Lady Chae (채씨)
  - Brother-in-law - Sim Ji-yeon (심지연; 沈祉衍)
- Older sister - Lady Chae (채씨)
  - Brother-in-law - Yi Tae-un (이태운; 李台運)
Wive(s) and children
- Lady Oh of the Dongbok Oh clan (동복 오씨)^[3] – No issue.
- Lady Kwon of the Andong Kwon clan (안동 권씨)^[4]
  - Adoptive son - Chae Hong-won (채홍원, 蔡弘遠; 1762–1832) – his biological father was one of Chae Je-gong's relatives, Chae Min-gong (채민공; 蔡敏恭)
    - Adoptive daughter-in-law - Lady Yi of the Jeonju Yi clan (전주 이씨) – daughter of Yi Gyeom-hwan (이겸환; 李謙煥); No issue.
    - Adoptive daughter-in-law - Lady Jeong of the Dongrae Jeong clan (동래 정씨; 東萊鄭氏); daughter of Jeong Sik (정식)
      - Adoptive grandson - Chae Gwa-yeong (채과영; 蔡果永; 1804–1852)
        Adoptive granddaughter-in-law - Lady Yi of the Gyeongju Yi clan (경주 이씨; 慶州李氏); daughter of Yi Ga (이가; 李榎)
        
        Adoptive granddaughter-in-law - Lady Yi of the Hansan Yi clan (한산 이씨; 韓山李氏); daughter of Yi Jae-seong (이재성; 李載聲)
        Great-grandson - Chae Dong-sul (채동술; 蔡東述; 1841–1881)
        Great-granddaughter-in-law - Lady Hong of the Pungsan Hong clan (풍산 홍씨; 豊山洪氏); daughter of Hong Seung-wi (홍승위; 洪承褘)
- Unnamed concubine
  - Son - Chae Hong-geun (채홍근; 蔡弘謹)
    - Daughter-in-law - Lady Jeong of the Naju Jeong clan (나주 정씨; 羅州丁氏)^[5]
  - Son - Chae Hong-sin (채홍신; 蔡弘愼)

Gallery

Portrait of Chae Jegong in Geumgwanjobok” painted by Yi Myeong-gi in 1792.
Portrait of Chae Jegong in black danryeongpo” painted by Yi Myeong-gi in 1792.
Portrait of Chae Jegong painted by Yi Myeong-gi in 1789.

In popular culture

Portrayed by Park Woong in the 2007 CGV TV series Eight Days, Assassination Attempts against King Jeongjo.
Portrayed by Han In-soo in the 2007-2008 MBC TV series Lee San, Wind of the Palace.
Portrayed by Kim Ik-tae in the 2010 KBS2 TV series Sungkyunkwan Scandal

References

^ In the Korean calendar (lunar), he was born on 6 April 1720 and died on 18 January 1799.
^ Jae-eun Kang 2006, p. 387.
^ Daughter of Oh Pil-woon (오필운; 吳弼運)
^ Daughter of Kwon Sang-won (권상원; 權尙元)
^ illegitimate daughter of Jeong Yak-yong's father, Jeong Jae-won (정재원; 丁載遠), so Lady Jeong and Jeong Yak-yong are half-siblings.

Sources

The National Folk Museum of Korea (2014). Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Literature: Encyclopedia of Korean Folklore and Traditional Culture. Vol. III. 길잡이미디어. ISBN 978-89-289-0084-8.
Lee E Wha (2006). Korea's Pastimes and Customs: A Social History. Homa & Sekey Books. ISBN 978-1-931907-38-5.
Jae-eun Kang (2006). The Land of Scholars: Two Thousand Years of Korean Confucianism. Homa & Sekey Books. ISBN 978-1-931907-37-8.