Seong Sammun

Infobox Korean name


hangul=성삼문
hanja=成三問
rr=Seong Sammun
mr=Sŏng Sammun
hangulja=근보, 눌옹
hanjaja=謹甫, 訥翁
rrja=Geunbo, Nurong
mrja=Kŭnbo, Nurong
hangulho=매죽헌
hanjaho=梅竹軒
rrho=Maejukheon
mrho=Maejukhŏn

Seong Sammun (1418 - 1456) was a scholar-official of early Joseon who rose to prominence in the court of King Sejong the Great (ruled 1418 - 1450). He was executed after being implicated in a plot to dethrone King Sejo (r. 1455 - 1468) and restore his predecessor King Danjong (r. 1452 - 1455), and is known as one of the "sayuksin" (사육신, the six martyred ministers) with reference to this plot.

Biography

Seong Sammun was born in Hongseong (then Hongju), South Chungcheong province to a yangban family of the Changnyeong Seong lineage. He passed the lower examination at the regular triennial administration in 1438. He soon gained the favor of King Sejong, and was appointed to the Hall of Worthies. From 1442 to 1446, he cooperated with other members of that body to compose the "Hunmin Jeongeum", in which the hangul alphabet was first presented to the world. The level of his involvement in the creation of the Korean alphabet Hangul (and that of other Hall of Worthies scholars) is disputed, although he and other scholars were sent on trips to consult with a Ming Chinese phoneticist several times, presumably because one of the first uses the new alphabet was put to was to transcribe the sounds of hanja, or Sino-Korean characters. In 1447, Seong achieved the highest score on the higher literary examination.

In 1455, Prince Suyang (one of Sejong's sons) forced the young King Danjong, his nephew, to abdicate, taking the throne instead as King Sejo. Following secret orders from his father Seong Seung, Seong Sammun along with Bak Jungrim, Bak Paengnyeon and others plotted to assassinate the new king and restore King Danjong to the throne. The plot was exposed and the plotters all arrested. Seong Sammun and his father were executed along with other plotters. Before his execution, Seong Sammun condemned the king as a pretender. The "sayuksin" and the "saengyuksin" (생육신, the six retainers who lived), who refused to accept King Sejo as the legitimate king, were praised by later generations for holding fast to the Confucian value of staying loyal to the true king.

Poetry for his loyalty

The first sijo was made right before his death execution. (The entire section's reference) [ko icon [http://www.chunghyo.net/yuksin/yuksin/yuksin01.jsp Of Sayuksin, "Seong Sam-mun"] from 생육신, 사육신 홈페이지]

(The entire section's reference) [ko icon [http://sams.ghetto.co.kr/Directory/@preview.asp?Dir=2&Num=186 Analysis on a sijo by Seong Sammun] ]

See also

* Joseon Dynasty politics
* History of Korea
* List of Korea-related topics
* List of Joseon Dynasty people

References

External links

* [http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/eng/info_db/dest/sight_detail.jsp?seqno=654 Shrine of Seong Sam-mun in Hongseong County]
* [http://mtcha.com.ne.kr/koreaman/sosun/man72-sungsammun.htm Biography]
* [http://www.donga.com/docs/magazine/shin/2006/03/29/200603290500001/200603290500001_1.html 신숙주가 본 ‘죽마고우’ 성삼문] from Dong-a Ilbo