Civil official, inspector-general and Chungcheong governor; victim of the 1453 coup; pen name Jeongam
| Life | 1453 |
| Era | 조선 전기 |
| Clan | 광주 안씨 |
An Wan-gyeong (?-1453) was an early-Joseon civil official from Gwangju with the pen name Jeongam (貞菴). A great-grandson of An Sa-chung, he was the grandson of An Jeong and son of the governor An Cheo-seon.
He passed the civil examination in 1423 and the second examination in 1436 as a Hall of Worthies fellow, then served as censor, royal secretary and vice-minister. In 1450 he went to Ming as vice envoy and later that year became inspector-general, going to Ming again in 1452.
In 1453 he became Chungcheong governor, but in the Gyeyu coup of that year he was branded a partisan of Prince Anpyeong, exiled to Yangsan and soon put to death, according to the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture. Wikipedia says he died for his loyalty at Prince Suyang's hands and is honored as a loyal subject of King Danjong at Jeongchungdan in Yeongwol.
An Wan-gyeong passed the examinations twice under King Sejong and rose to a fellowship at the Hall of Worthies, so he was recognized for learning and prose. The Hall was where Sejong had scholars research policy, and the post he held was above the middle ranks. His 1450 and 1452 embassies to Ming show he was trusted in diplomatic work too.
The inspector-general headed the Office of the Inspector-General, which monitored officials' misconduct, which matches the clan's reputation in the censorial offices.
In the 1453 Gyeyu coup, when Prince Suyang eliminated Kim Jong-seo and others, people close to Prince Anpyeong were purged. The Encyclopedia says An was branded a partisan of Anpyeong, exiled to Yangsan and soon put to death, while Wikipedia's Gwangju An entry says he died for his loyalty at Suyang's hands while Chungcheong governor and is honored at Jeongchungdan in Yeongwol. The two sources describe his death differently, so both are given.
The location of his grave was not confirmed.