Late-Goryeo Grand Academician; founder of the Jeongsinjae-gong branch (art name Jeongsinjae)
| Life | 1342 ~ 1418 |
| Era | 고려 말~조선 초 |
| Clan | 수원 백씨 |
Baek Jang (白莊, 1342-1418) was a late-Goryeo scholar who served as Grand Academician under King Gongmin and is the founder of the Jeongsinjae-gong branch of the Suwon Baek. He studied under Jeong Mong-ju and is remembered as a Neo-Confucian scholar comparable to the 'Three Eun'. When Joseon was founded he withdrew to Mt. Chiaksan, where he organized Neo-Confucian learning and taught disciples.
King Taejo and King Taejong repeatedly summoned him, but he refused, and he is said to have been exiled to Jangsu in Jeolla, where he died in 1418. For this loyalty to Goryeo he is counted with Hwang Hui as one of the two 'virtuous' elders of Jangsu, and his memorial tablet is kept at Wolgangsa shrine in Janggye-myeon, Jangsu County.
On July 9, 2026, the Suwon Baek Jeongsinjae-gong Daejonghoe held the unveiling of a 2 m bronze statue of him at Cheongsim Park in Jangsu-eup (project cost 150 million won), and a separate restoration project replaced the roof of the Sungui-je building and repaired earthen walls. Korean Wikipedia explains that the Jeongsinjae-gong line also continues as the Haemi Baek, but the clan itself honors it as the Jeongsinjae-gong of the Suwon Baek, so the line's labeling differs by source.
He rose to Grand Academician under King Gongmin and studied under Jeong Mong-ju. Under the new dynasty he did not take office, and organized Neo-Confucian learning on Mt. Chiaksan.
Jangsu County honors a set of figures called the 'Two Virtues, Three Fidelities and Five Righteous', and Baek Jang stands with Hwang Hui among the two virtues. His death there after exile is said to have earned local reverence.
Baek Jang's exact career, posthumous name, grave and direct lineage could not be confirmed. The above rests on July 2026 reports of the statue unveiling and clan introductions; the seat label (Suwon or Haemi) and his scholarly lineage may differ by source.
His memorial tablet is at Wolgangsa in Janggye-myeon, Jangsu County, North Jeolla. His grave site could not be confirmed.
His descendants form the Suwon Baek Jeongsinjae-gong Daejonghoe.