Mid-Joseon official who passed the civil examination under Injo, served as Inspector and rose to royal secretary, and took part in compiling the Veritable Records of Injo (courtesy name Ugyeong; pen name Ijidang)
| Life | 1598 ~ 1653 |
| Era | 조선 중기 |
| Clan | 초계 변씨 |
Byeon Si-ik (卞時益, 1598-1653) was a mid-Joseon civil official of the Chogye Byeon, with courtesy name Ugyeong (虞卿) and pen name Iji (二知) or Ijidang. A sixth-generation descendant of Byeon Hyo-mun, his great-grandfather was Byeon Chung-nam, his grandfather Byeon Gyeong-bok and his father Byeon Yu-in according to Korean Wikipedia; his mother was of the Pyeongsan Sin. The family was a Jehakgong-pa line that settled in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, in the time of Byeon Chung-nam.
He passed the saengwon examination in 1624 (Injo 2) and the special civil examination in the eulgwa class in 1628. After being named jeongeon in 1634 he served as jipyeong of the Office of the Inspector General and was promoted to janggyeong in 1640; all of these were posts in the censorate that monitored officials and advised the king.
In 1650 (Hyojong 1), as janggyeong and compiler of the History Office, he took part in compiling the Veritable Records of Injo. In 1652 he was dismissed for not carrying out an order to investigate the crimes of Sim Aek and others, but in 1653 he was appointed royal secretary (seungji) again and died the same year.
According to the Digital Cheongju Culture Encyclopedia, the Chogye Byeon of Cheongju settled when Byeon Chung-nam, a 13th-generation Jehakgong-pa descendant, moved in the Jungjong era to Nae-su's Bihong-ri, his wife's family land. Byeon Si-ik was Chung-nam's great-grandson, and later descendants formed clan villages in Bisang-ri, Chojeong-ri and Usan-ri.
Named jeongeon in 1634 and later serving as jipyeong and janggyeong, he worked as a member of the censorate. His part in compiling the Veritable Records of Injo in 1650 shows that his writing and learning were recognized.
The clan's list of heritage sites includes a memorial stele for his good governance. Other family members, Byeon Gyeong-bok and Byeon Ik-ha, were known for filial piety, and a filial-piety stele and a shrine hall in Bisang-ri, Cheongwon-gu, were designated Cheongju local heritage sites in 2015.
His tomb is said to be in Chojeong-ri, Naesu-eup, Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju, North Chungcheong.
Korean Wikipedia lists sons Byeon Bak (saengwon), Byeon Gang (military examination) and Byeon Wi; his elder brother was Byeon Si-mang and younger brother Byeon Si-seok.