최석정 崔錫鼎

Late-Joseon civil official and mathematician; chief state councillor

Life & career

Choe Seok-jeong (崔錫鼎) had the courtesy names Yosi (汝時) and Yohwa (汝和) and the pen name Myeonggok (明谷). The grandson of Choe Myeong-gil, who had served as chief state councillor, he was a disciple of Nam Gu-man and one of the leaders of the Soron faction. He passed the higher civil service examination in 1671.

After serving as headmaster of the Office of Special Advisers (hongmun-gwan jehak), Minister of Personnel, and headmaster of learning (daejehak), he became right and left state councillor, and in 1701 rose to chief state councillor, serving several terms as chief minister. During King Sukjong's reign he led the Soron faction and pursued moderate policies.

Also learned in mathematics, in his work Gusuryak (九數略) he left combinatorial achievements such as magic squares, orthogonal Latin squares, and the jisugimundo, and is thus also regarded as "Joseon's mathematician." In 2013 he was inducted into the Science and Technology Hall of Fame at the Gwacheon National Science Museum. His posthumous title was Munjeong (文貞).

Grave

Daeyul-ri, Bugi-myeon, Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province (North Chungcheong Monument No. 169)

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