Mid-Joseon civil official and scholar (pen name Hakbong)
| Life | 1538 ~ 1593 |
| Era | 조선 |
| Clan | 의성 김씨 |
Kim Seong-il was a civil official from Andong; his pen name was Hakbong (鶴峰) and his courtesy name Sasun (士純). A foremost disciple of Toegye Yi Hwang, he is counted among the central figures of the Yeongnam school. He served as third minister of punishments (hyeongjo chami) and as magistrate of Naju, among other posts.
He is known for the affair in which, after returning from a mission to Japan as deputy envoy of a diplomatic embassy in 1590, he reported a view differing from that of the chief envoy Hwang Yun-gil regarding Toyotomi Hideyoshi's intentions to invade. When the Imjin War broke out, he was appointed pacification commissioner (choyusa) for the Right Gyeongsang region and worked to rally righteous armies and reassure the populace.
He died of illness in 1593 while urging on the defense of Jinju Fortress. His works include the Hakbong jip and the Haesarok, a record of his mission to Japan; he was posthumously granted the office of Minister of Personnel and received the posthumous title Munchung (文忠).
Seoji-dong, Waryong-myeon, Andong, North Gyeongsang Province
His descendants have maintained the head house of the family, carrying on the Hakbong Head House of the Uiseong Kim clan (義城金氏 鶴峰宗宅) in Geumgye-ri, Seohu-myeon, Andong.