Father-in-law of King Hyeonjong and maternal grandfather of King Sukjong; Prince Cheongpung; posthumous title Chungik
| Life | 1619 ~ 1675 |
| Era | 조선 후기 |
| Clan | 청풍 김씨 |
Gim U-myeong (1619-1675) of the Cheongpung Gim clan was a late-Joseon royal in-law with courtesy name Ijeong and posthumous title Chungik, enfeoffed as Prince Cheongpung. The second son of Chief State Councillor Gim Yuk, he was born at Jamgok in Gapyeong; his elder brother was Gim Jwa-myeong. With his wife of the Eunjin Song clan he had four sons and two daughters; the elder daughter became Queen Myeongseong, consort of King Hyeonjong.
After passing the jinsa examination in 1642 he served as a tomb guardian, heir-apparent guard, Works Ministry secretary, royal secretary and magistrate of Bupyeong. When Hyojong died in 1659 and his daughter became queen he became the king’s father-in-law; in 1661 he was made Prince Cheongpung and Chief of the Royal Kin Office, and later led the Five Garrisons and the royal guard.
In 1674 he joined Southerners such as Heo Jeok against Song Si-yeol’s Westerners over the mourning dispute and was derided as Western outside, Southern inside. In the Hongsu affair of 1675 early in Sukjong’s reign he tried to remove the three princes Bokchang, Bokseon and Bokpyeong but could not prove his charges, and Heo Mok and Yun Hyu urged his punishment for false accusation. The queen’s tearful appearance in white mourning dress ended the matter, but he withdrew from office and died of illness that year.
The Hongsu affair began when Queen Myeongseong claimed that the three princes had consorted with palace women. For lack of evidence they were released and later sent into banishment. Southerners afterwards condemned the queen’s interference, and Gim U-myeong withdrew from office.
A Gangwon newspaper account says his tomb is at Neunggol in Seo-myeon, Chuncheon, and that his grandson Gim Do-jun settled there to keep mourning vigil, beginning the Chuncheon line of the clan.
His tomb at Anbo-ri, Seo-myeon, Chuncheon, is Gangwon Provincial Monument No. 20; the epitaph was written by Yi Min-seo and the biography by his nephew Gim Seok-ju.
His elder daughter Queen Myeongseong was King Sukjong’s mother; Queen Hyoui, consort of Jeongjo, is said to descend from him.