Early Joseon civil official and Chief State Councillor; Jwaik merit subject (Prince Neungseong; Chungryeol-gong)
| Life | 1406 ~ 1470 |
| Era | 조선 |
| Clan | 능성 구씨 |
Gu Chi-gwan (具致寬, 1406-1470) of the Neungseong Gu clan was a civil official of early Joseon. After passing the civil examination in 1434, he served under Sejong, Munjong and Danjong, and after King Sejo's accession was enrolled as a Jwaik merit subject and enfeoffed Lord of Neungseong.
He later served as Minister of Personnel and of Military Affairs, military inspector of Hamgil Province and Right Consultant, and became Chief State Councillor in 1466. In 1467 he went on the Jianzhou Jurchen campaign as Great General Subduing the West, and is remembered as an upright official. He died in 1470 (1st year of Seongjong); his posthumous name is Chungryeol.
Gu Chi-gwan (具致寬, 1406-1470) of the Neungseong Gu clan is said to have been born in 1406 (6th year of Taejong) at Mongchon, Gwangju-mok (around present-day Ogeum-dong, Songpa, Seoul). His courtesy name is given as Iyul or Gyeongnyul. His grandfather Gu Seong-ro served as magistrate of Gaeseong, his father Gu Yang as a county magistrate, and his mother was of the Haepyeong Yun clan, a daughter of Yun Sa-yeong.
He passed the licentiate examination in 1429 (11th year of Sejong) and the civil examination in 1434, serving in posts such as Seungmunwon jeongja, Yemungwan geomnyeol and section chiefs in the Ministries of Rites and Taxation. In 1439, as military-assistant of Hwanghae Province, he is said to have proposed famine measures that led to relief and tax reductions. Accounts say he held fairly minor posts early on.
Around 1450, when Jurchen raids occurred in Pyeongan Province, he was sent to investigate and, as aide to Kim Jong-seo, is said to have reported on repairs to the Uiju fortress. Shortly after the 1453 coup of Gyeyu, he was sent to Hamgil Province as a deputy of the State Tribunal, and in 1454 became a royal secretary. A recurring feature of this period is his assignment to northern frontier affairs.
After Sejo took the throne in 1455, he was enrolled as a third-class Jwaik merit subject, became Royal Secretary of the Left and then Vice Minister of Personnel, and was enfeoffed Lord of Neungseong. Some accounts say he came to Sejo's notice as an aide during the suppression of Yi Jing-ok's rebellion, while others state he did not take part in the Gyeyu coup, so sources differ.
He became Vice Minister of Military Affairs in 1457, Minister of Personnel in 1460, military inspector of Hamgil in 1461, and Right Consultant in 1462 with the title Prince Neungseong. In 1466 (12th year of Sejo) he rose via Right State Councillor to Chief State Councillor, though records show him leaving the post in December of that year. Sejo is said to have turned to him whenever northern problems arose, likening him to a 'Great Wall'. He is also credited with refusing private solicitations in personnel decisions.
In 1467, after the campaign against Li Manzhu of the Jianzhou guard, signs of remnant activity led Sejo to appoint him Great General Subduing the West and send him toward Manchuria; he is said to have been enrolled in December that year as a third-class military merit subject. Although a civil official, serving as commander and inspector earned him a reputation for combining civil and martial ability.
In the early reigns of Yejong and Seongjong he handled state affairs as a Wonsang alongside figures such as Sin Suk-ju and Han Myeong-hoe, and is said to have taken part in revising the Gyeongguk daejeon. When he died in 1470 (1st year of Seongjong), the king suspended court audiences. His posthumous name is Chungryeol, and the Seongjong Veritable Records obituary is said to describe him as honest and frugal, leaving no property. His death date is given variously (September 13, October 16) depending on the source.
His tomb is said to be in Yeolmi-ri, Gonjiam-eup, Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, with a spirit-path stele composed by Seo Geo-jeong and calligraphed by Bak Hyo-won. He is said to have had one son and four daughters, and many later senior Neungseong Gu officials are described as descendants of his line or of his younger brother Gu Chi-hong.
His tomb is said to be in Yeolmi-ri, Gonjiam-eup, Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province; the spirit-path stele inscription is said to have been composed by Seo Geo-jeong.
His father was Gu Yang, his mother of the Haepyeong Yun clan (daughter of Yun Sa-yeong), and his wife of the Cheongju Yi clan (daughter of Yi Jung-bu). He is said to have had a son, Gu Gyeong, and four daughters; many later Neungseong Gu senior officials are known as descendants of his line or his brother's.