Left State Councillor under Yeonsangun; pen name Iheon; posthumous title Munjeong
| Life | 1444 ~ 1505 |
| Era | 조선 전기 |
| Clan | 양천 허씨 |
Heo Chim (1444-1505) was an early Joseon official of the Yangcheon Heo clan, with courtesy name Heonji, pen name Iheon and posthumous title Munjeong (文貞). His father was Heo Son and his mother Lady Choe; with his older brother Heo Jong he was famous as one of the brother state councillors. His great-grandfather was Heo Gi and his grandfather Heo Bi. He passed the jinsa examination in 1462 and the civil examination in the second class in 1475 (the sixth year of King Seongjong).
His posts included inspector, secretary, royal secretaries, vice minister of personnel and of rites, inspector-general, and for a time Governor of Jeolla, where he is said to have governed well. Under Yeonsangun he served as vice minister of punishments and of war, and was demoted to Governor of Gyeongsang during the 1498 Muo literati purge. After his return he served as vice minister of war, revenue, punishments and personnel and as an adviser, and in the large reshuffle after Han Chi-hyeong's death in 1502 became Minister of Personnel. He passed through Right State Councillor in 1504 to Left State Councillor.
He is said to have been trusted by Yeonsangun when the latter was crown prince, and in 1489 he edited the Samgang haengsil. Because he had opposed the deposition of Lady Yun in Seongjong's reign, he is said to have escaped harm in the 1504 Gapja purge. He tried to correct Yeonsangun's misrule but, unable to do so, died of illness in 1505.
He was known for learning and virtue together with contemporaries such as Sin Jong-ho, Jo Wi and Yu Ho-in, and is classed as an honest official. Accounts of him rest mainly on Kim An-guk's biographical sketch in the Mojae-jip (vol. 14), so specific anecdotes and tomb information were not sufficiently confirmed here.
His brother Heo Jong became Right State Councillor as a merit subject in suppressing Yi Si-ae's rebellion. The two are remembered as the brother councillors.
Heo Chim's posthumous title is Munjeong (文貞) while Goryeo's Heo Baek is Munjeong (文正). The characters and people differ, so do not confuse them with the branch name Munjeong-gong.
The location of his tomb was not confirmed here.