Early Joseon official who compiled the first Namyang Hong genealogy (1454)
| Life | 1464 |
| Era | 조선 전기 |
| Clan | 남양 홍씨 |
Hong Il-dong (洪逸童, c.1412–1464) was an early Joseon civil official of the Namyang-gun branch of the Danghong line. His courtesy name was Ilhyu and his pen name Macheon. A great-grandson of Hong Ju, founder of the Namyang-gun branch, and son of Hong Sang-jik, he is remembered by the clan for compiling the first Namyang Hong Clan Genealogy in 1454. The original is lost; only its preface survives in later editions.
He passed a royal-attended civil examination in 1442. Though once dismissed for neglecting his Chinese-language teaching duties, he went on to serve as a censor under King Munjong and in several posts under King Danjong. In 1455 he was recorded as a second-rank supporting merit subject of King Sejo, and in 1460 he was promoted to head the Insunbu office. As Vice Minister of Revenue he went to Ming China as an envoy in 1461, and went again in 1462 as a New Year envoy.
He was bold in temperament, wrote fine poetry and loved drink. Seo Geo-jeong recorded in Pilwon Japgi his legendary appetite, describing how on one outing he ate rice cakes, noodles, rice and bean-curd soup and then two chickens with some forty cups of wine. Sent to Hongju as a royal envoy in 1464, he died there after heavy drinking. His collected works were titled Macheonjip.
His daughter became a royal consort of King Seongjong. One account holds that the bandit Hong Gil-dong of Yeonsangun's time, often linked to the tale of Hong Gil-dong, was his half-brother, but this remains unconfirmed.
One of his surviving poems opens, "Gold makes a man honored, but without poetry a man grows vulgar." His grave was first made in Hongju, moved to Gwagok in Gwacheon to be joined with his wife's, and later moved again to Bangdong-ri in Seo-myeon, Chuncheon.