황희 黃喜
Celebrated chief state councillor who served 18 years under King Sejong; honest official; pen name Bangchon; posthumous title Ikseong
| Life | 1363 ~ 1452 |
| Era | 조선 초기 |
| Clan | 장수 황씨 |
Life & career
Hwang Hui (1363-1452) was born in late Goryeo and served under Taejong and King Sejong in early Joseon. He belonged to the Jangsu Hwang clan; his childhood name was Suro, courtesy name Gubu, pen name Bangchon, and posthumous title Ikseong. He is said to have entered office through hereditary appointment in late Goryeo and returned to service after the founding of Joseon.
After serving as minister of Punishments, Rites, Personnel and War, Inspector-General and Governor of Gangwon, he became Right State Councillor in 1426 and Chief State Councillor in 1431, holding the post until he retired at 87 in 1449. He is said to have spent 24 years at the rank of state councillor and is renowned as an upright, incorruptible official.
Four sons are recorded: Hwang Chi-sin, Hwang Bo-sin, Hwang Su-sin and Hwang Jik-sin, of whom Hwang Su-sin followed his father as Chief State Councillor.
Honest-Official Stories and Anecdotes
Hwang Hui is a byword for the upright and generous minister. In the best-known tale, he asked a farmer plowing with two oxen which was better; the farmer whispered the answer, saying that even beasts dislike hearing themselves criticized, and Hwang took the lesson to heart. Others say that instead of scolding his wayward son Hwang Su-sin he received him in full court dress like a guest until the son repented, and that he once told two quarreling maids that each was right.
These are traditional stories passed down through later unofficial writings and collected works, not facts confirmed word for word in the annals. The tale of King Sejong finding him living simply on barley rice and bean paste is likewise a legend of his frugality.
Eighteen Years as Chief State Councillor
He rose under Taejong, but around 1418 he opposed the deposition of the crown prince Prince Yangnyeong, was dismissed, and is said to have stayed in Gyoha and Namwon. After King Sejong took the throne he was reinstated, becoming Right State Councillor in 1426 and Chief State Councillor in 1431, and he assisted Sejong in that post until retiring at 87 in 1449. His roughly 18 years as Chief State Councillor are said to be the longest of Sejong's reign.
In 1423, as Governor of Gangwon, he is recorded as relieving people in a famine year, and even after retirement he is said to have been consulted on major state matters.
Hwang Hui Sites and Jangsu Hwang Descendants
In Paju, Gyeonggi-do, the pavilion Bangujeong in Samok-ri, Munsan is said to be where he stayed in old age. Nearby are Bangchon Yeongdang, built to honor him after his death in 1452, the ritual hall Gyeongmojae and the Bangchon Hwang Hui Memorial Hall. His tomb is in Geumseung-ri, Tanhyeon-myeon. He is also enshrined at Okdong Seowon in Sangju and Changgye Seowon in Jangsu.
From his sons' generation the family split into branches such as the Hoan (via Hwang Chi-sin) and Yeolseong (via Hwang Su-sin) lines, and he is honored as the leading figure of the Jangsu Hwang clan. For his sons Hwang Chi-sin, Hwang Bo-sin, Hwang Su-sin and Hwang Jik-sin, see their own pages.
Posthumous Assessment and Controversy
After his death he was enshrined in Sejong's ancestral shrine hall in 1452, and in 1455 he is said to have been named a Sunchung Bojo merit subject and posthumously ennobled as Prince Namwonbuwon. Later generations regard him as the model of the mild, incorruptible minister.
Some scholars and records, however, point to bribery and petition controversies, an alleged cover-up of a son-in-law's killing and favoritism toward kin, and argue the image of his poverty was embellished in later times. A balanced view therefore sees both high praise and criticism in the record.
Grave
Geumseung-ri, Tanhyeon-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do (Tomb of Hwang Hui, Gyeonggi Provincial Monument No. 34)
Descendants
He is recorded as having four sons, Hwang Chi-sin, Hwang Bo-sin, Hwang Su-sin and Hwang Jik-sin. The eldest served as Pan-jungchubu-sa and the third, Hwang Su-sin, rose to Chief State Councillor. The family is said to have divided into the Hoan, Soyun and Yeolseong branches from his sons' generation; later descendants include Hwang Yun-gil, an envoy to Japan, and Hwang Hyeon, author of the Maecheon Yarok. See also the Jangsu Hwang clan page.