황서 黃瑞
Late-Goryeo chancellor who travelled to the Yuan court and had Pyeonghae raised to a commandery; founder of the Munjeol-gong branch
| Era | 고려 후기 |
| Clan | 평해 황씨 |
Life & career
Hwang Seo (黃瑞) was a late-Goryeo official of the Pyeonghae Hwang clan. He was the second son of third-generation chancellor Hwang Yu-jung and, with his elder brother Hwang Jin and younger brother Hwang Yong, forms one of the three fourth-generation trunks of the clan. He is honored as the founder of the Munjeol-gong branch; sources variously write the branch name as Munjeol-gong or Chungjeol-gong, and this entry follows the former.
He is said to have accompanied the crown prince to the Yuan court three times under King Chungnyeol. The Korean Wikipedia entry on the clan adds that, serving several kings afterward, he travelled to Yuan thirty-one times in all, so accounts differ between three and thirty-one. For these services he rose through the ranks of jinjaguangludafu, geumeodae and cheomui pyeongni to the senior-first-rank chancellor (munha sijung). His best-known achievement is that his home seat, Pyeonghae, was raised from a county to a commandery. It is also recorded that the posthumous title Munjeol (文節) was given to him according to the Wenxian tongkao.
Many Goryeo records were lost after Joseon was founded, so his dates and tomb are not well documented. His only son, Hwang Jong-ryang (黃宗亮), served as a vice-minister of revenue, and the Yebin-gong sub-branch, to which Hwang Yeo-il later belonged, branched from his line. In August 1980 his descendants raised a spirit-way stele to him at Cheoksan-ri, Giseong-myeon, Uljin. It is often suggested that Woljeongjeong pavilion was built when Pyeonghae was raised to a commandery, but other accounts date it to the reign of King Chungsuk, so this cannot be settled.
Two people named Hwang Seo
There are two people named Hwang Seo in the Pyeonghae Hwang clan. Besides the Goryeo chancellor described here, the Korean Wikipedia clan entry lists a mid-Joseon Hwang Seo (courtesy name Jeongok) who placed first in the 1552 civil examination and later served as a censor in Gyeongsang, royal lecturer and governor of Cheonghong. Do not confuse the two.
Grave
His tomb could not be confirmed here. A spirit-way stele set up in August 1980 stands at Cheoksan-ri, Giseong-myeon, Uljin.
Descendants
His son Hwang Jong-ryang (vice-minister of revenue) carried the line, which formed the Munjeol-gong branch with its Yebin-gong and Haewol-gong sub-branches.
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