Scholar-official under Seonjo who served as Deputy Director of Special Counselors and Inspector-General, retired after the Gyechuk Incident; pen name Sigam, posthumous title Jeongik
| Life | 1544 ~ 1616 |
| Era | 조선 중기 |
| Clan | 창원 황씨 |
Hwang Seom (黃暹, 1544-1616) was a mid-Joseon official of the Changwon Hwang clan's Hojang-gong line, with courtesy name Gyeongmyeong (景明), pen name Sigam (息庵), also given as Dunam, and posthumous title Jeongik (貞翼). He was a grandson of Hwang Sa-u and a son of Hwang Eung-gyu, and his younger brother Hwang Si's records call him 'Deputy Director of Special Counselors Hwang Seom'. A commentary by the Korea Institute for Confucian Studies names him a disciple of Jeong Tak.
He passed the civil examination in 1570, held posts such as censor, vice-royal-secretary of the Board of War and magistrate of Andong, and became Inspector-General in December 1607. Wikipedia and related sources say he served both as Deputy Director and Inspector-General. His sister was the wife of Ryu Yeong-gyeong, the leader of the Northern Faction who rose to Chief State Councillor, making Hwang Seom his brother-in-law; since Ryu supported Prince Yeongchang, Hwang Seom is counted among the Sobuk group.
After the Gyechuk Incident of 1613 pushed the Sobuk men out of Gwanghaegun's government, he left office, went back to the countryside and devoted himself to study. He died in 1616 and was later given the title Jeongik. His writings were collected in the Sigam Seonsaeng Munjip, printed in 1769, and the commentary notes that many poems reflect the experience of the Imjin War. They also appear in the Hoesan Sego with those of Hwang Sa-u, Hwang Si and Hwang Yu-jung.
Ryu Yeong-gyeong, Chief State Councillor at the end of Seonjo's reign, supported Prince Yeongchang and is known to have been impeached and exiled right after Gwanghaegun's accession in 1608 and then put to death. Hwang Seom's own position must have changed accordingly, but specific records were not confirmed here. Together with the record that his father Hwang Eung-gyu became a general in the Imjin War, it shows a family that took military posts as well as civil ones.
Ryu Yeong-gyeong's wife was a daughter of Hwang Eung-gyu, which made Hwang Seom the brother-in-law of the Sobuk leader. The Wikipedia entry on Ryu also records the relation.
The post of Deputy Director appears in Wikipedia and in his brother Hwang Si's record, but not in the institute's commentary, so accounts of his career differ slightly.
The Sigam Seonsaeng Munjip was printed in 1769 and is noted for many poems written during the Imjin War.
The location of his tomb was not confirmed.
His grandfather was Hwang Sa-u and his father Hwang Eung-gyu; his younger brother Hwang Si also passed the civil examination and served as royal secretary.