Founder of the Gwangdong Jin clan; Ming naval commander in the Jeongyu War
| Life | 1543 ~ 1607 |
| Era | 명나라(조선 선조 대 정유재란 참전) |
| Clan | 광동 진씨 |
Chen Lin (陳璘, Korean: Jin Rin, 1543-1607) was a Ming general who led the Ming navy to Korea during the Jeongyu War and fought the Battle of Noryang alongside Yi Sun-sin. The Korean Gwangdong Jin clan honors him as its founder. His courtesy name was Chaojue (朝爵) and his pen name Longya (龍崖). He was born in Longtian, Wengyuan County, Shaozhou Prefecture, Guangdong, which is now Longtian Village, Zhoupi Town, Wengyuan County, Shaoguan.
According to his biography in volume 247 of the History of Ming, he distinguished himself as an assistant commander against rebels in Yingde in the late Jiajing era and was made garrison commander of Guangdong. Early in the Wanli era he put down revolts in Gaoyao and Jieyang and served as mobile corps commander at Zhaoqing and regional commander at Gaozhou. In the great Luopang campaign he advanced by way of Xinyi. After Luoding Department and the counties of Dong'an and Xining were created on the conquered land, he served as deputy regional commander in charge of Dong'an. The Mingshi calls him "a resourceful man and a good leader of troops, but greedy wherever he went," and impeachments cost him his post more than once.
When the Japanese invaded Korea in 1592 he was recalled for his knowledge of Japanese affairs. When peace talks paused the fighting he was moved to the defense of Zhangzhou and Chaozhou, and he was dismissed again for bribing the Minister of War, Shi Xing. After the talks collapsed in 1597, he led 5,000 Guangdong troops to aid Joseon. In the second month of 1598 he became Regional Commander against the Japanese and took overall command of the navy. In the 7th lunar month he reached Gogeumdo, where he joined Yi Sun-sin's Joseon fleet and founded a shrine to Guan Yu.
On the 19th day of the 11th lunar month of 1598, the allies met Shimazu Yoshihiro's fleet off Noryang as it came to relieve Konishi Yukinaga at Suncheon. They won a great victory, but Yi Sun-sin and the Ming deputy commander Deng Zilong were killed in this Battle of Noryang. When the Ming court assessed merit, it ranked Chen Lin first. It promoted him to Vice Commissioner-in-Chief and made his rank of assistant commander hereditary.
Joseon records describe him as arrogant and harsh and say he took credit for Korean victories, causing friction with Yi Sun-sin. Yet the story that he came to revere Yi and wept at his death is also widely told. Some scholars note that the tale of Yi winning him over by yielding credit spread only in later times, so assessments of him differ.
After returning home in 1599 he served as regional commander of Huguang, helped suppress Yang Yinglong's Bozhou rebellion and put down Miao uprisings in Guizhou. He was then moved to command in Guangdong and died in office in 1607. He had risen to Left Commissioner-in-Chief and was posthumously made Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent. The Ming Veritable Records note that in 1618 his son Chen Jiuxiang (陳九相) received a hereditary post as commander in Guangdong. Korean sources and the clan say he was made Count of Guangdong (廣東伯), but the Mingshi does not confirm this.
After the fall of the Ming his grandson Jin Yeong-so crossed to Joseon and settled in Haenam, founding the Gwangdong Jin clan. In Korea, Hwangjo Byeolmyo in Hwangjo Village, Haenam, and the former Guan Yu shrine on Gogeumdo, now the Admiral Yi Sun-sin Site on Myodangdo, are connected with him. In China, the "Legend of Chen Lin" is listed as intangible cultural heritage of Guangdong Province.
He died in office in Guangdong. Korean Wikipedia places his tomb in the Yun'an area (now Yun'an District, Yunfu), but this could not be cross-checked here. In Korea his spirit tablet is kept at Hwangjo Byeolmyo in Haenam.
His grandson Jin Yeong-so came to Joseon and founded the Gwangdong Jin clan in Hwangjo Village, Haenam. Descendants also live in Yun'an and Wengyuan in Guangdong.