Late Joseon civil official and Chief State Councillor; a central figure of the impartiality (tangpyeong) policy; art name Gwirok (歸鹿)
| Life | 1691 ~ 1752 |
| Era | 조선 |
| Clan | 풍양 조씨 |
Of the Pungyang Jo clan, his art name was Gwirok (歸鹿). He passed the higher civil service examination in 1719 and entered officialdom, and together with his elder brother Jo Mun-myeong was active as a central figure of the Soron faction.
He rendered merit in suppressing the Yi In-jwa Rebellion in 1728, and, enjoying the deep trust of King Yeongjo, supported the policy of impartiality (tangpyeong). After serving as Left State Councillor, he rose to Chief State Councillor and led state affairs.
He worked to mediate between factions and to reform the people's livelihood and finances, and his posthumous title was Chunghyo (忠孝). His literary collection Gwirok Jip (歸鹿集) survives.