Early-Joseon official and writer; Royal Secretary (Dosungji); pen name Maegye; author of the Maegyejip and the exile gasa 'Manbunga'
| Life | 1454 ~ 1503 |
| Era | 조선 전기 |
| Clan | 창녕 조씨 |
Jo Wi (曺偉, 1454–1503) was an early-Joseon civil official and writer of the Changnyeong Cho clan. His courtesy name was Taeheo (太虛), his pen name Maegye (梅溪) and his posthumous title Munjang (文莊). Born in Bonggye, Gimcheon, he passed the regular civil examination in the byeong class in 1471 and, after serving as Royal Secretary (Dosungji) and Vice-Minister of Taxation, went out as governor of Chungcheong Province.
His inclusion of the 'Jo-ui-je-mun' while compiling Kim Jong-jik's collected works at King Seongjong's order became the root of the Literati Purge of 1498; seized on his way back from Ming China, he was exiled to Uiju and Suncheon. The gasa 'Manbunga', composed in Suncheon, is regarded as the earliest exile gasa, and his collected works are the Maegyejip.
Born in Bonggye, Gimcheon, he passed the regular civil examination in the byeong class in 1471. He held posts as Geomsang and Janggwan in 1491, Dongbu Seungji and Dosungji in 1492 and Vice-Minister of Taxation in 1493, and later went out as governor of Chungcheong Province. Distinguished in Neo-Confucianism and writing, he was counted a leader of the new Sarim scholars, and his calligraphy survives in the 'Jo Gye-mun gravestone'. Scholarship also presents him as a student of Kim Jong-jik.
His inclusion of the 'Jo-ui-je-mun' when compiling Kim Jong-jik's collected works at King Seongjong's order is said to have become the root of the 1498 Literati Purge. According to the Korean Gasa Literature Museum, the purge broke out as he returned from Ming China as envoy for the Emperor's birthday in 1498; he was exiled to Uiju and then moved to Suncheon. He died of illness in exile, and in the 1504 Gapja Purge he is said to have suffered posthumous disinterment and decapitation together with Pyo Yeon-mal and Jeong Yeo-chang.
'Manbunga', composed during his exile in Suncheon, is a gasa that appeals to the king over a grievance by comparing his lot to being banished from heaven to the world below; the Korean Gasa Literature Museum describes it as 127 lines and regards it as the earliest exile gasa. His collected works, the Maegyejip, survive. After reading 43 sheets of land-purchase deeds found during the 1490 rebuilding of Haeinsa, he wrote 'Postscript to the Haeinsa Deeds', valued as evidence of the relationship between Haeinsa and the Silla court in late Silla.
He was enshrined at Songgye Seowon in Hwanggan and Gyeongnyeom Seowon in Gimcheon; the latter was abolished under the Daewongun and later rebuilt as Haro Seowon in Gimcheon. Within the same clan, Jo Sang-chi is an elder figure and Jo Sik a later one.
His grave was not confirmed here. He was enshrined at Songgye Seowon in Hwanggan and Gyeongnyeom Seowon in Gimcheon (later rebuilt as Haro Seowon).