Mid-Joseon official who topped a special civil exam under Jungjong, served as magistrate of Gwangju and Gyeongju, and built Gwiraejeong (Yeongmojeong)
| Life | 1486 ~ 1553 |
| Era | 조선 중기 |
| Clan | 나주 임씨 |
Im Bung (1486-1553) was a Joseon official under King Jungjong from Naju, with the pen name Gwiraejeong (歸來亭). He is introduced as the 15th-generation descendant of Im Bi. He topped a special civil examination under Jungjong and served as magistrate of Gwangju, royal secretary and governor of Gyeongju.
He is said to have led Seonggyungwan students in a petition defending Jo Gwang-jo, and afterwards retired and built a pavilion at Hoejin, which became today's Yeongmojeong.
His sons included Im Bok and Im Jin, whose lines form the Jeongja-gong and Jeoldo-gong branches; his grandson was the poet Im Je. The tablet of his father Im Pyeong is housed in the Hoejin ancestral shrine.
He topped a special civil exam under Jungjong and served as magistrate of Gwangju and governor of Gyeongju. After Jo Gwang-jo was executed in the purge, he is said to have led Seonggyungwan students in a petition on his behalf.
Wikipedia says he built Gwiraejeong at Hoejin in 1520. It burned in 1597 and was rebuilt in 1622; descendants renamed it Yeongmojeong in 1555 (another account says his sons built it in his memory). The present building dates from 1982 and is Jeollanam-do Monument No. 112.
In his generation the Naju Lim gained fame in both civil and military careers and in letters. His sons Im Bok and Im Jin and grandson Im Je followed, and the clan still holds a rite at Yeongmojeong in the tenth lunar month.
His tomb was not confirmed here. A memorial stele to him is said to stand at Yeongmojeong, Hoejin-ri, Naju.
Known descendants include his sons Im Bok and Im Jin and grandsons Im Je and Im Seo.