임형수 林亨秀
Official who rose to Deputy Director of the Office of Special Counselors; courtesy name Sasu, pen name Geumho; executed after the Yangjae Station placard affair
| Life | 1514 ~ 1547 |
| Era | 조선 중기 |
| Clan | 평택 임씨 |
Life & career
Im Hyeong-su (1514-1547) was a mid-Joseon official of the Pyeongtaek Im clan, with courtesy name Sasu and pen name Geumho. Described as bright and upright from childhood, he passed the civil examination in 1535 and served in the Office of Special Counselors in posts such as juseo, saseo, seolseo and suchan. In 1541 he is said to have been granted the honor of study leave at Hodang.
His career alternated between the Office of the Inspector-General and the Office of Special Counselors, with a stint as magistrate of Hoeryeong, and he rose to Deputy Director. He belonged to the Chungjeonggong line; Korean Wikipedia calls him a sixth-generation descendant of Im Seong-mi, elder brother of Im Gyeon-mi, while another source calls him a seventh-generation descendant of Im Eon-su.
When King Myeongjong took the throne in 1545 and the Eulsa literati purge broke out, he was demoted to magistrate of Jeju, then dismissed. In 1547 the Yangjae Station placard affair led to his being treated as part of the faction of Yun Im; he was taken to the capital and executed on Yun Won-hyeong's orders. He is said to have been rehabilitated under Seonjo and posthumously made Vice-Minister of Personnel under Jeongjo.
The Eulsa Purge and Jeju
After the 1545 Eulsa purge, Im Hyeong-su drew the hostility of the faction of Yun Won-hyeong and was demoted to magistrate of Jeju. He was soon dismissed and returned to the countryside, his career in the Office of Special Counselors cut short by the purge.
The Yangjae Station Placard Affair
A placard posted at Yangjae Station in 1547 set off the Jeongmi purge. Im Hyeong-su was branded part of the faction of Yun Im, confined on a remote island and executed. Some accounts say the placard itself was put up on Yun Won-hyeong's orders, so assessments of the affair differ.
Rehabilitation
His unjust death was later redressed under Seonjo, and he is said to have been given the posthumous post of Vice-Minister of Personnel under Jeongjo. This comes from secondary sources and needs checking against primary records.
Grave
The location of his grave was not confirmed here.