Chief State Councillor under Jungjong who took part in the Gimyo Purge; pen name Jijeong; author of the Jijeongjip
| Life | 1471 ~ 1527 |
| Era | 조선 중기 |
| Clan | 의령 남씨 |
Nam Gon (1471-1527) was born in Miryang, South Gyeongsang, and belonged to the Uiryeong Nam clan. His courtesy name was Sahwa and pen names Jijeong, Jijokdang and Jijok. His father was Nam Chi-sin, magistrate of Goksan, and his mother was of the Jinju Ha; his elder brother was Nam Po. His wife was of the Yeonan Yi; he had no legitimate son but a son of a secondary wife, Nam Seung-sa, and his maternal grandson Song In married Jungjong's secondary daughter Princess Jeongsun.
He passed the special civil examination in 1494 and served in the Office of Special Advisers and Office of Censors, impeaching corruption among the meritorious elite. Exiled in the Gapja Purge, he returned after the 1506 Restoration and served as Governor of Hwanghae, minister of Revenue, War and Personnel, and Director of the Office of Royal Decrees; in 1518 he went to Ming China on a mission on the Yi dynasty's lineage correction but without result. He became Left State Councillor in 1520 and Chief State Councillor in 1523.
In the 1519 Gimyo Purge he joined Sim Jeong, Hong Gyeong-ju and others in removing Jo Gwang-jo's circle, and his name also appears in the 1521 Sinsa case that purged An Dang. He left the collection Jijeongjip, the Yu Ja-gwang jeon and Namak changsurok, and co-compiled the Sok dongmunseon. In old age he is said to have burned his writings. In 1568 his posthumous title and ranks were stripped at the petition of Yi Hwang and Song Sun; he was long judged harshly, though some also note he was incorruptible and an excellent writer.
After passing in 1494 he criticized the meritorious elite as a censor, was exiled in the Gapja Purge, and after the Restoration held many senior posts. After serving as Director of Royal Decrees he became Left State Councillor in 1520 and Chief State Councillor in 1523.
He took part with Sim Jeong and Hong Gyeong-ju in the 1519 purge of Jo Gwang-jo's circle. Wikipedia treats the "Juchoyuwang" story as a later legend and notes that the Jungjong sillok records an attempt to save Jo, so accounts differ.
An accomplished writer, he helped compile the Sok dongmunseon and wrote spirit-way inscriptions. His title and ranks were stripped in 1568, but he is also said to have been incorruptible, so he is hard to judge by a single standard.
Wikipedia places his burial in the Yangju area, but the place names differ from today and the exact site was not confirmed.