First-class founding merit subject of Joseon and Chief State Councillor under Taejong; pen name Gwijeong; posthumous title Chunggyeong
| Life | 1351 ~ 1419 |
| Era | 고려 말~조선 초 |
| Clan | 의령 남씨 |
Nam Jae (1351-1419) was an official of the late Goryeo and early Joseon periods from Uiryeong. His courtesy name was Gyeongji, pen name Gwijeong and posthumous title Chunggyeong. The eldest son of Nam Eul-beon and elder brother of the founding merit subject Nam Eun, he was originally named Gyeom (謙); King Taejo is said to have renamed him Jae (在). A disciple of Yi Saek, he passed the jinsa examination in late Goryeo and rose to Left Deputy Royal Secretary, keeping company with Jeong Mong-ju, Jeong Do-jeon and Jo Jun.
He worked with his brother to put Yi Seong-gye on the throne. After Joseon was founded he is said to have stayed in the provinces to avoid rewards until Taejo sought him out. He became a first-class founding merit subject, Inspector-General and Lord Uiseong, was made Assistant Minister in 1394, and in 1396 joined the Tsushima expedition as military commander. He kept his distance from Jeong Do-jeon's radical reforms, which is said to be why he escaped the First Strife of Princes in 1398.
After Taejong's accession in 1401 he tutored the crown prince with Jo Jun, and rose through Right and Left State Councillor to Chief State Councillor (given as 1416). Known for his skill in economics and arithmetic, he was nicknamed "Nam-san", and was enshrined in the Jongmyo Taejo chamber. Through his son Nam Gyeong-mun, grandsons Nam Ji, Nam Gan and Nam Hwi, and great-great-grandson General Nam I, he is the root of the Uiryeong Nam clan's rise.
He was born Gyeom and is said to have been renamed Jae at Taejo's wish. A 1315 birth year is also mentioned, but it does not fit the estimated dates of his father Nam Eul-beon, so 1351 is followed. As a disciple of Yi Saek he belonged to the neo-Confucian current of late Goryeo.
He was in the provinces right after the founding, but was summoned by Taejo and made a first-class merit subject. His brother Nam Eun was killed in the First Strife of Princes, while Nam Jae survived because he had kept his distance from Jeong Do-jeon's radical reforms.
Under Taejong he tutored the crown prince, rose to Chief State Councillor and was enshrined in the Taejo chamber of the Jongmyo. The Chunggyeong-gong lineage of the Uiryeong Nam takes its name from his posthumous title, and the Chunggan-gong, Jikjehak-gong and Uisanwi-gong branches split from it.
His tomb complex (Gujeong Nam Jae Myoyeok) is at Hwajeop-ri, Byeollae-myeon, Namyangju, Gyeonggi, and is introduced as Gyeonggi Cultural Heritage Material No. 114 (2002).
Descendants include his son Nam Gyeong-mun, grandsons Nam Ji, Nam Gan and Nam Hwi, and General Nam I.