Younger brother of O Geuk-seong and military official who took part in the battles of Myeongnyang and Noryang
| Life | 1563 ~ 1627 |
| Era | 조선 중기 |
| Clan | 함양 오씨 |
O Yun-seong (吳允成, 1563-1627) was a mid-Joseon military official of the Hamyang O clan, with courtesy name Seongnip. He was born at Daecheon-ri, Yeongyang-eup, in Yeongyang, North Gyeongsang, a son of O Min-su, and grew up studying with his elder brother O Geuk-seong. He is said to have been resourceful and devoted to his family, and his name stands with his brother's in the clan's list of military-examination graduates.
He is said to have passed the military examination in the first month of 1594 with his brother. A Yeongnam Ilbo series on Yeongyang's talents says that as a staff officer to Yi Sun-sin he contributed to the victory at Myeongnyang in 1597 by proposing that dozens of civilian fishing boats be positioned behind the panokseon warships so that they looked like warships, preventing the Japanese from judging the size of the Korean fleet. This account rests on that single article and could not be cross-checked against primary records such as the Annals or the War Diary, so it is presented only as tradition.
He is said to have fought at Noryang in 1598 with his brother, later served as an officer of the Gunjagam, and died in 1627. People praised the brothers' exploits as hard to tell apart in merit, and the Yi Chungmu-gong Jeonseo of 1795 records that his brother was enrolled as a merit subject for his service in Yi Sun-sin's camp. The family is said to have continued at Daecheon-ri in Yeongyang together with his brother's line. Whereas his elder brother left records in the Munwoldang Munjip and a war diary, no writings by the younger brother have been identified, so his career rests mainly on later documents and regional articles. The activities above are best read as stories handed down by the family and the region.
He is said to have passed the military examination on 15 January 1594 together with his brother O Geuk-seong. The elder became a royal messenger and reported on the war across the country, while the younger is said to have served on Yi Sun-sin's staff.
His military-examination success and service at the Gunjagam agree between family sources and a regional series, but the fishing-boat stratagem at Myeongnyang rests on a single outlet. It could not be cross-checked against primary records.
The location of his tomb could not be confirmed here.