Incorruptible official who built Haepungseong against Japanese pirates; founder of the Gangneung-gong branch
| Era | 조선 전기 |
| Clan | 충주 박씨 |
Park Hyo-ham (朴孝諴) is the founder of the Gangneung-gong branch of the Chungju Park, one of four brothers (Hyo-ham, Chung-ham, Je-ham and Sin-ham) said to be sons of Park Jin, the Chamui-gong who had been Inspector in late Goryeo. He belongs to the generation born after his father Park Jin and uncle Park So left Gaeseong at the dynastic change and settled around Daejeon in Chungcheong.
While serving as a local official at Seosan he is said to have built Haepungseong, an earthen fortress at Boryeong, South Chungcheong, with the inspector Choe Yun-deok to guard against and drive off Japanese pirates. He then served as magistrate of Cheongju and rose to Magistrate of Gangneung with Tonghun Daebu rank, and was listed among the incorruptible officials. Though censors under Sejong pointed out that officials over sixty-five should not be sent to provincial posts, he took up the Gangneung post in his seventies and died in office.
His descendants are known as the Gangneung-gong branch; details of later figures need checking against the genealogy. His dates and exact office chronology were not confirmed in this survey, so the brief Wikipedia account is followed.
Haepungseong was a town fortress in Boryeong, South Chungcheong, which Park Hyo-ham is said to have built of earth with the inspector Choe Yun-deok to guard against Japanese pirates. Choe was a general known for the northern defenses under Sejong.
The episode is presented as one in which the Chungju Park, settled around Daejeon after the dynastic change, began to distinguish themselves as provincial officials.
After serving as magistrate of Cheongju, Park Hyo-ham became Magistrate of Gangneung, taking the post under Sejong at about seventy and dying in office. His listing among the incorruptible officials shows his reputation.
The tomb location was not confirmed.