박우
Man taken captive in the Jeongyu War who returned after learning matchlock-making (pen name Chujae)
Same-name figures:
박우(朴祐) — Joseon official who served as Gangwon governor and Inspector-General (pen name Yukbong)
| Era | 조선 중기 |
| Clan | 진원 박씨 |
Life & career
Park U (pen name Chujae) is presented as a 13th-generation member of the Jung branch of the Jinwon Park, a mid-Joseon figure. He is a different person from Park U (Yukbong, Inspector-General) of the Chungju Park, and the two should be told apart. Jinwon Park sources say he passed the military examination under Seonjo and served as Gaman Gongjeonggam director and vice-director.
He was taken captive to Japan in the 1597 Jeongyu War but did not bend in loyalty, learned the delicate art of making matchlocks there, and was repatriated in 1617, after about twenty years (sources differ on the year as Gwanghaegun 9 or 10). After returning he is said to have contributed to the development and making of new weapons, to have received a Ministry of Rites edict, and to have been posthumously raised to Minister of War. His posthumous title is written as Chungnyeol with two different last characters.
This account rests mainly on Jinwon Park clan sources and Namu Wiki and could not be cross-checked against primary sources such as the Annals. The details of his captivity, his hanja name and his dates are therefore not asserted, and Namu Wiki notes there is no state decoration record.
From Captive to Matchlock Craftsman
Many Koreans were taken to Japan in the Jeongyu War, and Park U is said to have been one of them. He learned matchlock-making in Japan and, after returning, is said to have applied it to making weapons in Joseon. The story is presented as a glimpse of the period when Joseon adopted the matchlock.
Points of Caution
This entry leans on Jinwon Park clan sources, so it is too early to treat it as established fact. Because the name is common, do not confuse him with the Chungju Park's Park U, and please check the genealogy and primary sources.
Grave
The tomb was not confirmed.