State councillor and Grand Academician under Kings Sunjo and Heonjong; compiler of the Mangi Yoram
| Life | 1766 ~ 1838 |
| Era | 조선 후기 |
| Clan | 청송 심씨 |
Sim Sang-gyu (沈象奎, 1766–1838) was a late-Joseon official and scholar under Kings Jeongjo, Sunjo and Heonjong, of the Cheongsong Sim clan. Originally named Sang-yeo, with the courtesy names Gagwon and Chigyo, the pen names Dusil and Iha and the posthumous title Munsuk, he was the son of Royal Library academician Sim Yeom-jo. King Jeongjo favored him so highly that he bestowed both the name Sang-gyu and the courtesy name Chigyo.
He passed the civil examination in 1789 and was selected for Jeongjo's program of young scholar-officials, serving in the Royal Library. In 1796 he was sent out as magistrate of Ungcheon for writing in an unorthodox style — reportedly Jeongjo's way of tempering a brilliant talent. Briefly exiled on false charges in the 1801 upheaval, he helped compile the Annals of King Jeongjo from 1804.
Under Sunjo he served as Governor of Jeolla and Minister of Rites, suppressed Hong Gyeong-rae's rebellion as Minister of War in 1811, and became Grand Academician in 1821. He cut 5,000 gyeol of tax-exempt palace land and became Right State Councillor in 1825. Dismissed in 1827 during Crown Prince Hyomyeong's regency, he returned as Right State Councillor in 1832, and clan and other sources say he went on to become Left and Chief State Councillor. When Sunjo died in 1834 he guided Heonjong's early government as regent-minister and directed the compilation of the Annals of King Sunjo.
He was counted among the 'five great ministers' who led politics under Sunjo with Kim Jo-sun and Nam Gong-cheol, and was a central figure of the Noron Sipa. Stressing practical benefit to the people, he compiled the Mangi Yoram, a handbook of state administration, and he was famed as a book collector with some 40,000 volumes.
As governor of Gwangju and commander of Namhansanseong he built the Jwaseungdang office and the Iwijeong archery pavilion, whose record he composed and Kim Jeong-hui wrote out. A stele erected in 1818 to honor his tenure still stands at Namhansanseong. His writings survive as the Dusil Jongo.