Early Joseon official who served as Governor of Chungcheong and Gyeonggi under Taejong and was noted for agriculture and irrigation works; founder of the Munsuk-gong branch
| Life | 1354 ~ 1420 |
| Era | 조선 초 |
| Clan | 단양 우씨 |
U Hui-yeol (1354-1420) was an early Joseon civil official of the Danyang clan, second son of U Bok-saeng (Pan Mikjik Sasa, posthumously Munha Sijung) and of the eldest daughter of Ryu Ji-jeong, Prince of Jincheon. His elder brother was U In-yeol, founder of the Jeongpyeong-gong branch, and his younger brother U Sung-yeol served as Pan Jongbusisa. He is honored as founder of the Munsuk-gong branch of the Danyang U clan. Little is known of his life before the founding of Joseon.
Under King Taejong he served as Minister of Taxation and magistrate of Wonju, and was jailed in 1408 (Taejong 8) over the Min Mu-gu case and released. The next year he petitioned to repair embankments, and in 1413 he was named Chungcheong inspector to supervise the Sunje works. In March 1415 he went out again as Governor of Chungcheong, was kept in post in July when Hwang Ja-hu was appointed new governor, and in December became Governor of Gyeonggi. After serving as magistrate of Gwangju in 1417 he reached the magistracy of Cheongju the next year, resigned through illness in 1419 (Sejong 1) and died the following year.
Wherever he served he left achievements in agriculture and irrigation, and King Sejong is said to have praised him in 1444 (Sejong 26), after his death. His wife was a daughter of Choe Gong-cheol, military commander of Chungju, and his sons were U Gyeong-saeng, U Gyeong-ji, U Gyeong-bu and U Gyeong-song, of whom U Gyeong-ji served as magistrate of Uiheung. Among his daughters-in-law was a woman of the Cheongsong Sim, daughter of Sim In-bong and granddaughter of Sim Deok-bu, Earl of Cheongseong, which shows the family was joined by marriage to several civil and military houses of early Joseon.
The Min Mu-gu case of 1408 was the punishment of Min Mu-gu, King Taejong's brother-in-law, and it is notable that he continued in office after being released from imprisonment in such a case involving the royal in-laws. Sunje appears to have been a reservoir in Chungcheong, and his direct supervision of the works shows that backing agriculture was a major duty of provincial officials at the time.
He served as Governor of Chungcheong in 1415 and the same year of Gyeonggi, and was also magistrate of Gwangju and Cheongju. Unlike his brother U In-yeol, famed as a general, he made his mark in administration and irrigation.
He petitioned to repair embankments in 1409 and supervised the Sunje works in 1413, and in 1444, after his death, King Sejong is said to have assessed his service.
The location of his tomb was not confirmed in the sources used here.
His sons were U Gyeong-saeng, U Gyeong-ji, U Gyeong-bu and U Gyeong-song, and his descendants form the Munsuk-gong branch. His elder brother was U In-yeol, founder of the Jeongpyeong-gong branch.