Official and writer counted among the Eight Writers of King Seonjo's reign; pen name Songcheon
| Life | 1519 ~ 1581 |
| Era | 조선 |
| Clan | 제주 양씨 |
Yang Eung-jeong (1519-1581), son of Yang Paeng-son, had the courtesy name Gongseop and pen name Songcheon. He passed the civil examination in 1552 and topped the re-examination in 1556, later serving as Headmaster of the National Academy and Vice Minister of Works.
Renowned for his prose, he was counted among the Eight Writers of Seonjo's reign and is said to have taught Jeong Cheol and others. His collected works are the Songcheonjip.
The son of the Gimyo scholar Yang Paeng-son, he passed the licentiate examination in 1540. His learning and prose grew from the Honam scholar tradition handed down by his father.
He passed the civil examination in the second rank in 1552 and won first place in the 1556 re-examination, after which he was admitted to the Hodang.
After serving as Vice-Director of Works, he became Compiler of the Office of Special Advisers in 1565, Magistrate of Jinju, Governor of Gyeongju in 1574, and Vice Minister of Works in 1578, going to Ming China as an envoy. He also served as Headmaster of the National Academy.
He is counted among the eight great prose writers of Seonjo's reign, though the list of eight differs between sources.
Students said to have studied under him include Jeong Cheol, Baek Gwang-hun and Choe Gyeong-chang. His works survive in the Songcheonjip and the Yongseong changsurok, a collection of exchanged poems.
His sons Yang San-ryong, Yang San-suk and Yang San-su are said to have died in the Imjin War, and they are commemorated together at the Yang Songcheon tomb site in Dongho-dong, Gwangju, designated a Gwangju Monument in 1978.
Located at the Yang Songcheon tomb site in Dongho-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, together with his sons who died in the Imjin War and his grandson Yang Man-yong; designated a Gwangju Monument in 1978.
Yang San-ryong, Yang San-suk and Yang San-su are said to have died in the Imjin War (some sources list San-ryong and San-suk as sons of his elder brother Yang Eung-tae).