Gimyo-purge scholar-official who defended Jo Gwang-jo; painter; pen name Hakpo
| Life | 1488 ~ 1545 |
| Era | 조선 |
| Clan | 제주 양씨 |
Yang Paeng-son (1488-1545) was an early-Joseon official, scholar and painter, with courtesy name Daechun, pen name Hakpo and posthumous title Hyegang. He passed the civil examination in 1516 and served as a remonstrance official and Proofreader after the Hyeollyang-gwa selection.
In the 1519 Gimyo purge he led a petition on behalf of Jo Gwang-jo and Kim Jeong and was dismissed, then lived reading at Hakpodang in his home town of Neungju. He is regarded as a representative landscape painter of King Jungjong's era.
A native of Neungju in Jeolla, Yang Paeng-son passed the licentiate examination in 1510 and the civil examination in the top rank in 1516. Selected through the Hyeollyang-gwa, he served as Remonstrator, Compiler and Proofreader and was admitted to the Hodang study retreat. Most sources give his birth as 1488, though one lists 1480.
Yang Paeng-son was a close friend of Jo Gwang-jo. When Jo was exiled to Neungju they are said to have discussed the classics daily. After Jo was forced to drink poison, Yang is said to have taken charge of burying him, reportedly near Ssangbong in Hwasun, though details such as any later reburial vary by source.
In the 1519 purge he headed a petition to save Jo Gwang-jo and Kim Jeong and was stripped of office. Earlier, as Remonstrator, he had been reassigned over the impeachment of Yi Seong-eon, yet the younger reformers regarded him as one who protected free speech.
After his dismissal he built Hakpodang at Ssangbong-ri in Neungju, read there, and kept company with other Gimyo scholars. He is said never to have returned to office after Jo's death, though one record has him as magistrate of Yongdam, so timing and nature of that post differ by source.
He excelled in calligraphy and landscape painting. Works attributed to him include a Landscape in the National Museum of Korea, a privately held Spring River scene, and Eight Views of Xiao-Xiang at Daigen-ji in Japan. Attributions may be debated among scholars.
Juksu Seowon was founded in 1570 in Neungju, Hwasun, enshrining Jo Gwang-jo and Yang Paeng-son, and later received a royal plaque. Yang is seen as a central figure of the Honam scholar-gentry who helped establish the Jeju Yang as a leading Honam family.
His son Yang Eung-jeong won fame as one of the Eight Writers, and grandson Yang San-suk died for his country in the Imjin War. A sixth-generation descendant, Yang Deuk-jung, was a late-Joseon scholar. The Hyegang-gong branch, named for him, is a sub-branch of Yugyeok-gong.
His tomb is said to lie in the Hwasun area, but its exact location was not confirmed. Hakpodang stands in Neungju, Hwasun, and he is enshrined at Juksu Seowon.
His third son Yang Eung-jeong was counted among the Eight Writers of Seonjo's reign, and a grandson line includes the Imjin War volunteer Yang San-suk. A sixth-generation descendant, Yang Deuk-jung, was known as a practical-learning scholar.