Late Goryeo Grand Academician of the Yemun-gwan, Prince Seoseong; founder of the Gukpa-gong branch; pen name Gukpa
| Life | 1388 |
| Era | 고려 말 |
| Clan | 파주 염씨 |
Yeom Guk-bo (廉國寶, ?-1388) was a late Goryeo civil official of the Paju clan with the pen name Gukpa (菊坡). He was the eldest son of Yeom Je-sin and Lady Jinhan of the Andong Gwon clan, brother of Yeom Heung-bang and Yeom Jeong-su, and brother of Sinbi Yeom; the founding merit subject Jeong Hui-gye was his brother-in-law. He is honored as founder of the Gukpa-gong branch.
He passed the civil examination in 1355 (the fourth year of King Gongmin), served as Grand Academician of the Yemun-gwan and Jigchunchu-gwan-sa, and is said to have chaired the examinations several times as chief examiner (jigonggeo), selecting talent. Wikipedia says he chose Byeon Gye-ryang among others and that he first introduced the Ming three-year mourning rule to Korea, though the latter reads more like tradition and should be read as "is said to." He rose to Chuchung Bojeol meritorious subject and Samjung Daegwang and was enfeoffed as Prince Seoseong. He is remembered as gentle by nature, deeply filial and highly learned.
He met disaster in the Musin purge of 1388 involving his brother Yeom Heung-bang; the Wikipedia text gives both an account that he was killed by Heung-bang and one that he was swept up in the family's ruin, so sources differ. His tomb is said to be in Geumho-eup, Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang, and he is enshrined at places such as Geumgang Seowon in Naju and Gwiyeonsa in Jain. His descendants formed the Gukpa-gong branch, and the brothers Yeom Gong-geo and Yeom Baek-geo, who settled in Gahak-dong, Gwangmyeong, are described as his descendants (Digital Gwangmyeong Culture Encyclopedia).
The Gukpa-gong branch takes Yeom Guk-bo as its founder and is counted by Wikipedia and Namuwiki as one of the three branches under the mid-founding ancestor. The Digital Gwangmyeong Culture Encyclopedia describes the brothers Yeom Gong-geo and Yeom Baek-geo, who settled at Jangteo-mal in Gahak-dong, Gwangmyeong in the late Goryeo-early Joseon period, as his descendants (8th generation from Yeom Je-sin), and says the ancestors' tombs were requisitioned as military land under Japanese rule and lost. A newspaper article also describes a Gukpa-gong Geumpa head house in Naju. Among modern figures, baseball manager Yeom Gyeong-yeop is listed under this branch (Namuwiki).
In late Goryeo, chief examiners had considerable political influence because passers formed a master-disciple tie with them. Wikipedia says Yeom Guk-bo served as chief examiner several times and selected Byeon Gye-ryang among others. Specific years and lists of passers were not confirmed here.
His tomb is said to be in Geumho-eup, Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang (Wikipedia). He is enshrined at Geumgang Seowon in Naju, Gwiyeonsa in Jain and elsewhere.