Official under King Sukjong who died in prison after memorializing against the deposition of Queen Inhyeon; honored with loyalty and filial-piety gates (posthumous title Uimin)
| Life | 1663 ~ 1693 |
| Era | 조선 후기 숙종 때 |
| Clan | 곡산 연씨 |
Yeon Choe-jeok (延最績, 1663-1693) was a civil official under King Sukjong of the Goksan Yeon clan, with courtesy name Mugyeong (茂卿) and pen name Chidang (癡堂). Born in Cheongju as the son of Yeon Taek-ro, a Senior Fourth Counselor, he is counted as a twenty-second-generation member. He studied under Song Si-yeol and Gwon Sang-ha, passed the Jeungwang civil examination in 1682 and served as Inspector (Gamchal) in the Office of the Inspector-General. He was dismissed in the Gisa purge of 1689.
In 1693 he submitted a six-point memorial arguing that the deposition of Queen Inhyeon was unjust and asking pardon for the Westerners who had suffered over it. Sukjong's anger brought seven rounds of severe torture, and he died in prison at about thirty-one. Namuwiki says he died at the place of punishment while Cheongju City says in prison, but both agree he died after torture over the memorial.
After the Gapsul restoration of 1694 brought the queen back, he was rehabilitated in 1695, posthumously made Royal Secretary, and granted a loyalty gate; a military inspector also reported his filial conduct, adding a filial-piety gate. In 1747 (23rd year of King Yeongjo) he was posthumously raised to Minister of Personnel and Grand Academician and given the title Uimin (毅愍), and the following year the gate was rebuilt with the plaque 'Chunghyo Yangjeonmun'. The gate stands at 47-10 Mochung-dong, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, is a Cheongju local heritage item, and is owned by the Goksan Yeon clan association.
His tablet is said to be enshrined at Geomam Seowon in Gadeok-myeon, Cheongju, and his writings survive as the Chidang yugo. In 1990 his descendants erected a stele and renovated the gate. Some clan summaries imply he rose to Royal Secretary in life, but Cheongju City and the Cheongju Culture Encyclopedia treat it as a posthumous title, which this page follows.
The Chunghyo Yangjeonmun in Mochung-dong is also called the 'filial son gate' locally. Sources differ slightly on his examination year and the wording of his death: some give 1682, while Cheongju City says only that he passed the Jeungwang examination in the lower first class. For the whole clan see the Goksan Yeon page.
The Chunghyo Yangjeonmun gate stands at 47-10 Mochung-dong, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju.
His descendants, as the Goksan Yeon clan association, manage the gate and erected the stele of 1990.