이달선 李達善
Grandson of Yi Seon-je who passed the civil examination under Seongjong and served as Suchan of the Office of Special Advisors; his tomb stele, the Seungjigong Monument, stands in Hwasun; courtesy name Gyeomji, pen name Hosan
| Life | 1457 ~ 1506 |
| Era | 조선 전기 |
| Clan | 광산 이씨 |
Life & career
Yi Dal-seon (李達善) was an early-Joseon official of the Gwangsan seat, courtesy name Gyeomji, pen name Hosan. According to the commentary on the Seungjigong Monument and Wikipedia he was a 6th-generation descendant of founder Yi Sun-baek. His birth year is 1457 in sources derived from the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture and in the English commentary but 1475 in the heritage commentary, and his death is given as 1505 or 1506.
One account says his father was Yi Hyeong-won, a Vice Minister of the Office of Special Advisors who served as envoy to Japan, making him a grandson of Yi Seon-je. He passed the civil examination in 1486 (Seongjong 17) and held posts such as Suchan of the Office of Special Advisors and Saein of the State Council; Wikipedia says he reached Vice Royal Secretary. In 1573 (Seonjo 6) he was posthumously made Left Vice Royal Secretary with the rank of Tongjeong Daebu, which is why later generations call him "Seungji-gong."
His tomb is at Aengnam-ri (655 Jigang-ro), Hwasun-eup, South Jeolla, and the stele before it is the Hwasun Gwangsan Yi Seungjigong Monument. The front inscription was written by Yun Gu, the back by Yi I (Yulgok), and the calligraphy by Yi San-hae. It was designated Jeonnam Cultural Heritage Material No. 162 on 16 March 1988 and redesignated Jeonnam Tangible Cultural Heritage No. 335 on 19 April 2018. It is 196 cm tall and 59 cm wide and in good condition.
The year the stele was raised is 1574 (Wikipedia) or 1576 (heritage commentary). Wikipedia says his second son Yi Gong-chung erected it, and the inscription records the clan lineage from generation one to nine. His great-grandsons were Yi Bal and Yi Gil of the 1589 purge.
The Seungjigong Monument in Hwasun
The monument stands near Aengnam Station in Hwasun with the tomb behind it. Yun Gu, counted among the "three great men of Honam," wrote the front, Yi I (Yulgok) the back, and Yi San-hae, one of the eight great calligraphers of Joseon, the script. It is valued as an early-Joseon inscription involving noted writers and calligraphers, and was redesignated Jeonnam Tangible Cultural Heritage in 2018. Yi San-hae has his own page on this site.
Ties to the Genealogies
Wikipedia says the Imo genealogy, published in 1762 at Gaecheonsa in Neungju, Hwasun, as the clan's first genealogy, was based on the bequeathed writings of Yi Seon-je and used the inscription of Hosan-gong Yi Dal-seon as its standard. It is notable that his stele served as a reference point when the clan's lineage was compiled.
Grave
His tomb is at Aengnam-ri (655 Jigang-ro), Hwasun-eup, South Jeolla, with the Hwasun Gwangsan Yi Seungjigong Monument (Jeonnam Tangible Cultural Heritage) before it.
Descendants
Through his grandson Yi Jung-ho the line is said to continue to his great-grandsons Yi Bal and Yi Gil.