Late-Goryeo scholar and official versed in Neo-Confucianism; pen name Choeun; posthumous title Munchung
| Life | 1308 ~ 1374 |
| Era | 고려 |
| Clan | 성주 이씨 |
Yi In-bok (李仁復, 1308-1374) was a late-Goryeo scholar and official with courtesy name Geungnye (克禮), pen name Choeun (樵隱) and posthumous title Munchung (文忠). He was a grandson of Yi Jo-nyeon, son of Yi Po and a mother of the Gyeongju Seol clan. His younger brothers included the powerful minister Yi In-im, Yi In-mi, Yi In-rip, Yi In-dal and Yi In-min.
He studied under Baek I-jeong, a leading figure of Song learning, and was skilled in prose and versed in Neo-Confucianism. He passed the civil examination in 1326 under King Chungsuk at nineteen, served as a registrar in Bokju and as a Chunchu gongbong, and under King Chunghye passed the Yuan special examination and was given the post of assistant magistrate of Jinzhou in Daning circuit. Under King Chungmok he became Right Royal Secretary and Deputy of the Secretariat and lectured the king at the royal lectures; the king is said to have remarked that merely seeing him cleared his mind, so solemn was his bearing and so courteous his speech.
When Jo Il-sin revolted in 1352 under King Gongmin, he urged that the rebel be punished by law and saw it done, and for this was made Jeongdang-munhak and Gamchal-daebu and enfeoffed as Lord of Seongsan. He fell out with Sin Don and retired, was enfeoffed as Prince Anheung, and served as Pan-samsa-sa and Geomgyo-sijung before dying of an abscess on his back. He compiled the veritable records of Kings Chungnyeol, Chungseon and Chungsuk and left the Gogeumnok, Geumgyeongnok and Choeunjip.
According to Wikipedia, he told King Gongmin early on that Sin Don was not upright and that trouble would surely come, and the king praised his foresight. A further anecdote says he warned his brothers Yi In-min and Yi In-im that they would ruin the country and the family, and that this came true. These are anecdotes, and their factual basis would need separate checking.
A disciple of Baek I-jeong, Yi In-bok was versed in Neo-Confucianism and took part in compiling the veritable records of Kings Chungnyeol, Chungseon and Chungsuk. His works are said to be the Gogeumnok, Geumgyeongnok and Choeunjip, but whether they survive intact today could not be confirmed. Wikipedia lists him among the scholars of the Seongju Yi and as a meritorious subject enshrined with King Chungjeong.
His younger brothers were Yi In-im, Yi In-mi, Yi In-rip, Yi In-dal and Yi In-min; his nephews included Yi Je and Yi Jik.