Poet and scholar of the military-rule era; author of the Paehanjip, the oldest surviving collection of poetry criticism in Korea; pen name Ssangmyeongjae
| Life | 1152 ~ 1220 |
| Era | 고려 후기 |
| Clan | 인천 이씨 |
Yi In-ro (李仁老, 1152-1220) was a civil official, scholar and poet who lived from mid- to late Goryeo, from Incheon. His first name was Deugok, courtesy name Misu, pen name Ssangmyeongjae. He was a great-grandson of Grand Councillor Yi O and son of Yi Baek-seon. His great-grandfather Yi Ja-sang was a younger brother of Yi Ja-yeon, and Yi Gong-su was a grand-uncle. Though born into the aristocracy, he lost his parents early, the family declined, and he was raised by the Hwaeom monk Ryoil.
When Jeong Jung-bu's coup broke out in 1170 he fled into the Buddhist order, then returned to lay life and passed the civil examination in 1180, serving fourteen years in the History Office and Hallim Academy. Under Sinjong he was Vice Director of Rites and early in Gojong held an office in the Royal Library. Clever and gifted in prose and calligraphy from childhood, he was hasty in temper and never rose very high. With Oh Se-jae, Im Chun and others he formed a circle of friends who drank and wrote poems, calling themselves the Seven Sages of the Haejwa after China's Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove.
A follower of Han Yu's prose and an admirer of Su Shi's poetry, he left the Ssangmyeongjaejip in 20 volumes, the Paehanjip, the Eundaejip and the Huji in 4 volumes. The Paehanjip is regarded as the oldest surviving collection of poetry criticism in Korea. He has also been criticised for cooperating with or tolerating the military regime. The Ssangmyeongjae branch of the clan is said to take its name from his pen name.
Orphaned early and raised by the Hwaeom monk Ryoil, he entered the Buddhist order during Jeong Jung-bu's coup, returned to lay life and passed the examination in 1180.
The Paehanjip is regarded as the oldest surviving poetry-criticism collection in Korea. Whether his other works, such as the Ssangmyeongjaejip and Eundaejip, survive was not confirmed here.
His tomb was not confirmed.
Sons Yi Jeong, Yi Yang, Yi On, Yi Se-hwang and Yi A-dae and grandsons Yi Seung-gyeong, Yi Seung-yun and Yi Bok-gyeong are recorded (Wikipedia). His wife was a Gyeongju Choe, daughter of Choe Yeong-yu.