Late-Goryeo civil official and scholar, famous for the sijo "The moon shines white on the pear blossoms"
| Life | 1269 ~ 1343 |
| Era | 고려 |
| Clan | 성주 이씨 |
Yi Jo-nyeon (1269-1343), styled Maeundang, rose to Chief Academician of the Yemunkwan and was enfeoffed as Lord of Seongsan under King Chunghye, but not before spending thirteen years in exile at his hometown after being slandered by court rivals during a 1306 mission to the Yuan capital. His sijo poem beginning 'Plum blossoms in the pale moonlight' remains one of the most celebrated works of Goryeo-era vernacular poetry.
His descendants included grandsons Yi In-im, Yi In-bok, and Yi In-rip, and later Yi Je and Yi Sung-in, who became influential officials and scholars in the closing decades of Goryeo.
His grandsons Yi In-bok and Yi In-im wielded great influence in the political world of late Goryeo, and the line continued to his great-grandson Yi Je.