Joseon official and poet counted among the 'Eight Great Writers'; pen name Godam
| Life | 1533 ~ 1592 |
| Era | 조선 중기 |
| Clan | 전의 이씨 |
Yi Sun-in (李純仁, 1533-1592) was a mid-Joseon official and poet of the Jeonui Yi clan. His courtesy names were Baeksaeng and Baegok and his pen name Godam; he was born in Seoul, the son of county magistrate Yi Hong and a daughter of Bak Ham of the Juksan Bak clan.
He first studied under Yi Jung-ho and later under Yi Hwang and Jo Sik, pursuing Neo-Confucian learning, and associated with Yi I, Seong Hon and Song Ik-pil. A fine writer, he was counted with Yi I, Song Ik-pil, Yi San-hae, Choe Gyeong-chang, Baek Gwang-hun and Choe Rip among the 'Eight Great Writers'. Through his friendship with the Tang-style poets Yi Dal, Baek Gwang-hun and Choe Gyeong-chang he pursued the Tang manner and is sometimes regarded as a forerunner of that style in Korean classical poetry. According to accounts of his conduct written by descendants, Yi Hwang praised the rare sincerity of his learning and Seong Hon called him a pure scholar of his age.
He passed the licentiate examination in 1564 and the special civil examination in 1572, serving in the diplomatic office and the Office of Royal Decrees. Hearing that Buddhist rites were being held in the palace during King Seonjo's illness, he joined Confucian students in petitioning for the abolition of the Jeongeobwon nunnery. After a series of prestigious posts he became a remonstrance official but resigned after crossing the ministers; dismissed again in 1583, he returned in 1586 as remonstrance official, royal secretary and vice minister of punishments, travelled to Ming China as winter solstice envoy, and declined appointment as chief royal secretary.
When the Imjin War broke out in 1592 he escorted King Seonjo as third minister of rites and, on royal orders, accompanied the queen and crown prince to Seongcheon, where he fell ill from exhaustion and died. He was posthumously named Minister of Personnel and Lord Jeolleung, and in 1613 was enrolled as a merit subject. His works include the Godam-jip, and the Godam Ilgo, published in 1891 by tenth-generation descendants, is held in the Kyujanggak archives.