Early Joseon official; Left Vice Councillor and Lord Buwongun of Chilwon for his merit in the Bak Po rebellion; posthumous title Jeongpyeong
| Life | 1422 |
| Era | 조선 초기 |
| Clan | 칠원 윤씨 |
Yun Ja-dang (d. 1422) was an official of the late Goryeo and early Joseon periods whose seat was Chilwon. He is described as a nephew of Yun Hwan, who served as Chief State Councillor in late Goryeo, and as a son of Yun Gong, posthumously Prince Chilseong, whom the clan counts as founder of the Buwongun branch. His posthumous title was Jeongpyeong (靖平), and Korean Wikipedia classes him as a Chilwon Yun.
He lost his father young, and his mother, a lady of the Yeongyang Nam, remarried Yi Gyeong of Anseong, bearing Yi Suk-beon, later a close aide of Yi Bang-won, so Yi Suk-beon was his half-brother. His full brother Yun Ja-ryang later became Director of the Office of Special Advisors. Yun Ja-dang joined Yi Bang-won's circle and took part in founding the dynasty, passed the civil examination in 1394 and rose to Director of Military Affairs under Jeongjong.
While in that post he is said to have been in secret contact with Yi Bang-won, to have distinguished himself in crushing Bak Po's revolt and to have helped Taejong accede, and was named an Ikdae Jwamyeong merit subject; reaching Left Vice Councillor he was enfeoffed as Prince Buwongun of Chilwon. A story says that on an embassy to Ming the emperor valued his character and granted him a high rank. He retired in later life and died at Anseong in the seventh month of 1422, and King Sejong is said to have suspended court business for three days.
A story in Seong Hyeon's Yongjae Chonghwa tells of Yun Ja-dang's family. At seven he went with his mother to a shaman, who said he had a noble destiny but would gain it through a younger brother; his widowed mother then remarried Yi Gyeong and bore Yi Suk-beon, later a chief minister. The tale is legendary and should be read apart from fact, but it suggests that the tie to Yi Bang-won's aide Yi Suk-beon counted in his advancement.
After passing the civil examination in 1394 he rose to Director of Military Affairs and is said to have been named an Ikdae Jwamyeong merit subject for crushing Bak Po's revolt and helping Taejong accede. A story says Taejong gave him the merit scroll with the words that they would share comfort and cares until the Yellow River stopped flowing and Mount Tai wore away. Yun Jeo of the same seat was likewise a Jwamyeong merit subject.
Korean Wikipedia says his tomb lies on the ridge left of the Sangpo family burial ground, but the exact location was not confirmed here.
His father Yun Gong is the founder of the Buwongun branch; his full brother was Yun Ja-ryang and his half-brother Yi Suk-beon.