Early Joseon general and official; third-class Jwamyeong merit subject, enfeoffed as Lord of Chilwon; State Councillor with posthumous title Jeonggyeong
| Life | 1412 |
| Era | 조선 초기 |
| Clan | 칠원 윤씨 |
Yun Jeo (d. 1412) was a general and official of the late Goryeo and early Joseon periods whose ancestral seat was Chilwon. Korean Wikipedia classes him in the Chilwon Yun category, and clan material introduces him as a great-grandson of Yun Su, who served as Minister of Military Affairs under King Chungnyeol. His posthumous title was Jeonggyeong (貞景), and his wife is recorded as a lady of the Dongbok O family. His birth year and parents were not confirmed in this research.
When Joseon was founded in 1392 he was appointed a senior general, having served Yi Seong-gye since late Goryeo. In 1395, as Vice Minister of Punishments, he is recorded as taking the lead in drowning members of the Goryeo royal house off Ganghwa, so he is remembered as a participant in the darker side of the dynastic change. He became Sangui Jungchuwon-sa in 1396 and in 1397, while military commander of Gyeongsang, was briefly imprisoned in connection with the case of Bak Ja-an before being released.
He became Sangjinmu in 1400, and in 1401 (Taejong 1), for putting down the rebellion of Yi Bang-gan and helping Taejong accede, he was named a third-class Ikdae Jwamyeong merit subject, made Sapyeong Uusa and enfeoffed as Lord of Chilwon. After serving as Champhan Seungchubusa and Minister of Personnel he rose to State Councillor (Chanseongsa) in 1408. He died in 1412.
Yun Jeo was appointed a senior general when Joseon was founded in 1392, and his long service to Yi Seong-gye since late Goryeo is given as the background. A record that in 1395 he led the disposal of the Goryeo royal family as Vice Minister of Punishments shows the harshness of the early regime. Introduced in clan material as a great-grandson of Yun Su, he, together with Yun Ja-dang, shows the Chilwon Yun moving from a Goryeo military family to a family of Joseon founding-era merit subjects.
For suppressing the 1401 rebellion of Yi Bang-gan (the Second Strife of Princes) and helping Taejong to the throne, he was named a third-class Ikdae Jwamyeong merit subject and, on becoming Sapyeong Uusa, enfeoffed as Lord of Chilwon. Yun Ja-dang of the same seat was also honored in the same round of merit appointments, a notable case of two clansmen sharing one enrollment. After serving as Minister of Personnel he rose to State Councillor in 1408 and, after his death in 1412, received the posthumous title Jeonggyeong.
The location of his tomb was not confirmed in this research.