Jeong Cheol

Jeong Cheol (Korean: 정철; Hanja: 鄭てい澈; 18 December 1536 – 7 February 1594) was a Korean statesman and poet. He used the pen-names Gyeham (계함) and Songgang (송강), and studied under Kim Yunjae at Hwanbyeokdang. He was expelled by the Easterners. He was from the Yeonil Jeong clan (연일 정씨; 延のべ日び 鄭てい氏し).

Jeong Cheol 정철
Left State Councillor
In office 13 March 1590 – 24 February 1591
Preceded by	Yi San-hae
Succeeded by	Ryu Seong-ryong
Right State Councillor
In office 8 December 1589 – March 1590
Preceded by	Jeong Eon-sin
Succeeded by	Sim Su-gyeong
Personal details
Born	(1536-12-18)18 December 1536
Died	7 February 1594(1594-02-07) (aged 57)
Korean name
Hangul	정철
Hanja	鄭てい澈
Revised Romanization	Jeong Cheol
McCune–Reischauer	Chŏng Ch'ŏl

In this Korean name, the family name is Jeong.

Family

• Grandfather
  • Jeong Woe (정위; 鄭てい潙)
• Father
  • Jeong Yu-chim (정유침; 鄭てい惟おもんみ沈)
• Mother
  • Lady Ahn of the Juksan Ahn clan (죽산 안씨; 竹山たけやま 安やすし氏し)
• Siblings
  • Older brother - Jeong So (정소; 鄭てい沼ぬま)
  • Older sister - Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Yeonil Jeong clan (귀인 정씨; August 1520 – 25 March 1566)
    • Brother-in-law - King Injong of Joseon (조선 인종; 10 March 1515 – 7 August 1545)
  • Older sister - Princess Consort Ohcheon of the Yeonil Jeong clan (오천군부인 연일 정씨; 烏川からすかわ郡ぐん夫人ふじん 延のべ日び 鄭てい氏し)
    • Brother-in-law - Yi Yu, Prince Gyerim (계림군 유; 桂かつら林りん君くん 瑠)
      • Nephew - Yi Si (연양정 이시; 延のべ陽ひ正せい 李り諟)
• Wives and their children
  • Lady Ryu of the Munhwa Ryu clan (문화 류씨; 文化ぶんか 柳やなぎ氏し)
    • Son - Jeong Ki-myeong (정기명; 鄭てい振ふ溟; ?–1589)
      • Grandson - Jeong Woon (정운; 鄭てい沄)
    • Son - Jeong Jong-myeong (정종명; 鄭てい宗はじめ溟)
      • Grandson - Jeong Jik (정직; 鄭てい溭)
      • Grandson - Jeong Su (정수; 鄭てい洙)
      • Grandson - Jeong Yeon (정연; 鄭てい沇)
      • Grandson - Jeong Yang (정양; 鄭てい瀁; 1600–1662)
      • Grandson - Jeong Jeon (정전; 鄭てい淟)
    • Son - Jeong Jin-myeong (정진명; 鄭てい振ふ溟)
    • Son - Jeong Hong-myeong (정홍명; 鄭てい弘ひろし溟; 7 March 1582 – 2 October 1650)
      • Grandson - Jeong Yi (정이; 鄭てい涖)
  • Concubine - Jin-ok (기녀 진옥; 眞玉またま)
  • Concubine - Lady Kang-ah (강아; 江こう娥)

Literary works

He is prominent in the gasa and the sijo, which are forms of classical Korean poetry.

The following two poems are an exchange between Jeong Cheol and the gisaeng Jinok. Jeong is playing on Jinok's name, which means Genuine Gem. First he calls her a gem (ok; 玉たま), then suggests she is an imitation (beon-ok; 燔玉) and finally finds her to be genuine (jin-ok; 眞玉またま).

옥(玉たま)이 옥(玉たま)이라 커늘 번옥(燔玉)으로 여겼더니
이제야 보아하니 진옥(眞玉またま)일시 분명하다
나에게 살 송곳 있으니 뚫어볼까 하노라

Gem, oh, they talk of a gem
  but I thought it an imitation.
  Now I know for certain
  it is a genuine gem.
My thrusting gimlet
  will carry you with me.
- Jeong Cheol to Jinok

Jinok replies by playing on the name of Jeong Cheol (鄭てい澈), first calling him iron (cheol; 鐵てつ), then suggesting he might be false iron (seop-cheol; 攝と鐵てつ) and finally discovering he is genuine iron (jeong cheol; 正鐵まさかね). Unquestionably bawdy, this exchange is one of the finest examples of satire in sijo — a poetic form that placed high value on wit, double entendre and word play.

철(鐵てつ)이 철(鐵てつ)이라커늘 섭철(攝と鐵てつ)로만 여겼더니
이제야 보아하니 정철(正鐵まさかね)일시 분명하다
나에게 골풀무 있으니 녹여볼까 하노라

Iron, oh, they talk of iron
  but I thought it false.
  Now I know for certain
  it is true iron.
My pair of bellows
  will smelt it.
- Jinok to Jeong Cheol

Other Works:

• Gwandong Byeolgok (The Song of the Sceneries of the Gwandong).
• Samiingok (Mindful of My Seemly Lord).
• Songgang Gasa (Songgang's Prose Poetry Book).

Popular culture

• Portrayed by Park-woong in the 1995 KBS2 TV Series West Palace.
• Portrayed by Joo Jin-mo in the 2014 KBS2 TV series The King's Face.
• Portrayed by Sun Dong-Hyuk in the 2015 KBS2 TV series The Jingbirok: A Memoir of Imjin War.

Legacy

• A crater on Mercury was named after him in 1979.

See also

• Korean literature
• Joseon Dynasty