Seong Sammun

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This is a Korean name; the family name is Seong.

Seong Sammun

Hangul	성삼문
Hanja	成三問
Revised Romanization	Seong Sammun
McCune-Reischauer	Sŏng Sammun

Pen name

Hangul	매죽헌
Hanja	梅竹軒
Revised Romanization	Maejukheon
McCune-Reischauer	Maejukhŏn

Courtesy name

Hangul	근보, 눌옹
Hanja	謹甫, 訥翁
Revised Romanization	Geunbo, Nurong
McCune-Reischauer	Kŭnbo, Nurong

Seong Sammun (1418 - 1456) was a scholar-official of early Joseon who rose to prominence in the court of King Sejong the Great (ruled 1418 - 1450). He was executed after being implicated in a plot to dethrone King Sejo (r. 1455 - 1468) and restore his predecessor King Danjong (r. 1452 - 1455), and is known as one of the sayuksin (사육신, the six martyred ministers) with reference to this plot.

1 Biography
2 Poetry for his loyalty
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Biography

A calligraphic work written by Seong Sammun

Seong Sammun was born in Hongseong (then Hongju), South Chungcheong province to a yangban family of the Changnyeong Seong lineage. He passed the lower examination at the regular triennial administration in 1438. He soon gained the favor of King Sejong, and was appointed to the Hall of Worthies. From 1442 to 1446, he cooperated with other members of that body to compose the Hunmin Jeongeum, in which the hangul alphabet was first presented to the world. The level of his involvement in the creation of the Korean alphabet Hangul (and that of other Hall of Worthies scholars) is disputed, although he and other scholars were sent on trips to consult with a Ming Chinese phoneticist several times, presumably because one of the first uses the new alphabet was put to was to transcribe the sounds of hanja, or Sino-Korean characters. In 1447, Seong achieved the highest score on the higher literary examination.

In 1455, Prince Suyang (one of Sejong's sons) forced the young King Danjong, his nephew, to abdicate, taking the throne instead as King Sejo. Following secret orders from his father Seong Seung, Seong Sammun along with Bak Jungrim, Bak Paengnyeon and others plotted to assassinate the new king and restore King Danjong to the throne. The plot was exposed and the plotters all arrested. Seong Sammun and his father were executed along with other plotters. Before his execution, Seong Sammun condemned the king as a pretender. The sayuksin and the saengyuksin (생육신, the six retainers who lived), who refused to accept King Sejo as the legitimate king, were praised by later generations for holding fast to the Confucian value of staying loyal to the true king.

[edit] Poetry for his loyalty

The first sijo was made right before his death execution. (The entire section's reference) ^[1]

Hanja	Eumdok	Modern Korean	Translation
食人之食衣人衣	식인지식의인의	임의 밥 임의 옷을 먹고 입으며	I've eaten food and worn clothes my lord has given,
素志平生莫有違	소지평생막유위	일평생 먹은 마음 변할 줄이 있으랴	So there is no change in my mind forever
一死固知忠義在	일사고지충의재	이 죽음이 충과 의를 위함이기에	My death is for loyalty and faith to thee.
顯陵松栢夢依依	현릉송백몽의의	현릉 푸른 송백꿈 속에서도 못잊져라	How could I forget even in a dream with the green pine tree by Heonreung

(The entire section's reference) ^[2]

Old Korean	Translation
이 몸이 주거 가서 무어시 될고 하니,	What shall I be after death?
봉래산(蓬萊山) 제일봉(第一峯)에 낙락장송(落落長松) 되야 이셔,	A tall and thick pine tree on top of Bongraesan,
백설(白雪)이 만건곤(滿乾坤)할 제 독야청청(獨也靑靑) 하리라.	When white snow covers the world, evergreen alone.