Jeong Mong-ju

Jeong Mong-ju (Korean: 정몽주, Hanja: 鄭夢周, January 13, 1338 – April 26, 1392), also known by his pen name Poeun (Korean: 포은), was a Korean civil minister, diplomat and scholar from the end period of the Goryeo Dynasty.

Biography

Jeong Mong-ju was born in Yeongcheon, Gyeongsang province to a family from the Yeongil Jeong clan. At the age of 23, he took three different civil service literary examinations (Gwageo) and received the highest marks possible on each of them. In 1367, he became an instructor in Neo-Confucianism at the Gukjagam, then called "Seonggyungwan", whilst simultaneously holding a government position, and was a faithful public servant to King U. The king had great confidence in his wide knowledge and good judgement, and so he participated in various national projects and his scholarly works earned him great respect in the Goryeo court.

In 1372, Jeong Mong-ju visited China, as a diplomatic envoy. Around the time, as waegu (왜구/ 倭寇) (Japanese pirate)'s invasions to the Korean Peninsula were extreme, Jeong Mong-ju was dispatched as a delegate to Kyūshū in 1377. His negotiations led to promises of Japanese aid in defeating the pirates. He traveled to the Chinese capital city in 1384 and negotiations with the Ming Dynasty led to peace with China in 1385. He also founded an institute devoted to the theories of Confucianism.