Yi Gyeong-seok Tomb

Baekheon Yi Gyeong-seok (1595–1671) was an eminent chief minister who managed Joseon's internal and external affairs through the reigns of King Injo to King Hyeonjong. In 1641 he became tutor to Crown Prince Sohyeon and travelled with him to Shenyang in Qing China, where he conducted diplomacy with the Qing court. When the arrival of a Ming ship at Seoncheon, and King Hyojong's plan for a northern expedition against Qing, were betrayed to the Qing by Yi Eon-pyo and others, Yi Gyeong-seok was sentenced to permanent exclusion from office, but was soon released. He rose to the post of Chief State Councillor, was admitted to the Giroso, the honorary council of senior officials of advanced age, and in 1668 was granted a ceremonial cane and armrest, the highest honour a subject could receive. The tomb of Yi Gyeong-seok is a single mound in which he is buried together with his wife of the Ryu clan of Jeonju. A memorial stone stands to the east of the mound, and in front of it are a stone figure, an incense-burner stone and a stone lantern, all recently made. To the west of the mound stand a stone figure and incense-burner stone from the Joseon period, while stone pillars and civil officials' statues flank the burial ground on both sides. The memorial stone, of the round-topped, square-based type, was erected in 1751; its text was composed by his great-great-grandson Yi Gwang-hoe and written in clerical script by his collateral descendant Yi Gwang-sa. The sindobi, the memorial stele set up beside the main road at the entrance to the burial ground to record the deceased's life, was erected in 1754 and takes the form of a stele with a roof-shaped capstone on a square base; its text was composed by Park Se-dang and its calligraphy and seal-script title written by Yi Gwang-sa. The body of this stele had become so badly worn that it had been buried in the ground; in 1975 a new sindobi was erected and the old one was also re-installed.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Seongnam, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물