Kim Si-yang Spirit-path Stele, Goesan

This spirit-path stele (sindobi) honours Kim Si-yang (pen name Hadam), a distinguished official of King Injo's reign in Joseon, and was erected in the eighth month of 1670, the eleventh year of King Hyeonjong. The epitaph was composed by Jo Gyeong, a celebrated literary stylist of the day, at the request of Kim Hwi, son of Kim Si-yang [posthumous title Lord Chungik], while the main text and the seal-script heading were written by Yi Jeong-yeong, the foremost calligrapher of his time. Fully equipped in the typical Joseon style for spirit-path steles, it is highly regarded for its fine-quality granite, grand scale, outstanding prose, and excellent calligraphy. The stele follows the standard form, with a square base stone, the stele body, and a capstone, and has recently been fitted with a protective balustrade. All parts are of granite, though the quality of the stone differs between them. The square base measures 165 cm wide, 97 cm deep and 42 cm high; unlike the body and capstone, it is roughly finished, suggesting that it is not the original base but one substituted when the stele was moved to its present location. The body (91 cm wide × 231 cm high × 35 cm thick) and the capstone (162 × 96 cm, 70 cm high) are finely finished and carved without blemish, and the characters remain clearly legible today. It is said that the stele originally stood about 500 m southeast of its present site, beside the road next to Chwimukdang [near Chungminsa Shrine], and was moved here in 1976 when that road was closed. It is thought that during this move the stele's original base — which would have taken the form of either a tortoise-shaped pedestal or a square plinth — was lost. Although the base has been altered, the capstone and body, made of granite, remain in good condition after more than 300 years, fully displaying the typical Joseon style of spirit-path stele; the quality of its prose and calligraphy make it an important source. Kim Si-yang (1581–1643) was a Joseon civil official, courtesy name Jajung, pen name Hadam; in 1691, the seventeenth year of King Sukjong, he was posthumously given the title Chungik. He passed the special state civil examination in 1605, the thirty-eighth year of King Seonjo. In 1611, the third year of King Gwanghaegun, while serving as Dosa [an assistant magistrate] of Jeolla-do overseeing a provincial examination, he was deemed to have set an examination topic slandering the king, and was exiled to Jongseong; he was released following King Injo's Restoration in 1623 and went on to serve as Jeongnang of the Ministry of Rites, Jeongnang of the Ministry of War, Sujip, and Gyori. When Yi Gwal's Rebellion broke out in 1624 he served as an aide to the Military Commander Yi Won-ik, and after the rebellion was put down he held the post of Eungyo while concurrently serving in the Office of Advanced Literature, afterwards becoming Governor of Gyeongsang-do. In 1629, the seventh year of King Injo, he became Governor of Pyeongan-do, concurrently serving as Military Affairs Commander. In 1631 he rose to Minister of War, concurrently holding the posts of Supreme Commander of the Eight Provinces and Military Commander of the Four Provinces, and he advocated resistance to peace negotiations. He subsequently served as Governor of Ganghwa, Minister of Taxation, and Minister of War. In 1634, the twelfth year of King Injo, he served as Deputy Minister of Jungchubu, then as Minister of Taxation, Deputy Tutor to the Crown Prince, and Governor of Ganghwa, and in 1641 he took part, as Minister of Jungchubu concurrently in charge of the Office of Spring and Autumn Annals, in the revision of the Veritable Records of King Seonjo.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Goesan, Chungbuk

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료