Choe Ho (1536)

Choe Ho (崔湖, 1536 – 16th day of the 7th lunar month, 1597) was a military officer¹ of mid-Joseon Korea who was enfeoffed as Marquis Chungwon as a second-rank Cheongnan Meritorious Subject. His family seat was Gyeongju², and he was a 15th-generation descendant of the distinguished late-Silla scholar Choe Chiwon.

Life

Born in 1536, he passed the military examination in 1574, and in 1576 he took the examination again and was ranked first in the special military examination. During the Imjin War, while Chong Mun-bu was winning the Bukgwan Victory against Kato Kiyomasa, he became Military Commander of Hamgyong Province and took charge of the administration of Hamgyong Province, and in 1596 he suppressed the Yi Mong-hak's Rebellion. On the 16th day of the 7th lunar month of 1597, following the orders of Won Gyun, he led the navy together with Yi Eok-gi and others, as Naval Commander of Chungcheong Province, toward the attack on the Japanese forces, but was defeated at the Chilcheollyang Battle and died in battle.

Posthumous honors

For his merit in quelling the Yi Mong-hak's Rebellion, he was added to the Cheongnan Meritorious Subjects as a second-rank subject in 1604 and was enfeoffed as Marquis Chungwon. In 1615, at the request of the Chanjipcheong (Compilation Office), he was also added to the Roll of Meritorious Subjects of the Imjin War.

Works depicting Choe Ho

• The Immortal Yi Sun-sin (, 2004–2005, actor: )