Kang Sun (康純, 1390 – 27 October 1468) was a military commander and Politician during the reigns of Sejong and Sejo of Joseon. His family seat was Sinchon. He was the grand-nephew by the paternal line of Queen Sindeok, the second consort of Taejo Yi Seong-gye of Joseon, and a great-grandson of Kang Yun-seong, Grand Internal Prince Sangsan and Grand Chamberlain of the Office of the Royal Clan Registry. He suppressed Japanese pirates and Jurchens several times, was honored as a Second Class Merit Subject of the Wonjong era, and rose to the post of Right State Councillor of the Uijeongbu with the title Grand Prince Sinchon.
He was implicated in the execution of Nam I, was interrogated, and was then subjected to chariot dismemberment. During the reign of Sunjo of Joseon, he was rehabilitated on a memorial submitted by Nam Gong-cheol, Right State Councillor of the Uijeongbu. His courtesy name was Taecho (太初), and his posthumous name was Jangmin (莊愍).
Life
Early life
Kang Sun was born in Sinchon, in South Hwanghae Province, as the son of Kang Jin-haeng (康鎭行), Military Commander. He was a descendant of Kang Jo and Kang Ji-yeon, and a great-grandson of Kang Yun-seong, Grand Internal Prince Sangsan and Grand Chamberlain of the Office of the Royal Clan Registry, the father of Queen Sindeok. His family was a close relative of the Joseon royal house, but after Grand Prince Muan and Grand Prince Euian were executed by Taejong Yi Bang-won during the Second Strife of the Princes, his lineage was in effect ruined. He rose to the ranks of the high ministers through his military merit.
Official career
He entered office through hereditary appointment and held several posts. In 1443 he took up the post of Magistrate of Jidaejeonghyeon on Jeju Island. In 1443 and 1444 he spotted Japanese pirate ships that were raiding Jeju Island, drove them off, and captured several pirates. He then served as Chief Secretary of the Chumjungchu Office and as Senior Commander of the Guards, and was dispatched to the Ming dynasty as an envoy of gratitude. In 1443 he became Magistrate of Hoeryeong Prefecture; in 1450 he became Superintendent of the Gungigam and then Chief Secretary of the Chumjungchu Office, after which he became Joint Regulator of Pyeongan Province. In 1451 he became Joint Regulator of Hwanghae Province. In December 1455 he was honored as a Second Class Merit Subject of the Wonjong era. After the accession of Sejo, in 1456 (the 2nd year of Sejo) he became Magistrate of Uiju, and in 1458 he again became Chief Secretary of the Chumjungchu Office, before being promoted to Vice Secretary of the Chumjungchu Office. In 1459 he became Acting Chief Secretary of the Chumjungchu Office, and in 1460 he was dispatched to the Ming dynasty as an envoy with the post of Acting Senior Commander of the Guards, and travelled to Yanjing.
In spring 1460 he served as Magistrate of Gilju and then Magistrate of Yeongbuk Jin, and in September of that year he subjugated the Jurchen tribe of Morin-wi. He was immediately promoted to Grand Master of Splendid Accomplishment and took up the post of Commandant of Jongseong. In 1461 he became Commander-in-chief of Hamgil Province, in 1465 Vice Secretary of the Chumjungchu Office, and in 1466 Dochonggwan of the Office of the Five Military Commands.
Northern campaigns
In 1467, during Yi Si-ae's Rebellion, he was appointed General Pacifying the North (鎭北將軍) and, accompanied by Son So and Eo Yu-so, went out together to suppress the rebellion. He distinguished himself at Hongwon and Bukcheong in Hamgyong Province, and on his return he was honored as a Merit Subject for Loyalty and Righteous Retaliation.
In the same year, when crossing the border to attack Jianzhou Wei, the lair of the Jurchens, he served as Western Campaign General and, together with the Right General Nam I and the Left General Eo Yu-so, set out for battle. He returned after many achievements, including killing the Jurchen leader Yi Man-ju and his sons.
For his merit in the campaign against Jianzhou Wei, in December of that year he was honored by Joseon as Merit Subject of the First Class for Military Achievement (軍功一等). He received twenty ounces of silver and silk from the Chenghua Emperor of the Ming dynasty. His official career then gradually advanced, and he became Right State Councillor. He later briefly became Chief State Councillor but soon withdrew from the post.
Slander and death
In 1468 (the 13th year of Sejo) he was enfeoffed as Grand Prince Sinchon and became Dochonggwan of the Office of the Five Military Commands. In the year that Sejo died of leprosy and Yejong acceded to the throne, he was slandered by Yu Ja-gwang, who claimed that he had plotted a rebellion; he was interrogated together with Nam I and then put to death.
Aftermath
Yu Ja-gwang linked Kang Sun with Nam I, who had been tortured at the interrogation site. Kang Sun himself was interrogated, and after witnessing Nam I's chariot dismemberment, he was himself subjected to chariot dismemberment.
Losing consciousness under torture, he gave a forced confession and was sentenced to death. As he was led to the execution ground, Kang Sun said, "Nam I! What enmity did you have with me that you dragged me into this?" Nam I mocked him, saying, "Hey, Prime Minister! I too am truly aggrieved! Could you, Prime Minister, simply watch me die under a false charge? That is why I thought you too should die together with me!" Immediately after the chariot dismemberment, the bodies were displayed at the marketplace for seven days, and were then collected by someone.
Afterwards he was buried beneath Baejasan behind Cheongyeon Station in Boryeong County, South Chungcheong Province, and was later reinterred in Misan-myeon, Boryeong County. In 1818 (the 18th year of Sunjo), on the proposal of Nam Gong-cheol, then Right State Councillor of the Uijeongbu, he was rehabilitated. In 1871, during the reign of Gojong, a posthumous name was conferred on him. The posthumous name was Jangmin-gong (莊敏公).
Family
Main line (Shincheon Kang clan)
- Great-grandfather Kang Yun-seong (康允成)
- Great-grand aunt Queen Sindeok
- Great-grand uncle Taejo
- Grandfather: Kang Yun-bu (康允富)
- Father Kang Jin-haeng (康鎭行, ? – 1453)
- Mother: name unknown
- Younger brother: Kang Mal-saeng (康末生)
- Younger brother: name unknown
- Sister-in-law: Bok-su (卜守)
- Nephew: Kang Geum-mu-jeok (康金無赤)
- Younger brother, name unknown
- Sister-in-law: Myeong-geun (命斤)
- Younger brother: Kang A-ji (康阿只)
- Stepmother, name unknown, concubine of Kang Jin-haeng
- Half-brother: Kang Chun-saeng (康春生)
Wife's family (Jeonju Yi clan)
- Wife: Lady of the Jeonju Yi clan (全州李氏1, ? – ?, daughter of Vice minister Yi Hwak of the Ministry of War)
- Son: Kang Gong-i (康孔伊, ? – 1468)
- Son's wife: name unknown; because a paternal aunt-type relative was a consort of the Chenghua Emperor, son of the Yingzong Emperor, she received a special order from the Royal Court of Justice and was not implicated.2
- Second son: Kang Seok-son (康碩孫, ? – ?)
- Secondary wife: Ok-geum (玉今3, ? – ?, concubine of the second son Kang Seok-son; became a government slave in Hadong)
- Secondary wife: Gwan-eum-bi (觀音非3, became a government slave in Sacheon)
- Secondary wife: Bu-gwi (富貴3, ? – ?)
- Secondary wife: Jung-bi (仲非4, ? – 17 March 1471)
- Later concubine: Chun-wol (春月, taken away as a government slave in Ungcheon3)
- Later concubine: Wol-bi (月非, became a slave of Sin Sook-ju5)
Miscellaneous
After his death, his family fell into slavery and was distributed among the meritorious subjects. Jung-bi (仲非), who later became a female slave and had been his second wife, was distributed, together with Mak-san (莫山), who had been her own master's slave, to Lee Bok (李復), Lord of Geopyeong (居平君).6 However, Jung-bi committed adultery with Mak-san, and because of the relationship between the wife of a former master and a servant, she was impeached and beheaded.6
Notes