No Sa-sin (盧思愼, 1427 ~ 1498) was a civil official, bureaucrat, and scholar of the early Joseon period who came from a maternal relative family of the royal house. His courtesy name was Jaban (子胖), his pen names were Bojinjae (葆眞齋) and Cheoneundang (天隱堂), and his clan seat was Gyoha. His posthumous name was Mungwang (文匡).
He was the nephew by marriage of King Sejong the Great and the maternal grandson of Sim On; Queen Soheon was his maternal aunt.1 He was also a cousin-in-law of Taejong Yi Bang-won, as Queen Wongyeong and No Sa-sin's grandmother were sisters. He was also a direct ancestor of Roh Tae-woo, who later served as the 13th President of South Korea. During the reign of Yeonsangun of Joseon, he served as Chief State Councillor of the Uijeongbu and was enfeoffed as Seonseong Buwongun.
Life
Kinship
He was the nephew by marriage of King Sejong the Great and a double in-law. His father was No Mul-jae, who served as Vice Minister of the Dongji Dongnubu, and his mother was Lady Jeongbu of the Cheongsong Sim clan, daughter of Sim On, the Chief State Councillor and Grand Internal Ministerial Father of Sejong, posthumously known as Lord Cheongcheon Ango. His grandfather was No Han, the Right State Councillor and posthumously known as Gongsuk, and his grandmother was of the Yeoheung Min clan, the younger sister of Queen Wongyeong and daughter of Min Je, the Left Chief Minister of the Munhabu and Grand Internal Ministerial Father of Taejong of Joseon, posthumously known as Lord Yeoheung Mundo. The two sons-in-law of Min Je, Taejong and No Han, were both in-laws of Sim On.
King Sejong the Great, husband of his maternal aunt Queen Soheon, was the son of his grandmother Lady Min's elder sister and the son of his great-aunt Queen Wongyeong, making him both his uncle by marriage and his first cousin's husband. Furthermore, Sim Hoe, the son of Sim On and a Grand Minister of the Chungchu Office, and Sim Jun were No Sa-sin's maternal uncles, and they were also sons-in-law of Min Mu-hyul, the third son of No Sa-sin's great-grandfather Min Je and the Lord of Yeowon.2
His family relations formed a royal kinship over two generations: his grandmother was the younger sister of Queen Wongyeong, the wife of Taejong of Joseon, and his mother was the younger sister of Queen Soheon, the wife of Sejong. His two maternal uncles also formed an unusual kinship by becoming sons-in-law of Min Mu-hyul, the younger brother of his grandmother.
Career as an official
He passed the civil service examination during the reign of Danjong of Joseon and sided with Suyang. When Sejo ascended the throne through Sejo's coup, he held several posts and served as Chief Royal Secretary of the Royal Secretariat. In 1467, he took part in the campaign to subjugate Jianzhou Wei, distinguished himself in battle, and in the twelfth month of that year was honored with the Second Grade of Military Merit and promoted by one rank. While serving as Minister of Revenue, he was ordered by the king to compile the Hojeon (戶典) section of the Gyeongguk daejeon. He also concurrently served as Minister of Personnel. In 1498, during the Mu-o Purge, he was one of the senior ministers of the Hungu faction and joined Yu Ja-gwang and others in denouncing Kim Jong-jik. Then, during the reign of Seongjong, he passed through the posts of Right Assistant Councillor, Left Assistant Councillor, Right Vice Chief Councillor, Left Vice Chief Councillor, Right State Councillor, and Left State Councillor, and during the reign of Yeonsangun of Joseon he rose to Chief State Councillor.
However, he opposed the complete expulsion of the Sarim faction and saved many scholars. He compiled the Samguk sajeol and the Yeoji seongnam, and together with Seo Geo-jeong, Heo Jong, and others, he translated the Hyangyak jipseongbang into Hangul. He was the 15th-generation ancestor of Roh Tae-woo, the 13th President of South Korea.
Family
- Grandfather: No Han (盧閈, 1376 ~ 1443)
- Grandmother: Yeoheung Min clan - younger sister of Queen Wongyeong, the principal wife of Taejong of Joseon
- Father: No Mul-jae (盧物載, ? ~ 1446)
- Maternal grandfather: Sim On (沈溫, 1375 ~ 1418)
- Maternal grandmother: Lady Samhan Gukdaebu Sunheung An clan (三韓國大夫人 順興 安氏, ? ~ 1444)
- Mother: Cheongsong Sim clan (1399 ~ ?) - younger sister of Queen Soheon, the principal wife of Sejong
- Elder brother: No Hoe-sin (盧懷愼)
- Elder brother: No Yu-sin (盧由愼)
- Younger brother: No Ho-sin (盧好愼)
- Wife: Cheongju Gyeong clan - daughter of Gyeong Yu-geun (慶由謹)
- Eldest son: No Gong-pil (盧公弼, 1445 ~ 1516)
- Second son: No Gong-jeo (盧公著, 1449 ~ ?)
- Third son: No Gong-seok (盧公奭, 1451 ~ ?)
- Fourth son: No Gong-yu (盧公裕, 1458 ~ ?)
- Eldest daughter: Gyoha No clan (交河 盧氏, 1460 ~ ?) - wife of Gu Jang-son (具長孫)
Related works
Television dramas
Footnotes