Kim Jeong-hui

Kim Jeong-hui (김정희, 金正喜, born on the 3rd day of the 6th lunar month 1786, died on the 10th day of the 10th lunar month 1856) was one of the most celebrated practitioners of calligraphy, epigraphists, and scholars of Korea’s later Joseon period. He was a member of the Gyeongju Kim clan. He used various Ho (pen-names): Wandang (阮堂), Chusa (秋史), Yedang (禮堂), Siam (詩庵), Gwapa (果坡), Nogwa (老果) etc. (some 200 in all). He is especially celebrated for having transformed Korean epigraphy and for having created the “Chusa-che” (秋史體 Chusa writing style) inspired by his study of ancient Korean and Chinese epitaphs. His ink paintings, especially of orchids, are equally admired.

As a scholar, he belonged to the Silhak (Practical Learning) school also known as the Bukhak (北學, “Northern Learning”). He was related to Queen Jeongsun, the second wife of King Yeongjo, and by his adoptive mother, Nam Yang-hong, he was a cousin to Namyeon-gun Yi Gu, who was destined to be the grandfather of King Gojong (高宗, later titled 光武帝 Gwangmu Emperor. 1852–1919). Hongseon Daewon-gun (興宣大院君, 1820–1898), King Gojong’s father, who served as his regent and was also a noted calligrapher, was one of Kim’s pupils for a while.