Jeong Do-jeon facts for kids

Jeong Dojeon (Korean: 정도전, Hanja: 鄭道傳, 1342 – October 6, 1398), also known by his pen name Sambong (Korean: 삼봉), was a very important scholar and official in Korea. He lived during the end of the Goryeo period and the beginning of the Joseon period. He became the first Chief State Councillor of Joseon in 1392. He was a close adviser to Yi Seong-gye, who founded the Joseon dynasty. Jeong Dojeon helped create many of Joseon's main ideas, rules, and laws that guided the kingdom for about 500 years. He was killed in 1398 by Yi Bang-won, one of Yi Seong-gye's sons.

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Quick facts for kids Jeong Dojeon 정도전
Chief State Councillor
In office 26 August 1398 – 26 September 1382
Preceded by	Bae Geuk-ryeom
Succeeded by	Yi Seo
Personal details
Born	1342 Danyang County, North Chungcheong Province, Kingdom of Goryeo
Died	October 6, 1398(1398-10-06) (aged 56) Hanseungbu, Kingdom of Joseon
Spouse	Princess Gyeongsuk
Children	Jeong Jin Jeong Yeong Jeong Yu
Parents	Jeong Woon-gyeong (Father) Lady Woo of Yeongju Woo clan (Mother)
Korean name
Hangul	정도전
Hanja	鄭道傳
Revised Romanization	Jeong Dojeon
McCune–Reischauer	Chŏng Tojŏn
Art name
Hangul	삼봉
Hanja	三峰
Revised Romanization	Sambong
McCune–Reischauer	Sambong
Courtesy name
Hangul	종지
Hanja	宗之
Revised Romanization	Chongji
McCune–Reischauer	Jongji
Posthumous name
Hangul	문헌
Hanja	文憲
Revised Romanization	Munheon
McCune–Reischauer	Munhŏn

Family and Early Life

Jeong Dojeon was born in 1342 into the Bonghwa Jeong clan. His family was from Yeongju, which is now in South Korea. His father was the first in their family to hold a high government position.

Jeong Dojeon studied under a famous teacher named Yi Je-hyeon. He was a very smart student, and his ideas began to influence Korean politics. He later married Princess Gyeongsuk, Lady Choi. They had three sons: Jeong Jin, Jeong Yeong, and Jeong Yu.

Working with Yi Seong-gye

Jeong Dojeon had a very close relationship with Yi Seong-gye, who would become the first king of Joseon. They first met in 1383. Jeong Dojeon's ideas greatly shaped the new Joseon Dynasty.

When Yi Seong-gye founded Joseon in July 1392, he gave Jeong Dojeon the highest civilian and military jobs. This meant Jeong Dojeon had a lot of power to help build the new kingdom.

Building the New Joseon Dynasty

Jeong Dojeon was like the main architect for Joseon's government. He made many important decisions:

• He set up Joseon's political system and tax laws.
• He changed the national religion from Buddhism to Confucianism.
• He moved the capital city from Gaeseong to Hanyang (which is now Seoul).
• He changed the government from a feudal system (where powerful lords controlled land) to a strong, central government.
• He wrote a code of laws that became Joseon's constitution.
• He even named the palaces, the eight provinces, and areas within the capital city.
• He also worked to free many slaves and changed how land was owned.

Conflict and Death

After Joseon was founded, Jeong Dojeon had a big disagreement with Yi Bang-won, who was Yi Seong-gye's fifth son. The argument was about who should be the next king (the crown prince).

Yi Bang-won felt he should be the crown prince because he had helped his father a lot. But Jeong Dojeon convinced King Taejo to choose his youngest son, Yi Bang-seok, as the crown prince instead.

Different Ideas for the Kingdom

Their conflict was also about how the kingdom should be run. Jeong Dojeon believed that ministers should lead the government, and the king should be more of a symbolic figure. Yi Bang-won, however, wanted the king to have absolute power and rule directly.

Both Jeong Dojeon and Yi Bang-won knew they were against each other. In 1398, after the king's second wife died, Yi Bang-won acted first. He raided the palace and killed Jeong Dojeon and his supporters. He also killed the young crown prince and his brother. This event is known as the First Strife of Princes.

King Taejo was very upset and sad to see his favorite sons and ministers killed. He gave up his throne and remained angry with Yi Bang-won.

For a long time in Joseon history, Jeong Dojeon was not well-regarded, even though he helped create the dynasty. But in 1865, he was finally recognized for his important role in designing Gyeongbokgung, the main palace.

His Ideas and Writings

Jeong Dojeon was a strong opponent of Buddhism at the end of the Goryeo period. He followed the ideas of Zhu Xi, a famous Confucian thinker. He wrote many papers criticizing Buddhism, saying it was corrupt and its teachings were wrong. His most famous work on this topic was Bulssi Japbyeon ("Array of Critiques Against Buddhism").

He was also one of the first teachers at the Sungkyunkwan, which was the royal Confucian academy. Jeong Dojeon was among the first Korean scholars to call his ideas "Silhak" or "practical learning."

How He Thought About Government

Jeong Dojeon believed that the government, including the king, existed to serve the people. He thought that a government was only right to rule if it served the public well. This idea helped him explain why it was okay to overthrow the Goryeo dynasty. He argued that the Goryeo rulers had lost their right to rule because they were not serving the people.

He also divided society into three groups:

• A large lower class of farmers and craftspeople.
• A middle class of educated people.
• A small upper class of government officials.

He thought that anyone outside these groups, like Buddhist monks or shamans, could be a threat to society.

Main Works

Jeong Dojeon wrote many important books and collections of his ideas:

• Sambong Jip (삼봉집, 三峯集) – A collection of his poetry.
• Joseon Gyeong Gukjeon (조선경국전, 朝鮮經國典) – About Joseon's government.
• Bulssi Japbyeon (불씨잡변, 佛氏雜辨) – His critiques against Buddhism.
• Gyeongje Mungam (경제문감, 經濟文鑑) – About economics and government.
• Goryeo Guksa (고려국사, 高麗國史) – A history of the Goryeo period.

English Translations of His Works

• Korea's Great Buddhist-Confucian Debate: The Treatises of Chŏng Tojŏn (Sambong) and Hamhŏ Tŭkt'ong (Kihwa). University of Hawai'i Press. 2015. ISBN 978-0-8248-5380-8.
• Seeking Order in a Tumultuous Age: The Writings of Chŏng Tojŏn, a Korean Neo-Confucian. University of Hawai'i Press. 2016. ISBN 9780824859442.
• His poem "Plum" is in: Lee, Peter H (1981). Anthology of Korean Literature : From Early Times to The Nineteenth Century. University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 9780824807399.

See also

In Spanish: Jeong Do Jeon para niños

• List of Korean philosophers
• Korean philosophy
• Korean literature
• Joseon Dynasty politics