Sŏng Hon

Sŏng Hon (1535 to 1598) was a Korean philosopher, poet and politician of the Joseon period, also known by the names Ugye and Mugam. A Neo-Confucian scholar, he was a close friend of Yi I (Yulgok) and an older contemporary of Yi Hwang (T'oegye), and he gained eminence not only as a scholar but as a revered politician and reformer, reaching the position of Fourth State Councillor, or Vice Prime Minister, in the State Council of Joseon. He came from the Changnyeong Sŏng clan, and his father Sŏng Such'im had been a student of Cho Kwangjo. His writings include the collected works Ugye chip, the Chumun chigyŏl and the Wihak chibang.