Mun Ik-jeom

Mun Ik-jeom (8 February 1329 – 13 June 1398 ) was a politician of the Goryeo period and a Neo-Confucian scholar. His given name was Ikcheom, his courtesy name was Ilsin , and his art names were Saeun and Samudang.

History
Moon Ik-jeom was born in Gangseong-hyeon, Jinju-mok, Gyeongsang Province (modern day Danseong-myeon, Sancheong County, South Gyeongsang Province) in 1329. His father was Moon Suk-seon, who had passed the civil service examination but did not work for the government. Ik-jeom started working for the government as a historical recorder in 1360. In 1363, he went to Yuan China as a delegation member from Goryeo dynasty. On the way back to Korea he stole cottonseed in his writing brush cap to bring it secretly into Korea. In 1364, he went back to his home town Jinju to spread the seed and successfully grew one of the seeds he had brought back and continued to grow the number of plants significantly. Within ten years, Korea was able to produce cotton and was able to distribute it to the citizens. He died in 1398.

Family

 * Father - Moon Suk-seon
 * Mother - Lady Jo of the Haman Jo clan
 * Wives and their issue
 * Lady Ju - No issue.
 * Lady Jeong of the Jinju Jeong clan ; daughter of Jeong Cheon-ik
 * Son - Moon Jung-yong
 * Son - Moon Jung-seong
 * Son - Moon Jung-sil
 * Daughter - Lady Moon of the Nampyeong Moon clan
 * Son - Moon Jung-jin
 * Daughter - Lady Moon of the Nampyeong Moon clan
 * Son - Moon Jung-gye
 * Daughter - Grand Princess Moon of the Nampyeong Moon clan ; third wife of Grand Prince Wanpung
 * Son-in-law - Yi Won-gye, Grand Prince Wanpung (1330–1388); King Taejo’s older half-brother

Works

 * Samudangsilki (삼우당실기 三憂堂實記)