Chief State CouncillorIn office
8 October 1431 – 21 October 1449Preceded byGu Jong-gilSucceeded byHa YeonLeft State CouncillorIn office
21 February 1427 – 9 December 1430Preceded byYi JikSucceeded byMaeng Sa-seongRight State CouncillorIn office
18 July 1426 – 21 February 1427Preceded byCho YeonSucceeded byMaeng Sa-seong Personal detailsBorn1363Died1452Spouse(s)Lady Choe
Lady, of the Cheongju Yang clanChildrenParentsKorean nameHangulHanjaRevised RomanizationHwang HuiMcCune–ReischauerHwang HŭiArt nameHangulHanjaRevised RomanizationBangchonMcCune–ReischauerBangch'onChildhood nameHangulHanjaRevised RomanizationSuroMcCune–ReischauerSuroCourtesy nameHangulHanjaRevised RomanizationGubuMcCune–ReischauerKubuPosthumous nameHangulHanjaRevised RomanizationIkseongMcCune–ReischauerIksŏng

Hwang Hui (1363–1452) was a politician of the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, who came from the Jangsu Hwang clan and served as prime minister of the Joseon dynasty from 1431 to 1449.

Biography

Hwang Hui was an official of Goryeo. He became an official of Joseon in 1394. Hwang Hui was once banished from Seoul because he advocated Yangnyeong, the eldest prince of King Taejong, despite his bad behavior in 1418. After King Sejong the Great's enthronement, Hwang Hui got reappointed and held many ministerial posts. Hwang Hui was appointed as a prime minister in 1431 and served until 1449. He retired from the government after 18 years.

Achievement

He distributed grain seeds for improving farming, and ordered each province to plant a lot of mulberry trees to enrich human life. In addition, the publication of 'economic land' was divided into '續 典' and '集', which allowed the contents to be duplicated, omitted or separated from the content and reality.^[1]

Meanwhile, a defense measure was taken to prevent the North's wildling and southern regions by paying attention to defense issues. And in an effort to obtain a wide range of good manners, the etiquette of Goryeo was revised and supplemented, taking into account the reality of the Ming and Joseon dynasties.^[1]

Description of Hwang Hui

He served as the Yeonguijeong, the highest ranking of three appointed royal prime ministers (the others being Uuijeong and Jwaguijeong) for a total of 18 years with a total of 24 years service to the monarchy. He was noted for his political philosophy that stated, “That which is just takes priority and must be enacted.” Priorities during his administration included agricultural improvement, mitigating laws that increased social class gaps, and providing opportunities for candidates born out of wedlock or from concubines to take the civil service examination.^[2]

Family

• Father: Hwang Gun-seo (황군서, 黃君瑞; 1328–1402)
• Mother: Lady Kim of the Yonggung Kim clan (용궁 김씨; d. 1427) – initially a slave who become Hwang Gun-seo's concubine.
• Wives and children:
  • Lady Choe (최씨); daughter of Choe-An (최안; 崔安)
    • 1st daughter: Lady Hwang (황씨)
  • Lady Yang of the Cheongju Yang clan (정경부인 청주 양씨); daughter of Yang Jin (양진; 楊震) and they married in 1388.
    • 1st son: Hwang Chi-sin (황치신; 黃致身)
    • 2nd son: Hwang Bo-sin (황보신; 黃保身)
    • 3rd son: Hwang Su-sin (황수신; 黃守身)
    • 4th son: Hwang Jik-sin (황직신; 黃直身);
    • 2nd daughter: Lady Hwang (황씨)

In popular culture

• Portrayed by Kim Kap-soo in the 2008 KBS2 TV series The Great King, Sejong^[3]
• Portrayed by Jeon Seung-hwan in the 2011 SBS TV series Deep Rooted Tree.^[4]
• Portrayed by Baek Yoon-sik in the 2012 film I Am the King.^[5]
• Portrayed by Kim Kap-soo in the 2015 MBC TV series Splash Splash Love.^[6]
• Portrayed by Kwon Hwa-woon in the 2015–2016 SBS TV series Six Flying Dragons.^[7]
• Portrayed by Jung Han-yong in the 2016 KBS1 TV series Jang Yeong-sil.^[8]

See also

• Sejong the Great
• Maeng Saseong

References