Yi Hwang

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Yi Hwang (1501-1570) is one of the two most prominent Korean Confucian scholars of the Joseon Dynasty, the other being his younger contemporary Yi I (Yulgok). Yi Hwang is often referred to by his pen name Toegye ("Retreating Creek"). His courtesy name was Gyeongho. Yi Hwang was born in Ongye-ri (now Ansan), Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, on November 25, 1501. He belonged to the Jinseong Yi clan. He was a child prodigy. At the age of six, he started to learn the Thousand Character Classic from an old gentleman in his neighborhood, and at 12 he learned the Analects of Confucius from his uncle, Yi U. At the age of 19, he obtained the two-volume Seongni Taejeon, a great compendium of neo-Confucianism by Hu Guang, and experienced a process of great awakening. He became devoted to Song thought.