The story of Po-Eun
Po-Eun is also known as Chong Mong-chu (1337-1392). He was a scholar and a faithful public servant during the Koryo Dynasty in the late 14th century. At the age of 23 he took three different national qualifying examinations that were used to select public servants and he received the highest scores on all three. He was involved in a variety of national projects as the king had such confidence in Chong’s wide knowledge, good judgement and his insights into human behaviour. From time to time, he also visited Japan and China as a diplomat for the king, securing promises of Japanese aid in defeating pirates and helping to establish peace with the Ming dynasty in 1385. He went on to found an institute devoted to the theories of Confucianism.
At this time, Yi Seong-gye was a powerful general in charge of the Koryo armed forces who had gained power and respect by beating the Mongols of Yuan China and by repelling well-organised Japanese pirates in a series of successful engagements. In the rise of the Ming Dynasty, the Koryo court at Kaesong split into two competing factions: the group led by General Yi (supporting the Ming) and the camp led by his rival, General Choi-Yong (whose exploits will be examined later).
In 1388, Ming China demanded the return of a significant portion of Koryo’s northern territory. Koryo responded with its own plans, King U electing to attack China and ordering Yi to force the Ming armies from the Korean peninsula. At the Amnok River border and confronted with the strength of the Ming army, Yi made a momentous decision that would alter the course of Korean history. Aware of his strong personal support in Kaesong, Yi decided to revolt and swept back to the capital, where he usurped the Koryo throne and took control of the government.
By 1392, Yi Seong-gye had established himself as the first king of the new Yi Dynasty, ending 475 years of Koryo rule. That loyal subject, Chong Mong-chu, had repeatedly maintained his support for the Koryo Dynasty and although he was something of an obstacle to Yi, he continued to enjoy the king’s respect as a scholar and a gentleman. However, the king’s son, Yi Bang-won (later King Taejong), was not so charitable and lured Chong to a banquet at his house where he challenged him to swear loyalty to Yi. Chong responded with a poem, one known to most Koreans today:
Though I die and die again, though I may die a hundred times,
Long after my bones have turned to dust, whether my soul remains or not,
Ever loyal to my Lord, how can this one red heart of mine ever fade away?
Leaving the house that evening, Chong Mong-chu was waylaid by five of Yi Bang-won’s men at Sonjuk Bridge in Kaesong. They beat him to death with an iron hammer, spilling his blood on the stones. Today, a brown spot on one of the stones is said to be the remnants of Chong’s blood and which allegedly turns red in the rain.
The 475-year-old Koryo Dynasty symbolically ended with Chong’s death and was replaced by the Choseon (Yi) Dynasty. Chong’s noble death symbolises his faithful allegiance to his king, and he was later canonised into the National Academy alongside such other Korean sages as Yi I (Yul-Kok) and Yi Hwang (Toi-Gye).
The pattern diagram is a single horizontal line, symbolising Po-Eun’s unswerving loyalty to his king at the end of the Koryo Dynasty. The pattern consists of 18 movements, repeated symmetrically, exemplifying his staunch conviction in the midst of change.
Po-Eun is also known as Chong Mong-chu (1337-1392). He was a scholar and a faithful public servant during the Koryo Dynasty in the late 14th century. At the age of 23 he took three different national qualifying examinations that were used to select public servants and he received the highest scores on all three. He was involved in a variety of national projects as the king had such confidence in Chong’s wide knowledge, good judgement and his insights into human behaviour. From time to time, he also visited Japan and China as a diplomat for the king, securing promises of Japanese aid in defeating pirates and helping to establish peace with the Ming dynasty in 1385. He went on to found an institute devoted to the theories of Confucianism.
At this time, Yi Seong-gye was a powerful general in charge of the Koryo armed forces who had gained power and respect by beating the Mongols of Yuan China and by repelling well-organised Japanese pirates in a series of successful engagements. In the rise of the Ming Dynasty, the Koryo court at Kaesong split into two competing factions: the group led by General Yi (supporting the Ming) and the camp led by his rival, General Choi-Yong (whose exploits will be examined later).
In 1388, Ming China demanded the return of a significant portion of Koryo’s northern territory. Koryo responded with its own plans, King U electing to attack China and ordering Yi to force the Ming armies from the Korean peninsula. At the Amnok River border and confronted with the strength of the Ming army, Yi made a momentous decision that would alter the course of Korean history. Aware of his strong personal support in Kaesong, Yi decided to revolt and swept back to the capital, where he usurped the Koryo throne and took control of the government.
By 1392, Yi Seong-gye had established himself as the first king of the new Yi Dynasty, ending 475 years of Koryo rule. That loyal subject, Chong Mong-chu, had repeatedly maintained his support for the Koryo Dynasty and although he was something of an obstacle to Yi, he continued to enjoy the king’s respect as a scholar and a gentleman. However, the king’s son, Yi Bang-won (later King Taejong), was not so charitable and lured Chong to a banquet at his house where he challenged him to swear loyalty to Yi. Chong responded with a poem, one known to most Koreans today:
Though I die and die again, though I may die a hundred times,
Long after my bones have turned to dust, whether my soul remains or not,
Ever loyal to my Lord, how can this one red heart of mine ever fade away?
Leaving the house that evening, Chong Mong-chu was waylaid by five of Yi Bang-won’s men at Sonjuk Bridge in Kaesong. They beat him to death with an iron hammer, spilling his blood on the stones. Today, a brown spot on one of the stones is said to be the remnants of Chong’s blood and which allegedly turns red in the rain.
The 475-year-old Koryo Dynasty symbolically ended with Chong’s death and was replaced by the Choseon (Yi) Dynasty. Chong’s noble death symbolises his faithful allegiance to his king, and he was later canonised into the National Academy alongside such other Korean sages as Yi I (Yul-Kok) and Yi Hwang (Toi-Gye).
The pattern diagram is a single horizontal line, symbolising Po-Eun’s unswerving loyalty to his king at the end of the Koryo Dynasty. The pattern consists of 18 movements, repeated symmetrically, exemplifying his staunch conviction in the midst of change.