Person1501 – 1572
Jo Sik (Nammyeong)
Also called: Nammyeong
Neo-Confucian scholar of western Gyeongsang who stressed reverence, righteousness and practice; his disciples formed the Northerners and led militias in the Imjin War
He built the Sancheonjae study at Deoksan below Jirisan and taught disciples there. His teaching of reverence (gyeong) to keep the mind upright and righteousness (ui) to keep conduct straight put practice above theory. He refused office many times, and in his 1555 memorial declining the post of Danseong magistrate he sharply criticised Queen Munjeong's regency and the rule of royal in-laws. His disciples sided with the Easterners in the 1575 split and became the core of the Northerners, and Gwak Jae-u and Jeong In-hong raised militias in the Imjin War.
