Portraits of Yi Saek (Yongsan-gu)

This is a portrait of Yi Saek (1328-1396), a renowned scholar who lived at the end of the Goryeo period. Yi Saek’s pen-names were Yeongsuk and Mokeun; his ancestral seat was Hansan. In 1341, at the age of 14, he became a jinsa (literary licentiate), and in 1348, he went to the Yuan Dynasty where he studied Neo-Confucianism at the National Academy and served in the Royal Academy of Letters. Upon his return home, he strove to promote and develop Neo-Confucianism, as well as to reform the national defense, educational and gwageo (civil service examination) systems, among other things. When Yi Seonggye expelled King U after marching his army back from Wihwado Island, Yi Saek attempted in vain to help King Chang ascend to the throne and preserve the Goryeo Dynasty, and was subsequently exiled. Yi Saek, Jeong Mongju and Gil Jae are cited as the three most loyal subjects at the end of the Goryeo Dynasty.

Several portraits of Yi Saek have survived to the present day, all of which are reproductions made later. This work, a typical portrait of a civil official, features Yi Saek seated in a chair, wearing an official’s headdress and a red robe. The angle of the long headdress shows the characteristic of attires in the late Goryeo period. The portrait depicts facial wrinkles on Yi’s forehead, with his nose and cheeks painted a little red. The creases in his clothing are also painted a shade of red, giving the portrait a plain impression. However, the white beard and spots on his face reveal Yi Seak to be in the autumn of his life. On the right are writings by Gwon Geun and Yi Saek’s descendant, Yi Jeonggi.

Source: Korea Heritage Service signboard ↗ · collected 2026-10-08