Chugang, Nam Hyo-On is commonly remembered as one of Saengyuksin, six loyal vassals because he wrote Yuksinjeon, which is the story of six vassals who were killed in plotting to restore King Danjong`s throne in revolt against King Sejo`s unjust usurpa...
Chugang, Nam Hyo-On is commonly remembered as one of Saengyuksin, six loyal vassals because he wrote Yuksinjeon, which is the story of six vassals who were killed in plotting to restore King Danjong`s throne in revolt against King Sejo`s unjust usurpation. His intention was to pay a tribute to the subjects as figures of fidelity who were branded as traitors and killed in the process of restoration of former king Danjong`s throne. Sarim, who were confucian scholars seizing the political powers in the reign of king Seonjo, tried to continue Nam Hyo-On`s work in earnest. He established his own genealogy in the descent of Jeong Mong-Ju, Gil Jae, Kim Suk-Ja, Kim Jong-Jik, Jo Gwang-Jo, while he actively involved in practical work worth the name. That`s why he started to discover and reward the faithful living figures of fidelity as well as six dead subjects in restoration movement of king Danjong`s throne. The task was not easy but it came to fruition one after another. Sayuksin, six dead loyal subjects were reinstated and king Danjong restored his throne. Also Kim Si-Seup, Nam Hyo-On received honorable praise for their loyalty and Won Ho, Jo Ryeo who left the central government and retired to hermitage were rewarded. In the long run, Saengyuksin were brought forth to the world in parallel to Sayuksin. Nevertheless the tremendous demands of people requesting similar rewards never ceased. King Jeongjo finally established Baesikdan, distribution table, in Jangnyung, king Danjong`s tomb and could put together all those people`s names in one place. Yuksinjeon and Wonsengmongyurok were the works that strongly evoke the tragic death of king Danjong, unyielding fidelity of six dead subjects, the life of Nam Hyo-On who rejected compromising his integrity in the political turmoil through the power of literature. People who were comparable to Nam Hyo-On begin to be discovered one after another. People such as Won Ho, Choi Deok-Ji, Kim Si-Seup, Hwang Yeo-Il whose names were recorded in the final chapters of Wonsaengmongyurok are the political product of future generation who thought these people deserved to be included in the category of honorable names. Sadebu, confucian scholars strongly but secretly revealed their social, political desires through narrative documents and dream narratives. The sixteenth century narrative literature sharpened literary impression that was accumulated from old time and engaged in sensitive political realities in a very profound way.