A portrait of Tojeong Yi Ji-ham, a Joseon-era scholar and the attributed author of the fortune-telling text Tojeong Bigyeol.Wikipedia
Shin Bok-ryong
The author is a former emeritus professor of history at Konkuk University.
Yi Ji-ham (1517–1578), better known by his pen name Tojeong, belonged to the Hansan Yi clan and took great pride in tracing his lineage to the renowned Goryeo scholar Yi Saek (1328–1396). His father died young after the family suffered persecution because Yi Ji-ham's great-grandfather had been implicated in the deposition of Queen Consort Yun during the reign of King Yeonsangun (1476-1506). Orphaned at an early age, Yi first studied under Seo Gyeong-deok before continuing his education under his elder brother, Yi Ji-beon. Some accounts describe the brothers as twins, making the traditional claim that Yi learned from his "older" brother historically puzzling. Yi Ji-beon later became the father of Lee San-hae, who rose to the post of chief state councilor, underscoring the family's distinguished standing.
After his own son was killed by a tiger, Yi grew deeply disillusioned with worldly ambition. He abandoned plans to take the state civil service examination and instead built a modest earthen house, or tojeong, on Manridong Hill in Mapo, where he lived quietly while gaining a reputation for accurately predicting fortune and misfortune. As news of his scholarship spread, the court sought to appoint him through yuil recommendation — a merit-based channel for scholars living outside official life — alongside scholar Kim Cheon-il. When he learned the position carried only the sixth official rank, he reportedly refused it and symbolically washed his ears in a stream. Persistent appeals eventually persuaded him to accept office, and he first served as magistrate of Pocheon County.
His reputation extended beyond scholarship. In a memorial submitted by Jo Heon in the 19th year of King Seonjo's reign (1567–1608), Jo wrote that he regarded only three men as his teachers: Yi I, Seong Hon and Yi Ji-ham. Such praise suggests the high moral authority Yi commanded among his contemporaries.
Later transferred as magistrate of Asan County, Yi focused on improving the livelihoods of ordinary people. He promoted local industries and resource development, challenging state restrictions that prohibited mining out of fear of labor unrest. Believing that creating wealth could itself be a public virtue, he traveled throughout the country documenting local products and economic conditions. In modern terms, he may be regarded as one of Joseon's earliest political economists.
Deeply interested in human destiny, Yi compiled the "Tojeong Bigyeol" from his learning and experience, emphasizing accumulated virtue, taboos and geomantic directions. Unfortunately, later generations have largely ignored his political vision and administrative achievements, remembering him chiefly for fortune-telling maxims such as warnings against visiting rivers in July. That narrow image obscures a practical reformer whose foremost concern was improving the people's welfare.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
