Jeong Cheol

He was from the Yeonil Chŏng clan.

• Name — Chŏng Ch'ŏl • Office — Left State Councillor • Term Start — 13 March 1590 • Term End — 24 February 1591 • Predecessor — Yi Sanhae • Successor — Yu Sŏngnyong • Office1 — Right State Councillor • Term Start1 — 8 December 1589 • Term End1 — March 1590 • Predecessor1 — Chŏng Ŏnsin • Successor1 — Sim Sugyŏng • Born — 18 December 1536 • Died — 7 February 1594 • Country — Joseon

• Father • Chŏng Yuch'im (1493–1570) • Mother • Lady An of the Juksan An clan (1495–1573) • Siblings • Older brother - Chŏng Cha (1515–1547) • Older brother - Chŏng So (1518–1572) • Older sister - Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Yeonil Chŏng clan (August 1520 – March 25, 1566) • Brother-in-law - King Injong of Joseon (March 10, 1515 – August 7, 1545) • Older sister - Lady Chŏng of the Yeonil Chŏng clan (연일 정씨; 1521–1596) • Older brother - Chŏng Hwang (정황; 鄭滉; 1528–1588) • Younger sister - Princess Consort Och'ŏn of the Yeonil Chŏng clan (1542–?) • Wives and their children • Lady Yu of the Munhwa Yu clan (1535–1598) • Daughter - Lady Chŏng of the Yeonil Chŏng clan (연일 정씨; 1556) • Son - Chŏng Kimyŏng (1558–1589) • Lady Chŏng of the Yeonil Chŏng clan (연일 정씨; 1559–?) • Son - Chŏng Chongmyŏng (1565–1626) • Son - Chŏng Chinmyŏng (1567–1614) • Daughter - Lady Chŏng of the Yeonil Chŏng clan (연일 정씨; 1576–?) • Son - Chŏng Hong-myŏng (March 7, 1582 – October 2, 1650) • Concubine - Chinok • Concubine - Lady Kang'a

He is prominent in the gasa and the sijo, which are forms of classical Korean poetry. The following two poems are an exchange between Chŏng Ch'ŏl and the gisaeng Chinok. Chŏng is playing on Chinok's name, which means Genuine Gem. First he calls her a gem (ok; 玉), then suggests she is an imitation (pŏn-ok; 燔玉) and finally finds her to be genuine (chin-ok; 眞玉). Gem, oh, they talk of a gem but I thought it an imitation. Now I know for certain it is a genuine gem. My thrusting gimlet will carry you with me. - Chŏng Ch'ŏl to Chinok Chinok replies by playing on the name of Chŏng Ch'ŏl (鄭澈), first calling him iron (ch'ŏl; 鐵), then suggesting he might be false iron (sŏp-ch'ŏl; 攝鐵) and finally discovering he is genuine iron (chŏng ch'ŏl; 正鐵). Unquestionably bawdy, this exchange is one of the finest examples of satire in sijo — a poetic form that placed high value on wit, double entendre and word play. Iron, oh, they talk of iron but I thought it false. Now I know for certain it is true iron. My pair of bellows will smelt it. - Chinok to Chŏng Ch'ŏl Other Works: • Gwandong Byeolgok (The Song of the Sceneries of the Gwandong). • Samiingok (Mindful of My Seemly Lord). • Songgang Gasa (Songgang's Prose Poetry Book).

• Portrayed by Park-woong in the 1995 KBS2 TV Series West Palace. • Portrayed by Joo Jin-mo in the 2014 KBS2 TV series The King's Face. • Portrayed by Sun Dong-Hyuk in the 2015 KBS2 TV series The Jingbirok: A Memoir of Imjin War.