Research representative: Prof. Hamada, Kosaku
(Graduate School of Humanities)

 Choe Chi on (857a.d.~) was a scholar bureacrat that lived in Shilla across from Hakata Bay in the same periond as Sugawara Michizane (845a.d.~903a.d.).

 Michizane was born into a Confucianist family, but later due to slander was demoted and sent to work at Dazaifu, where he died of disease. Ch'iwon was born into a new clan in the capitol of Shilla. When he was twelve his father told him that if he didn't pass the Kakyo (Confucian political exam) within ten years then he would be cast out of the family and to go out and do his best. He took his fathers warning to heart and went to Changan in Tang to study, six years later he passed the test with flying colors.

 At first, he worked as an official in Louyang, but then in 879a.d. he was sent to be the scribe for commander Gaobian(the commander for the regional military government based in Yangzhou in Jiangsu prefecture) in Huainan. He greatly impressed China during the Hwangchao uprising with his letter to Hwangchao.

 Ch'iwon returned to Shilla in 885 where he worked for the government as a writer. At NewYears the next year, he compiled the work that he wrote while living in Tang, the Keienhikkoushuu, into twenty volumes. Ch'iwon was highly evaluated for his skill as a writer and he was appointed the administrator of a Gun(an administrative district) in early Peak-jea. Taking into consideration the situation of the people, he created and submitted important policies to the king at the time. He was unable to become a diplomat to Tang and due to social unrest he was also unable to ever return to Tang. He retired his post and went into seclusion at Haein temple.

 Ch'iwon's career overlaps Michizane's. One difference was that he had visited Tang, but like Michizane, he wasn't admitted into the inner circle as a bureaucrat and died without fulfilling his desires. The research of Ch'oe Ch'iwon as a person and his works, aside from being Japan-Korea comparitive study that takes into consideration Tang culture, also leads to the research of Michizane's works as well. That is the topic of this research project.
Statue of Ch'oe Ch'iwon
located in Pusan Haeundae