Bak Mun-su

Bak Munsu (Korean: 박문수; Hanja: 朴文秀; 1691–1756), also known as Park Mun-su, was a Korean government official in the period of King Yeongjo of Joseon in the Joseon Dynasty. He was famous for his lifetime spent protecting the Korean people from corrupt royal officials.[1]

Bak Mun-su
Portrait of Bak Munsu
Born	1691
Died	1756 (aged 64–65)

Bak Mun-su
Hangul	박문수
Hanja	朴文秀
Revised Romanization	Bak Mun-su
McCune–Reischauer	Pak Munsu
Pen name
Hangul	기은
Hanja	耆隱
Revised Romanization	Gieun
McCune–Reischauer	Kiŭn
Courtesy name
Hangul	성보
Hanja	成甫
Revised Romanization	Seongbo
McCune–Reischauer	Sŏngpo
Posthumous name
Hangul	충헌
Hanja	忠憲
Revised Romanization	Chungheon
McCune–Reischauer	Ch'unghŏn

Bak passed the state examination in 1723 and later became a secret royal inspector, or amhaengeosa (暗行御史, 암행어사). He is the most famous amhaengeosa in the history of Korea, and has become something of a legendary figure, and there are many legends surrounding his achievements as an amhaengeosa.

Bak was the son of Bak Hang-han, and a member of the Goryeong Park clan. His pen name was Gieun, his courtesy name was Seongbo, and his posthumous name was Chungheon.[2]

Two portraits of Bak Mun-su have been preserved and are in good condition.

Popular culture

• Portrayed by Yoo Jun-sang in the 2002 MBC TV series Inspector Park Moon-soo.
• Portrayed by Lee Won-jong in the 2014 SBS TV series Secret Door.
• Portrayed by Kwon Se-in in the 2019 SBS TV series Haechi.

References

1. "박문수" [Bak Bunsu]. terms.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved 2019-05-31.
2. 유승주. "박문수(朴文秀) - 한국민족문화대백과사전". Encyclopedia of Korean Culture. Retrieved 17 December 2020.