Im Kkeokjeong

Im Kkokjong (Hangul: 임꺽정; Hanja: 林巪正, d. 1562) was born in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province. His father was a butcher, which was considered one of the lowly jobs. Im was the leader of a peasant rebellion in Hwanghae Province in 1559-1562. The initial cause of the revolt was taxation. He started off with a band but later the number grew as he began killing rich people and giving out food to the poor. His group of thieves eventually grew to number in the hundreds. They even built a small wooden castle and called themselves Noklimdang.

Literature and film

Im Kkokjong became an inspiration for the fictional character of Hong Gildong, subject of Hong Gildong jeon, often considered the first Korean novel.

• Im Kkokjong - novel by the North Korean writer Hong Myong-Hui (洪命熹) (1888—1968)
• Im Kkokjong - SBS television drama (1996) starring Cheong Hung-chae (정흥채)
• The Fugitive of Joseon - KBS television drama (2013)