No Kaebang

Birth and education No Kaebang was born in 1563 in Garye-ri (), Miryang, in Gyeongsang Province. His father, No Il (), was a degreeless scholar (), and his mother, a member of the , was the daughter of Yi Kyŏngok (). By the age of ten, he was already regarded as highly erudite and accomplished in literary composition. No Kaebang authored several works—including ''Paekiryangbu and Nuch'ŏnyŏŏn'' ()—which earned him recognition for literary distinction. Although he initially showed no desire for government service and refrained from taking the civil examinations, he eventually acquiesced to persistent encouragement from his parents. Early career After passing the civil service examination, No Kaebang received his initial appointment as a probationary official (), and later as third proctor () at the Royal Confucian Academy. Due to both the advanced age of his parents and the economic hardships facing his family, he petitioned to be assigned closer to his hometown and was subsequently appointed as first-tier instructor () of Dongnae, a post geographically near Miryang. There, he diligently fulfilled his responsibilities at the Dongnae Hyanggyo, where he instructed local students in Confucian classics and proper ritual conduct. == Imjin War ==

Battle of Dongnae In the spring of 1592, No Kaebang took a brief leave of absence to visit his parents in Miryang. As the Temple of Confucius had thus been vacated, No Kaebang entered the fortress as well. His wife, Lady Yi of the Yeoju Yi clan, who had remained in Miryang, encountered Japanese troops while fleeing into the mountains. Clutching her husband's red certificate of civil examination, she leapt from a cliff to preserve her honor. == Legacy ==

After his death, No Kaebang was posthumously appointed to the position of chief royal secretary () by the royal court and was enshrined at Chunghyosa () in his native Miryang. In 1709, , then magistrate of Dongnae, established an auxiliary shrine at the former site of Chungnyeolsa to commemorate both No Kaebang and Cho Yŏnggyu, who had perished during the Siege of Dongnae. The following year, he submitted a request to the court for the shrine to receive official status, which was granted. In 1735, upon the recommendation of , the shrine was incorporated into the main Chungnyeolsa, where No Kaebang was formally enshrined alongside Song Sanghyŏn and Chŏng Pal. In 1742, during the tenure of Magistrate Kim Sŏgil (), a commemorative altar named was constructed at Chŏngwŏllu. At this site, No Kaebang was honored at the northern altar, while his wife, Lady Yi of the Yeoju Yi clan, was enshrined at the western altar. In 1795, a memorial stele was erected within Songgongdan to commemorate No Kaebang's fidelity and death in service. ==References==