Im Kkeokjeong

Im Kkeokjeong was the leader of a band of outlaws active in Hwanghae Province during the reign of King Myeongjong of Joseon. Of humble origin from the baekjeong (butcher) outcast class, he is counted among Joseon's three great bandits alongside Hong Gil-dong and Jang Gil-san. His raids against local authorities and the ruling elite are remembered as a symbol of popular resistance, though whether they amounted to more than plunder remains debated. In an era of rigid social hierarchy, a low-born figure gathering followers and defying the court came to embody the contradictions of Joseon society.