Jo Gwangjo

Jo Gwang-jo (1482–1520) was a scholar-official and Neo-Confucian thinker of Joseon who sought to put Confucian ideals of governance into practice during the reign of King Jungjong. Serving in posts such as Inspector-General of the Office of the Inspector-General, he pushed sweeping reforms, including a recommendation-based examination system, the abolition of the Taoist ritual office Sogyeokseo, and the revocation of exaggerated merit awards granted to meritorious subjects. His career was cut short when opposing factions engineered the Kimyo Purge and had him put to death, yet his reformist spirit endured as a symbol of the later Sarim literati politics.