Kim Yuk

Kim Yuk (1580–1658) was a late-Joseon statesman and Silhak (practical learning) scholar who led the push to expand the Daedongbeop tax reform during the reigns of Hyojong and Hyeonjong. Alongside the Daedongbeop, which standardized tribute into payments of rice to ease the burden on commoners, he introduced the Siheollyeok calendar brought from Qing China and worked to spread the use of coins and carts—hallmarks of a practical-minded reformer. His efforts helped lay the groundwork for stabilizing people's livelihoods and for the practical reforms of the later Joseon period.