Oh Gyeong-seok

Oh Gyeong-seok (1831–1879) was a late-Joseon official interpreter from the middle-class jungin stratum who traveled repeatedly to Qing China, where he encountered international affairs and new Western knowledge and brought them back to Korea. Drawing on this experience, he recognized early the need for national reform and is regarded as a pioneer of Korea's enlightenment thought. He was also deeply versed in epigraphy, calligraphy, and the appraisal of antiquities, and was especially skilled in the seal-script style of writing. His son was Oh Se-chang, the independence activist and calligrapher.