Mun Ik-chŏm (English spelling)

Japanese: 文益漸 - ぶんえきぜん（英語表記）Mun Ik‐chŏm

1329‐98
A Korean civil official at the end of the Goryeo Dynasty. He introduced cotton to Korea. His pen name was Ilshin. His pen name was Samyu-dang. He was from Gangseong-hyeon (present-day Sancheong-gun, South Gyeongsang Province). He was dispatched as an escort to an envoy in 1363, and when he returned home he brought back cotton seeds. He cultivated them with his father-in-law, Jeong Cheon-ik, in his hometown. He also learned the techniques and tools for spinning, reeling, and weaving cloth, and gradually cotton cloth became more widely used, replacing ramie and linen cloth. He was summoned to serve the central government again due to his achievements, but was dismissed during the reign of Shinchang for pandering to powerful people who opposed the reform of the rice field system.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

1329‐98
朝鮮，高麗末の文臣。朝鮮への木綿の移入者。字は日新。号は三憂堂。江城県(現在の慶尚南道山清郡)の人。1363年元に使節の随員として派遣された彼は，帰国の際に木綿の種子を持ち帰り，郷里で舅の鄭天益とともに栽培し，糸車･糸繰り･織布の技術や用具も学んで，しだいに苧布や麻布にかわって綿布を広く普及させていった。その功により召されて再度中央に出仕したが，辛昌のとき，田制改革に反対の権勢家におもねたことから罷免された。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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