About Im Gwang
Lived 1579 – 1644 (aged 64–65). Im Gwang was a Korean diplomat.
Im Gwang (; 1579–1644) was a Korean scholar-official of the Joseon period.
He was also diplomat and ambassador, representing Joseon interests in the 4th Edo period diplomatic mission to the Tokugawa shogunate in Japan.
1636 mission to Japan In 1636, King Injo sent a mission to Japan led by Im Gwang. This diplomatic mission functioned to the advantage of both the Japanese and the Koreans as a channel for developing a political foundation for trade.
This delegation was explicitly identified by the Joseon court as a "Communication Envoy" (tongsinsa). The mission was understood to signify that relations were "normalized."
According to the Japanese calendar, the mission reached Japan in the 12th month of the 13th year of Kan'ei (1635). The grand procession of the shogun and his entourage, which included the Joseon ambassador and his retinue, was recorded to have occurred in the 4th month of the 14th year of Kan'ei, as reckoned according to the Japanese calendar. and in Nihon ōdai ichiran (published in Paris in 1834). Joseon foreign relations and diplomacy are explicitly referenced in the 1834 work.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Im Gwang's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Im Gwang?
diplomat and ambassador, representing Joseon
When was Im Gwang born?
Im Gwang was born in 1579.
When did Im Gwang die?
Im Gwang died in 1644.
What was Im Gwang's occupation?
Im Gwang was a diplomat.
What nationality was Im Gwang?
Im Gwang was Korean.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Im Gwang. https://biography.guide/im-gwang/
MLA: "Im Gwang." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/im-gwang/.
Chicago: "Im Gwang." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/im-gwang/.
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