Kim Chung-seon

Kim Ch'ungsŏn (; 1571–1642), also known by his birth name and art name Mohadang , was a Japanese general who defected to Korea during the Japanese invasion.

He originally invaded Joseon as the Left Vanguard Commander under Katō Kiyomasa (가토淸正). However, he defected to the Joseon side and surrendered to Gyeongsang Jwabyeongsa (Commander of the Gyeongsang Left Province Army) Pak Chin (朴晉). He achieved military successes in areas like Gyeongju and Ulsan, for which he was granted the rank of Gaseondaebu (嘉善大夫) and the title of Cheomji (첨지). Following the recommendation (Jucheong) of Supreme Commander Gwon Yul (權慄) and Royal Inspector Han Jung-gyeom (韓浚謙), he was bestowed the surname Kim (of the Gimhae Kim clan) and the name Ch'ungsŏn (忠善) by the King. He was subsequently promoted to Jaheondaebu (資憲大夫). During the second Japanese invasion, he participated in the Uiryeong Battle alongside other surrendered Japanese generals, such as Son Siro (孫時老), achieving significant merit.

After the war, when the border became unstable due to the invasion of northern Jurchen tribes (야인), he volunteered for military service and defended the frontier for over ten years. In 1613 (Year 5 of Gwanghaegun's reign), he was promoted to Jeongheondaebu (正憲大夫).

In 1930, Hidetaka Nakamura of the Japanese colonial government's Korean History Compilation Committee conducted an investigation and confirmed that Kim Ch'ungsŏn was indeed a Japanese defector. Recently, a monument in memory of Kim was built in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan.

Kim Ch'ungsŏn is the founder of one of the Korean clans, the Urok Kim clan. Kim's 6th-generation descendants compiled his collected works, which exist in two editions.