No Kaebang

No Kaebang (; 1563 – 15th day, 4th month of 1592) was a Korean scholar-official of the mid-Joseon period. He is remembered for his death in the siege of Dongnae in the early stages of the Imjin War. At the time, he was serving as First-tier instructor of Dongnae.

Born in Miryang, No was noted from a young age for his intellectual aptitude and devotion to classical learning. Though initially disinclined toward officialdom, he acceded to his parents' wishes and passed the civil service examination in 1588. Following his success in the examination, he was appointed to minor posts such as Probationary Staff and Third Proctor, before being assigned as First-tier Instructor in Dongnae, where he oversaw instruction in Confucian learning at the local hyanggyo.

In the 4th month of 1592, while on leave in Miryang, the Imjin War broke out. Upon hearing of the Japanese invasion, No Kaebang returned to Dongnae to protect the spirit tablets of the ancient sages. He entered the fortress and remained at the pavilion Chŏngwŏllu, where the tablets had been relocated. When the Japanese forces breached the walls and overran the fortress, No Kaebang was killed defending the tablets to the end.

Posthumously, he was granted the honorary title of Chief Royal Secretary and enshrined at Chunghyosa in Miryang. He was also commemorated at an auxiliary shrine of Chungnyeolsa, and in 1735, he was formally incorporated into the main shrine alongside Song Sanghyŏn and Chŏng Pal. In 1742, he and his wife were both enshrined at the Songgongdan altar constructed at Chŏngwŏllu. A stele honoring his martyrdom was also erected at the site.

Early life and career

Birth and education No Kaebang was born in 1563 in Garye-ri , Miryang, in Gyeongsang Province. His father, No Il , and his mother, a member of the , was the daughter of Yi Kyŏngok of Dongnae, a post geographically near Miryang. |labels=no), the guesthouse within the fortress. As the Temple of Confucius had thus been vacated, No Kaebang entered the fortress as well. |labels=no). His wife, Lady Yi of the Yeoju Yi clan, who had remained in Miryang, encountered Japanese troops while fleeing into the mountains. |labels=no) by the royal court and was enshrined at Chunghyosa in his native Miryang.

In 1709, , then magistrate of Dongnae, established an auxiliary shrine at the former site of Chungnyeolsa to commemorate both No Kaebang and Cho Yŏnggyu, who had perished during the Siege of Dongnae. The following year, he submitted a request to the court for the shrine to receive official status, which was granted. In 1735, upon the recommendation of , the shrine was incorporated into the main Chungnyeolsa, where No Kaebang was formally enshrined alongside Song Sanghyŏn and Chŏng Pal. In 1742, during the tenure of Magistrate Kim Sŏgil , a commemorative altar named was constructed at Chŏngwŏllu. At this site, No Kaebang was honored at the northern altar, while his wife, Lady Yi of the Yeoju Yi clan, was enshrined at the western altar. In 1795, a memorial stele was erected within Songgongdan to commemorate No Kaebang's fidelity and death in service.