About U T'ak
Lived 1262 – 1342 (aged 79–80). U T'ak was a Korean philosopher.
U T'ak (; 1262–1342), also known as Woo Tak, was a Korean Neo-Confucian scholar and philosopher during Korea’s Goryeo dynasty. He was also commonly known as Yŏktong Sŏnsaeng . His art names were Paegun and Tanam, his courtesy names were Ch'ŏnjang and T'akpo, and his posthumous name was Munhŭi. U T'ak helped spread Neo-Confucianism, which had come from the Yuan dynasty, in Korea. He was a disciple of the Neo-Confucian scholar, An Hyang.
U T'ak belonged to the Danyang U clan. He was the 7th generation descendant of the Danyang U clan's founding ancestor, U Hyŏn. U had two sons, U Wŏn-gwang and U Wŏn-myŏng . U T'ak is considered as the ancestor of the Moonheegong branch of the Danyang U clan. By 1308, U held the Censorate office of royal inspector , however he protested newly reigning King Chungseon's relationship with late king's former concubine, Lady Sukchang by bringing an axe to court and appealed to the king to reconsider his ways. U would retire early from the court after this incident.
U T'ak was a respected scholar and centuries after his death, a Joseon Confucian scholar, Yi Hwang, helped to establish the in honor of U T'ak in 1570.
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Important facts
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U TakPeople in U T'ak's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped U T'ak's
Frequently asked questions
Who was U T'ak?
Korean Confucianist
When was U T'ak born?
U T'ak was born in 1262.
When did U T'ak die?
U T'ak died in 1342.
What was U T'ak's occupation?
U T'ak was a philosopher.
What nationality was U T'ak?
U T'ak was Korean.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). U T'ak. https://biography.guide/u-t-ak/
MLA: "U T'ak." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/u-t-ak/.
Chicago: "U T'ak." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/u-t-ak/.
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