Gim Jil

Gim Jil
김질
Right State Councillor
In office
27 September 1474 – 2 August 1475
Preceded bySeong Bong-jo
Succeeded byYun Sa-heung
In office
4 August 1468 – 3 January 1469
Preceded byGang Sun
Succeeded byYun Sa-bun
Left State Councillor
In office
20 December 1468 – 23 March 1469
Preceded byPark Won-hyeong
Succeeded byHong Yun-seong
Personal details
Born1422
Hanseong, Joseon
Died24 February 1478(1478-02-24) (aged 55–56)
Korean name
Hangul
김질
Hanja
金礩
Revised RomanizationGim Jil
McCune–ReischauerKim Chil
Art name
Hangul
쌍곡
Hanja
雙谷
Revised RomanizationSsanggok
McCune–ReischauerSsanggok
Courtesy name
Hangul
가안
Hanja
可安
Revised RomanizationGaan
McCune–ReischauerKaan

Gim Jil (Korean김질; Hanja金礩; 1422 – 24 February 1478), also often spelled Kim Chil, was a scholar-official of the early Joseon Dynasty. He is remembered today primarily for his participation in, and betrayal of, the conspiracy led by the six martyred ministers.

Gim was born to a family of the Andong Kim lineage. His father was a leader of the State Council of Joseon, and his paternal great-grandfather was Gim Sa-hyeong, who had been a leading supporter of Joseon Dynasty founder Taejo. He passed the gwageo examination in 1450, and served in various posts. He was appointed as saye (司藝) of the Seonggyungwan academy in 1455, a position of the fourth jeong rank. Together with other officials including Seong Sam-mun and Choe Hang, he came to be closely trusted by Munjong, the current king. Munjong died shortly thereafter, and entrusted these officials with looking after his young heir Danjong.

In 1455, Sejo overthrew Danjong and seized the throne for himself. Gim joined other high officials in a conspiracy to return Danjong to the throne. However, he lost heart at the last minute and betrayed the other conspirators to King Sejo. They were arrested and tortured, and many were killed together with their families.

Thereafter Gim was closely trusted by Sejo, and in 1459 he became vice-minister of the military and participated in revisions of national defense policy. In the 1460s, he rose to minister positions, first in the Ministry of Public Works and then in the Ministry of the Military. In 1466, he served on the State Council of Joseon, a position to which he later returned; in the following year, he was made governor of Gyeongsang Province.

His posthumous name was Munjeong (문정; 文靖). Gim eventually became a great-great-great-grandfather to Gim Ja-jeom.