Sin Sukchu

Sin Sukchu
신숙주
Chief State Councillor
In office
December 4, 1471 – July 23, 1475
Preceded byYun Ja-un
Succeeded byJeong Chang-son
In office
June 17, 1462 – May 31, 1466
Preceded byJeong Chang-son
Succeeded byGu Chi-gwan
Left State Councillor
In office
November 30, 1459 – June 17, 1462
Preceded byKang Maeng-gyeong
Succeeded byGwon Ram
Right State Councillor
In office
January 11, 1459 – November 30, 1459
Preceded byKang Maeng-gyeong
Succeeded byGwon Ram
Personal details
Born(1417-08-02)August 2, 1417
DiedJuly 23, 1475(1475-07-23) (aged 57)
Korean name
Hangul
신숙주
Hanja
申叔舟
Revised RomanizationSin Sukju
McCune–ReischauerSin Sukchu
Art name
Hangul
희현당 or 보한재
Hanja
希賢堂 or 保閑齋
Revised RomanizationHuihyeondang or Bohanjae
McCune–ReischauerHŭihyŏndang or Pohanjae
Courtesy name
Hangul
범옹
Hanja
泛翁
Revised RomanizationBeomong
McCune–ReischauerPŏmong
Posthumous name
Hangul
문충
Hanja
文忠
Revised RomanizationMunchung
McCune–ReischauerMunch'ung

Sin Sukchu (Korean신숙주; Hanja申叔舟; August 2, 1417 – July 23, 1475) was a Korean politician during the Joseon period. He served as Prime Minister from 1461 to 1466 and again from 1471 to 1475. He came from the Goryeong Shin clan (고령 신씨; 高靈 申氏).

Shin was an accomplished polyglot, and was particularly well educated in the Chinese language.[1] He served as a personal linguistic expert to King Sejong, and was intimately involved in the creation and application of the Korean alphabet known in modern times as Hangul.[1] Shin used the newly created hangul system to create an accurate transcription of spoken Mandarin Chinese in 15th century Ming dynasty China.[1][2] These transcriptions haven proven accurate and reliable, and his transcriptions are now "an invaluable source of information on the pronunciations of Ming-era [Mandarin]."[1]

  1. ^ a b c d Handel (2014): 294.
  2. ^ Coblin, W. South (2000), "A Brief History of Mandarin", Journal of the American Oriental Society, 120 (4): 537–552, doi:10.2307/606615, JSTOR 606615