Choi Chi-won

Choe Chiwon
Hangul	최치원
Hanja
Revised Romanization	Choi Chiwon
McCune–Reischauer	Ch'oe Ch'i-wŏn
Pen name
Hangul	해운, 고운
Hanja	,
Revised Romanization	Hae(-)un, Goun
McCune–Reischauer	Hae(-)un, Koun

Choi Chiwon (Korean pronunciation: [tɕʰʷe tɕʰiwʌn]; 857–10th century) was a noted Korean Confucian official, philosopher, and poet of the late Unified Silla period (668-935). He studied for many years in Tang China, passed the Tang imperial examination, and rose to high office there before returning to Silla, where he made ultimately futile attempts to reform the governmental apparatus of a declining Silla state.

In his final years, Choi turned more towards Buddhism and became a hermit scholar residing in and around Korea's Haeinsa temple.

Choi Chiwon was also known by the literary names Haeun "Sea Cloud" ([hɛːun] hanja: ), or, more commonly, Goun "Lonely Cloud" ([koun] hanja: ). He is recognized today as the progenitor of the Gyeongju Choi (hanja: ) clan.

Note: Choe is a North Korean spelling and will be pronounced 'Chou' in English speaking people.

Choi Chiwon was born in the Saryang district of the Silla capital of Gyeongju in 857. He was of the so-called "head rank six" (yukdupum hanja: ) class, a hereditary class in Silla's stringent bone rank system affixed to those of mixed aristocratic and commoner birth. As a member of head rank six, Choi was restricted in the level of office he could attain.

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