Pak Yà Ân or Park Yeon (; 20 August 1378 â 23 March 1458) was a government official, scholar, writer, astronomer and musician in the Early Joseon Dynasty period, who was a teacher of King Sejong. He created the armillary sphere Honcheonui, water clock Borugak Jagyeongnu, and sundial Yangbu Ilgu along with Chang Yà Ângsil, as well as five basic sounds (Gung, Sang, Gak, Chi, Wu), which correspond to five consonant groups (Aeum, Seoreum, Suneum, Chieum, Hueum) in the Hunminjeongeum. He also adapted court music to the new Confucian philosophy, particularly in the concept of ye-ak, a Confucian ideology that combines ritual and music.
He petitioned the king Sejong 450 times for the necessity of tuning the then-imperfect musical instruments and compiling a collection of sheet music. He correctly tuned a pyeongyeong to the correct pitch according to 12 notes he had devised. Along with Wangsan of Goguryeo and Ureuk of Silla, Pak YÃ Ân is considered one of the three most popular music saints in Korea.
Pak YÃ Ân was born into a family of government officials in 1378 in Yeongdong. When he was 15, his father died, so he spent three years at the burial site in mourning for his father. When he was 18, his mother died, so he spent another three years at his parents' tomb. Pak YÃ Ân received a memorial stone of filial piety from king Taejong in 1402. Soon after his father and mother died, Pak YÃ Ân started playing the piri. One night he saw an orchid growing between rocks and decided to adopt the pen name 'Nangye'. He passed Saengwonsi and was first in Mungwa gwageo exams at the ages of 28 and 34. He then successively filled various government posts including Jiphyeonjeon, Saganwon, Saheonbu and Sejasigangwon Munhak, where he met Chungnyeong daegun.
As soon as Sejong ascended the throne in 1418, he appointed Pak YÃ Ân to an agency affiliated with Yejo, which oversaw music-related affairs. Pak YÃ Ân organized music into three groups: aak, dangak and hyangak. Domestic production of musical instruments for aak was done under his direction.
Pak Yà Ân helped Sejong make improvements in music. He contributed greatly to the completion of music during the early Joseon Dynasty by producing musical notes and pyeongyeong. The Jongmyo jerye, which includes Jeongdaeeop and Botaepyeong was composed by Pak Yà Ân and is also listed in 'Nangyeyugo(èÂÂ溪éºèÂÂ)' in 39 petitions, including the production of musical notes, the correction of the original notes, the claim to revise the axis system and the publication of music. However, in the Sejo Sillok, Jeongdaeeop and Botaepyeong is recorded as king Sejong's work.
On 22 August 1443, when Pak Yà Ân was 60 years old, his position was suddenly changed from Yejo chamui(禮æ¹åÂÂè°) to Jungchuwon busa(ä¸Âæ¨Âé¢å¯使), which oversaw the palace shifts. Soon after, the king Sejong announced the creation of Hunminjeongeum on 30 December 1443. Some scholars argue Pak Yà Ân, who was well versed in rhymes such as Yullyeo Sinseo(å¾ÂÃ¥ÂÂæ°æ¸), Hongmu Jeong-un(æ´ªæ¦æ£é»), fully understood Sasung Chil-eum(Ã¥ÂÂè²ä¸Âé³) and appealed to king Sejong in his first petition of Nangyeyugo(èÂÂ溪éºèÂÂ) to correct the custom and sound by teaching people the Samganghaengsil(ä¸Â綱è¡Â實) and Oeumjeongseong(äºÂé³æ£è²), might have taught king Sejong the Korean alphabet Hangul during this period and proclaimed it in the name of king Sejong.
As soon as Pak YÃ Ân ascended to Yemun Daejehak in 1453, the Gyeyujeongnan Revolts broke out. Pak Gye-woo, the third son of Pak YÃ Ân, a Hall of Worthies scholar, was killed by a group supporting King Sejo along with other numerous loyalists for leaking Grand Prince Suyang's plan. Pak YÃ Ân was sent into exile at the age of 80 and died the following year. His descendants were prohibited from taking gwageo exams for 331 years until King Yeongjo awarded him an honorable title of Mun Heon in 1767.