This is a partial list of people who lived during the Joseon Dynasty of Korea, 1392 - 1910.
| Personal name | Period of reign | Courtesy Name (C)/ Pseudonym (Ps) | Temple name (廟號) (T) / Posthumous name (諡號) (P) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romanized | Hangul/Hanja | Romanized | Hangul/Hanja | Romanized | Hangul/Hanja | ||
| 1 | Yi Seong gye | 이성계 李成桂 | 1392–1398 | Junggyeol (C) | 중결 仲潔 (C) | Taejo | 태조 太祖 (T) |
| 2 | Yi Bang-gwa | 이방과 李芳果 | 1398–1400 | Gwangwon (C) | 광원 光遠 (C) | Jeongjong | 정종 定宗 (T) |
| 3 | Yi Bang won | 이방원 李芳遠 | 1400–1418 | Yudeok (C) | 유덕 遺德(C) | 태종 太宗 (T) | |
| 4 | Yi Do | 이도 李祹 | 1418–1450 | Wonjeong (C) | 원정 元正 (C) | Sejong the Great | 세종 世宗 (T) |
| 5 | Yi Hyang | 이향 李珦 | 1450–1452 | Hwiji (C) | 휘지 輝之(C) | Munjong | 문종 文宗 (T) |
| 6 | Yi Hong wi | 이홍위 李弘緯 | 1452–1455 | Danjong | 단종 端宗 (T) | ||
| 7 | Yi Yu | 이유 李瑈 | 1455–1468 | Suji (C) | 수지 粹之 (C) | Sejo | 세조 世祖 (T) |
| 8 | Yi Gwang | 이광 李晄 | 1468–1469 | Myungjo/Pyeongnam (C) | 명조/평남 明照/平南 (C) | Yejong | 예종 睿宗 (T) |
| 9 | Yi Hyeol | 이혈 李娎 | 1469–1494 | (C) | Seongjong | 성종 成宗 (T) | |
| 10 | Yi Yung | 이융 李隆 | 1494–1506 | (C) | Yeonsangun | 연산군 燕山君 | |
| 11 | Yi Yeok | 이역 李懌 | 1506–1544 | Nakcheon (C) | 낙천 樂天 (C) | Jungjong | 중종 中宗 (T) |
| 12 | Yi Ho | 이호 李峼 | 1544–1545 | Cheonyun (C) | 천윤 天胤 (C) | Injong | 인종 仁宗 (T) |
| 13 | Yi Hwan | 이환 李峘 | 1545–1567 | Daeyang (C) | 대양 對陽 (C) | Myeongjong | 명종 明宗 (T) |
| 14 | Yi Yeon | 이연 李蚣 | 1567–1608 | Seonjo | 선조 宣祖 (T) | ||
| 15 | Yi Hon | 이혼 李琿 | 1608–1623 | (C) | Gwanghaegun | 광해군 光海君 | |
| 16 | Yi Jong | 이종 李倧 | 1623–1649 | Hwabaek (C) | 화백 和伯(C) | Injo | 인조 仁祖 (T) |
| 17 | Yi Ho | 이호 李淏 | 1649–1659 | Jeongyeon (C) Juko (Ps) | 정연/靜淵 (C) 죽오/竹梧 (Ps) | Hyojong | 효종 孝宗 (T) |
| 18 | Yi Yeon | 이연 李棩 | 1659–1674 | Gyungjik (C) | 경직 景直 (C) | Hyeonjong | 현종 顯宗 (T) |
| 19 | Yi Sun | 이순 李焞 | 1674–1720 | Myungbo (C) | 명보 明普 (C) | Sukjong | 숙종 肅宗 (T) |
| 20 | Yi Yun | 이윤 李昀 | 1720–1724 | Hwiseo (C) | 휘서 輝瑞 (C) | Gyeongjong | 경종 景宗 (T) |
| 21 | Yi Geum | 이금 李昑 | 1724–1776 | Gwangsuk (C) Yangseongheon (Ps) | 광숙/光叔 (C) 양성헌/養性軒 (Ps) | Yeongjo | 영조 英祖 (T) |
| 22 | Yi San | 이산 李祘 | 1776–1800 | Hyeongun (C) Hongjae (Ps) | 형운/亨運 (C) 홍재/弘齋 (Ps) | Jeongjo | 정조 正祖 (T) |
| 23 | Yi Gong | 이공 李蚣 | 1800–1834 | Gongbo (C) Sunjae (Ps) | 공보/公寶(C) 순재/純齋 (Ps) | Sunjo | 순조 純祖 (T) |
| 24 | Yi Hwan | 이환 李奐 | 1834–1849 | Muneung (C) Wonheon (Ps) | 문응/文應 (C) 원헌/元軒 (Ps) | Heonjong | 헌종 憲宗 (T) |
| 25 | Yi Byeon | 이변 李昪 | 1849–1863 | Dosung (C) Daeyongjae (Ps) | 도승/道升(C) 대용재/大勇齋(Ps) | Cheoljong | 철종 哲宗 (T) |
| 26 | Yi Myeong bok | 이명복 李命福 | 1863–1897 (1907)* | Seongrim (C) Juyeon (Ps) | 성림/聖臨(C) 주연/珠淵 (Ps) | 고종 高宗 (T) | |
| 27 | Yi Cheok | 이척 李拓 | (1907–1910)* | Gunbang (C) Jeongheon (Ps) | 군방/君邦(C) 정헌/正軒 (Ps) | Sunjong | 순종 純宗 (T) |
Scholar-officials, or munsin, held much of the power in the Joseon Dynasty bureaucracy. Many members of the intellectual elite, also remembered for their work as poets or philosophers, served as scholar-officials. Such service, however, was restricted to members of the hereditary yangban class.
Military service was technically open to people outside the yangban class, but in practice most high posts were held by the aristocracy.
The common classes of Joseon included the yangmin free farmers, the jungin technical class, and the cheonmin underclass. These constituted the bulk of Joseon society, but only a handful of them are known to us today.
Prominent women of the Joseon period were usually either of the high aristocratic class or kisaeng female entertainers.
Many of the best-known writers of the Joseon period were also scholar-officials; they are listed above.
Some scholar-officials, such as Jeong Yak-yong, also worked as inventors.