Jo Hyeong (1606–1679) was a scholar-official of the Joseon Dynasty Korea in the 17th century.

He was also a diplomat and ambassador, representing Joseon interests in the 6th Edo period diplomatic mission to the Tokugawa shogunate in Japan. Through his children’s marriages, his family eventually gained royal connections.

1655 mission to Japan
In 1655 King Hyojong of Joseon sent a mission to the shogunal court of Tokugawa Ietsuna.  This diplomatic mission functioned to the advantage of both the Japanese and the Koreans as a channel for developing a political foundation for trade.

The delegation was explicitly identified by the Joseon court as a "Communication Envoy" (tongsinsa).  The mission was understood to signify that relations were "normalized."

The mission arrived in Japan during the 1st year of Meireki according to  in the Japanese calendar in use at that time.  Jo Hyeong was the chief envoy of the Joseon embassy  which was received in the shogunate court at Edo from where the delegation were taken in a procession to the Tōshō-gū at Nikkō.

Recognition in the West
Jo Hyeong's historical significance was confirmed when his mission and his name were specifically mentioned in a widely distributed history published by the Oriental Translation Fund in 1834.

In western culture early published accounts of the Joseon kingdom are not extensive but they are found in Sangoku Tsūran Zusetsu (published in Paris in 1832) and in Nihon ōdai ichiran (published in Paris in 1834).  Joseon foreign relations and diplomacy are explicitly referenced in the 1834 work.

The term "Joseon Dynasty" is equivalent to "Joseon kingdom" and it is a preferred usage in the 21st century.

Family 
 Great-Grandfather 
 Jo Se-chan (조세찬, 趙世贊)
 Adoptive Great-Grandfather - Jo Se-hun (조세훈, 趙世勛)
 Great-Grandmother
 Lady Yi of the Gwangju Yi clan (광주 이씨); daughter of Yi Eun (이은, 李誾)
 Adoptive Great-Grandmother - Lady Son of the Pyeonghae Son clan (정부인 평해 손씨); daughter of Son Jun (손준, 孫濬)
 Grandfather
 Jo Gi (조기, 趙磯)
 Grandmother 
 Lady Yi of the Jeonju Yi clan (증 정부인 전주 이씨); daughter of Yi Suk (이숙, 李淑)
 Father 
 Jo Hui-bo (조희보, 趙希輔)
 Mother
 Biological - Lady Choi of the Gangneung Choi clan (증 정경부인 강릉 최씨); daughter of Choi Mun (최문, 崔文), second wife
 Step - Lady No of the Gyoha No clan (증 정부인 교하 노씨); daughter of No Jik (노직, 盧稙)
 Sibling(s)
 Brother - Jo Min (조민, 趙珉)
 Wife 
 Lady Mok of the Sacheon Mok clan (정경부인 사천 목씨)
 Father-in-law - Mok Jang-heum (목장흠, 睦長欽) (1572 - 1641)
 Mother-in-law - Lady Nam of the Uiryeong Nam clan (의령 남씨, 宜寧 南氏)
 Issue 
 Son - Jo Sang-byeon (조상변, 趙相抃)
 Daughter - Lady Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan (풍양 조씨, 豐壤 趙氏)
 Son-in-law - Sim Chu (심추, 沈樞) of the Cheongsong Sim clan; adoptive son of Sim Myeong-se (심명세, 沈命世; 1587 - 1632)
 Grandson - Sim Bong-seo (심봉서, 沈鳳瑞) (1652 - 1699); became the adoptive son of Sim Gwon
 Son - Jo Sang-jeong (조상정, 趙相鼎); became the adoptive son of his uncle Jo Min (조민, 趙珉)
 Daughter-in-law - Lady Hong of the Namyang Hong clan (남양 홍씨)
 Granddaughter - Lady Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan (풍양 조씨, 豐壤 趙氏)
 Grandson-in-law - Sim Jeong-hyeob (심정협, 沈廷協) of the Cheongsong Sim clan
 Great-Grandson - Sim Sa-ju (심사주)
 Great-Granddaughter-in-law - Lady Yi of the Yeonan Yi clan (연안 이씨); daughter of Yi Ju-shin (이주신, 李舟臣) and maternal granddaughter of Kim Man-gi (김만기, 金萬基)
 Grandson - Jo In-su (조인수, 趙仁壽) (1648 - 1692)
 Granddaughter-in-law - Lady Kim of the Gwangsan Kim clan (증 정경부인 광산 김씨, 贈 貞敬夫人 光山 金氏) (1649 - 1722)
 Great-Grandson - Jo Gyeong-myeong (조경명, 趙景命) (1674 - 1726)
 Great-Grandson - Jo Yeong-myeong (조영명, 趙永命) (1676 - 1722)
 Great-Grandson - Jo Mun-myeong (조문명, 趙文命) (1680 - 1732)
 Great-Grandson - Jo Hyeon-myeong (조현명, 趙顯命) (1690 - 1752)
 Son - Jo Sang-gi (조상기, 趙相槩)
 Daughter - Lady Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan (풍양 조씨, 豐壤 趙氏)
 Son-in-law - Yi Du-jing (이두징, 李斗徵) of the Yeonan Yi clan 
 Daughter - Lady Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan (풍양 조씨, 豐壤 趙氏)
 Son-in-law - Yi Seon-won (이선원, 李善源) of the Deoksu Yi clan
 Son - Jo Sang-woo (조상우, 趙相愚) (1640 - 1718)
 Daughter-in-law - Lady Yi of the Jeonju Yi clan (증 정경부인 전주 이씨); daughter of Yi Jang-yeong (이장영, 李長英)
 Grandson - Jo Tae-su (조태수, 趙泰壽)
 Great-Grandson - Jo Jun-myeong (조준명, 趙駿命)
 Great-Grandson - Jo Gu-myeong (조구명, 趙龜命)
 Granddaughter - Lady Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan (풍양 조씨, 豐壤 趙氏)
 Grandson-in-law - Yi Pil-heung (이필흥, 李必興) of the Hansan Yi clan
 Granddaughter - Lady Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan (풍양 조씨, 豐壤 趙氏)
 Grandson-in-law - Kwon Ik-mun (권익문, 權益文) of the Andong Kwon clan
 Granddaughter - Lady Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan (풍양 조씨, 豐壤 趙氏)
 Grandson-in-law - Sim Gyeong (심경, 沈璟) of the Cheongsong Sim clan
 Grandson - Jo Hae-su (조해수, 趙海壽)
 Great-Grandson - Jo In-myeong (조인명, 趙麟命)
 Great-Grandson - Jo Yong-myeong (조용명, 趙龍命)
 Great-Granddaughter - Lady Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan (풍양 조씨, 豐壤 趙氏)
 Great-Grandson-in-law - Song Ik-hui (송익휘, 宋翼輝) of the Yeosan Song clan
 Great-Granddaughter - Lady Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan (풍양 조씨, 豐壤 趙氏)
 Great-Grandson-in-law - Yi Eon-so (이언소, 李彦熽) of the Yeonan Yi clan
 Great-Granddaughter - Lady Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan (풍양 조씨, 豐壤 趙氏)
 Great-Grandson-in-law - Han Myeong-ryong (한명룡, 韓命龍) of the Cheongju Han clan
 Grandson - Jo Du-su (조두수, 趙斗壽)
 Great-Grandson - Jo Hak-myeong (조학명, 趙鶴命)
 Great-Grandson - Jo Gi-myeong (조기명, 趙夔命)
 Great-Grandson - Jo Yang-myeong (조양명, 趙揚命)
 Great-Grandson - Jo Shin-myeong (조신명, 趙新命)
 Great-Granddaughter - Lady Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan (풍양 조씨, 豐壤 趙氏)
 Great-Grandson-in-law - Yun Deuk-eung (윤득응, 尹得膺) of the Haepyeong Yun clan
 Granddaughter - Lady Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan (풍양 조씨, 豐壤 趙氏)
 Grandson-in-law - Jo Ha-jang (조하장, 曺夏章) of the Changnyeong Jo clan
 Granddaughter - Lady Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan (풍양 조씨, 豐壤 趙氏)
 Grandson-in-law - Yi Si-hyeong (이시형, 李蓍亨) of the Jeonju Yi clan

See also
 Joseon diplomacy
 Joseon missions to Japan
 Joseon tongsinsa

Notes

References

 Daehwan, Noh.  "The Eclectic Development of Neo-Confucianism and Statecraft from the 18th to the 19th Century," Korea Journal (Winter 2003).
 Lewis, James Bryant. (2003). Frontier contact between chosŏn Korea and Tokugawa Japan. London: Routledge. 
 Titsingh, Isaac, ed. (1834). [Siyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652], Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou,  Annales des empereurs du Japon.  Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland.  OCLC  84067437
 Toby, Ronald P. (1991).  State and Diplomacy in Early Modern Japan: Asia in the Development of the Tokugawa Bakufu. Stanford: Stanford University Press. 
 Walker, Brett L.  "Foreign Affairs and Frontiers in Early Modern Japan: A Historiographical Essay," Early Modern Japan. Fall, 2002, pp. 44–62, 124-128.
 Walraven, Boudewijn and Remco E. Breuker. (2007). Korea in the middle: Korean studies and area studies; Essays in Honour of Boudewijn Walraven. Leiden: CNWS Publications. ;

External links
 Joseon Tongsinsa Cultural Exchange Association ; 
 조선통신사연구 (Journal of Studies in Joseon Tongsinsa) 

1606 births
1679 deaths
17th-century Korean people
Korean diplomats
Hyeong