Jeong In-seung (May 19, 1897 – July 7, 1986) was a Korean independence activist and linguist. His pen name was Geonjae (健齋), and he was born in Jangsu County, Jeollabuk-do. In 1921, he enrolled at Yeonhee College, where he graduated from the Department of Humanities in 1925. Although he aspired to study in the United States, familial opposition led him to remain in Korea, where he became an English teacher at Gochang High School in Jeollabuk-do until his resignation in 1935.
In September 1935, Jeong moved to Seoul and started a ranch in Donam-dong, raising sheep. During this period, he met Choi Hyun-bae, which led to his involvement in the Joseon Language Society (조선어학회), where he participated in the Korean dictionary compilation project. From October 1942 until Korea’s liberation in 1945, Jeong was imprisoned for his involvement in this movement. After liberation, he served as a professor at universities, dedicating himself to academic work and educating future scholars.
For his contributions to Korea’s independence movement and the preservation of the Korean language, Jeong was awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1962 and the National Medal of Honor, Moran, in 1970. His life story was later documented in an essay by his great-granddaughter, Lee Mi-han, and in 2005, the Jeong In-seung Memorial Hall was established in his hometown of Jangsu County, Jeollabuk-do.
