Japanese reading: Kin Gishin
Korean (Revised Romanization): Kim Uisin

Kim Uisin was born in 1603 and was a literati official who passed the civil service examination (gwageo) in 1637. In Korea, he is regarded as a representative figure who inherited the “Seokbong style” (Seokbong-che) of calligraphy and is known for his refined and elegant script.

He visited Japan twice as a member of the Joseon diplomatic missions (Tongsinsa) to the Tokugawa shogunate, serving as a calligrapher (official scribe).

• In 1643, he came to Japan to offer congratulations on the birth of Tokugawa Ietsuna, traveling as far as Nikkō.

• In 1655, he again visited Japan to celebrate Ietsuna’s succession, also traveling to Nikkō.

Examples of Kim Uisin’s calligraphy remain not only at Sōun-ji Temple, but also in Hikone and Hamamatsu, where they are preserved as important cultural traces of early modern Korea–Japan diplomatic exchange.