In 1561, he passed the seon-gwa, the specialized gwageo (civil service examinations) for Buddhist monks.

He corresponded with various scholars of the time including Pak Sa-am, Heo Hagok, and Im Baekho.

With the start of the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–98) in 1592, Yujeong joined his teacher Hyujeong's righteous army of monks.

In 1604, after the end of the war, he traveled to Japan on Seonjo of Joseon's orders to forge a peace accord with Tokugawa Ieyasu, and returned with 3500 Koreans who had been taken prisoner.

[1] After his death in 1610 on Haeinsa, Yujeong was enshrined in the Pyochung Seowon in Miryang and at Suchungsa in Nyongbyon.