Korea

This chapter introduces two prominent examples from the Joseon (also spelled as Chosŏn) Dynasty (13921897) in Korea: the Korean indigenous poetic form called “sijo” and The Tale of Hong Gil-Dong (1612), one of the first novels written in Hangeul (also spelled “Hangul”), the Korean alphabet. Joseon, a Confucian society that lasted for about five centuries, was the last dynasty before Korea’s modernization.

In Joseon literature, what is notable is the invention (1443) and promulgation (1446) of Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, by Sejong the Great, the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty, who reigned from 1418 to 1450. Before Hangeul, Koreans did not have an indigenous written system that matched their oral language, and mostly borrowed Chinese letters for writing. After the popularization of Hangeul, however, Korean indigenous literature in Korean blossomed.

The Joseon Dynasty was also a monarchial society based on a class system that consisted of yangban (“noble men,” such as scholars, landlords, rulers, and generals), jung-in (professionals, such as doctors, mathematicians, and translators), sang-in (merchants), and nobi (servants) in order of hierarchy from top to bottom. Furthermore, while it allowed patriarchal polygamy, the Confucian Joseon Dynasty limited the rights of the concubines and their children in inheritance and opportunities for social mobility. The Tale of Hong Gil-Dong deals with this social contradiction and focuses on social discriminations against, and condescension for, the children of concubines.

There has been inconsistency in the Romanization of the Korean language. Before 2000, the McCune-Reischauer system was the official system for South Korea. South Korea adopted the Revised Romanization of Korean in 2000, but there is still some inconsistency because some people continued to use the previous system or do not consult a standardized system. In this chapter, the 2000 Revised Romanization of Korean is used, but some other common variations are indicated.

AS YOU READ, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

• Select and examine a theme in a sijo poem. What idea does it suggest, and what surprising twist does it display at the end? If you detect any humor or wit, can you explain those elements as well?
• Because sijo blossomed during the Joseon Dynasty, which officially adopted Confucianism, some traditional sijo reflect Confucian themes, such as loyalty. Examine if a particular verse reflects, subverts, and/or avoids Confucian ideas.
• How would you compose your own sijo in English?
• Take a look at the image of the original text in Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, in the following website (http://www.korea. net/AboutKorea/History/The-Beginnings-of-the-Countrys-His- tory). Given that Korea had long been in a tributary relationship with China, imported philosophies from China, and used Chinese letters for important documents until Korea’s own alphabet became popular, what implications might The Tale of Hong Gil-Dong have as one of the earliest novels in Korean about Korean issues?
• In what ways do you think Hong Gil-Dong’s ideas and actions were subversive and progressive, yet at the same time limited by his society?
• Examine the text for any traces of Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Catholicism, all of which Heo Gyun had access to during his time.
• If you are familiar with the Chinese classic The Water Margin, compare the Chinese classic and Heo Gyun’s novel.
• Develop an argument about the character Hong Gil-Dong, considering his drive for self-fulfillment and the actions he takes. Which character in other literary traditions can he be compared to?
• You can watch a part of the TV drama adaptation (no English subtitles) in the following website (https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH5pFNKnn8Q), which corresponds to the beginning of the tale of Hong GilDong. How do you think this video clip dramatizes the novel?

10.2 FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE THE FOLLOWING SOURCES:

• Go to the following website for a brief history of Korea and the map of Korea over time. You will find the map of Joseon on this page, which is generally the same as the current map of Korea. http://www.korea.net/AboutKorea/Korea-at-a-Glance/History
• For more instructions on how to write sijo in English, go to http://www.sejongsociety.org/korean_theme/sijo/sijo_more. html
• For a greater understanding of sijo, watch David McCann’s three videos:
  http://sejongsociety.org/videos/sijo/sijo_teaching_form_of_sijo_md_fl.htm
  http://sejongsociety.org/videos/sijo/sijo_teaching_history_of_sijo_md_fl.htm
  http://sejongsociety.org/videos/sijo/sijo_teaching_chungsanlee_md_fl.htm
• For examples of contemporary sijo (in English), see the following Sejong Cultural Society’s websites: https://www.sejongculturalsociety.org/writing/past/2014/winners/sijo.php#1

Written by Kyounghye Kwon