Modern guide books for women are being put on the best seller list, such as "Everything of woman's life can be changed in their twenties," "A White Paper of Women Life," the writers of these books have become models of woman behavior and been the interests of us. They assert freedom and openness for women, such as "Good life is a strategy," "Become an egoist who is not hateful," "Tempt a bad man." and "Don't be a puppet of marriageable age set by others." Today we can't find any more remarks stressing women faith and integrity which could be seen in traditional Oriental ethics in our society. The traditional value of women has being changed as time goes by, but women are still being oppressed and discriminated. Nevertheless, we can find the great names in our Korean women's history. The Islander would like to introduce you some women of Joseon who were remarkable but couldn't unfold their abilities, just because they were born in Joseon period.


Heo Nanseolheon
- written by Kim sin myung suk

 "I hate I was born as a woman. I resent myself being born in Joseon."
Heo Chohi was born as the third daughter of a literary family in 1563. Her pen name is Nanseolheon. When she was eight years old, she wrote Gwanghanjeon Baekgokgru Sangryangmun which still requires a lot of time in translating into easy modern Korean. Nanseolheon was known as a prodigy by this hard book. Nanseolheon who had both intelligence and beauty spent happy childhood with her older brother, Heo Bong and younger brother, Heo Gyun who wrote "Honggildongjeon." Heo Bong especially gave her unsparing support by giving  necessary books for writing and ones Nanseolheon most liked. However, a woman in the past was not asked to have a talent, but asked to be a wise mother and good wife. Thus, her marriage was not achieved because of her excellence. She finally married Kim Seong Rib through parents?effort, but everything went wrong with her life. She had conflicts with her mother-in-law and husband. She gave birth to two children amid the struggles. However, her children, only her happiness, died one after another. She also had an affection for Jeong Min who was a visitor of Kim Seong Rib, but it was a hopeless love. It happened that Nanseolheon had a chance to perceive her own life and the world newly through Du Ran Hyang, a gisaeng who had criticized a limited, repressed woman's life and pursued reformative life. Yet, Nanseolheon died at the young age of 27 as she predicted her death because she really desired severance from the world. Nanseolheon left a will to burn her poetry to Gam Jeong who had chased her like her shadow since she married Kim Seong Rib. Her poem known to the next generation was arranged as Nanseolheongo by her younger brother, Heo Gyun. This book had a great influence on China and Japan except Korea. In conclusion, Heo Nanseolheon was so much ahead of the times that her life was tired out with the struggles. However, she remains in our memory a poetess who resists the repression and discrimination against women.


Bau Deogi
-written by Lee Jae Woon

 Bau Deogi was born two years before the first priest of Joseon, Kim Dae Geon was under sent-ence of death in 1846, when western civilization began to spread in Joseon and Daewongun was coming into power. Bau Deogi's mother was caught for seeking consolation in religion and died leaving Bau Deogi behind. Growing weaker, her father could not work any more. Finally, he committed Bau Deogi to the care of Yun Chideok who was a captain of a troupe of strolling players. However after four days her father died. It was when she was just five years old. Although she was young, Deogi had an excellent talent and extraordinary appearance unlike other children. When she was a 8-year-old girl, Bau Deogi began a performance and obtained tremendous popularity. She played the small drum and danced in front of audiences regularly at the age of 10. She surpassed others in both talent and witty talk and became a captain of the troupe of strolling players at the age of 15 after Yun Chideok's death in 1862. The troupe of strolling players made a tour performance through the country and was welcomed wherever they went. There also overflowed young men in the village who yearned for Bau Deogi. The troupe was famous to receive Okgwanja from Daewongun. A record tells that Bau Deogi learned how to make a poem from Kim Sat Gat, a wandering poet and realized a religious truth before she died of consumption at the age of 23 in 1870. She sacrificed her chastity in order to provide for more than 50 members. It was a hardship for the tender woman. However, she managed herself by separating body and mind. Although Bau Deogi lived a short span of life, people remember her. She is an artiste who lived like a spark and disappeared like a wind. "A festival of Bau Deogi" is held at Ansung in September every year.


Hwang Jin Ee 
-written by Jun Kyung Lyn

 As the phrase "A wise mother and good wife?always reminds us of Shin Sa Im Dang, 밶 gisaeng?reminds of Hwang Jin Ee. Hwang Jin Ee was born an illegitimate daughter with both wit and beauty. She especially excelled others in playing the Geomungo, singing and poetry. Alth-ough she had abilities as a perfect woman, her marriage was broken off repeatedly because she was an illegitimate daughter. When she was suffering from terrible insults,  Hwang Jin Ee heard about a boy who died from lovesickness for loving her secretly. She thought  that she lost her own faithfulness, and requested to bury an unlined summer jacket and footgear as a honorable sign of an innocent virgin in the boy's grave. After this incident, she said clearly to her mother who devoted her life for her daughter, "I will become a gisaeng." Hwang Jin Ee was different from other gisaengs. Unlike other gisaengs who powdered their faces thickly and decked themselves out in gay costume, Hwang Jin Ee always wore light make-up and dressed herself simply. Also, she rejected asks when she doesn't want because she was a self-assertive woman. Her attitude spreaded a rumor about her and many people wanted to meet her. At first, people didn't are her appearance, but soon fix their eyes upon her face once they looked at her because she was a miraculously attractive woman. Also, she had an excellent eloquence ability that could sport at a nobleman. This ability made her treated as a noble woman, not as a gisaeng. Hwang Jin Ee wanted to enjoy her life as a gisaeng. However, one day, a concubine of a nobleman sprang and railed at Hwang Jin Ee. Through the incident, she fathomed the concubine's love for nobleman and finished her gisaeng life. Hwang Jin Ee wanted to live freely and refused the life chained to the double standard of morality in patriarchal society. She had no other choice than to lament the limited life because she had more talents than freedom. However, Hwang Jin Ee, the supreme gisaeng of Joseon would be an example of a strong self-assertive woman for us.

저작권자 © 제주대미디어 무단전재 및 재배포 금지