VOL.69/2024.04

Museum Curator’s Pick

2023.02.20

Westerners who visited “Joseon (the previous name of Korea)” in the 19th century described the country as the “Hermit Kingdom” or the “Land of Morning Calm.” Since that was how Joseon was depicted by foreigners, a third party, I just thought so, too. However, was Joseon, a dynasty that lasted for as long as 500 years, nothing but a reclusive and silent country? Landscape of Joseon’s Backstreet (Purunyoksa) by Kang Myung-Kwan is filled with content that would be exciting for those who usually get overwhelmed and bored by the word “history.” I used to know Joseon as a country dominated by strong Confucian culture and noble seonbi (scholars), but I wondered what made the author so eager to depict the landscape of the kingdom’s alleys. Even now, alleys are riskier and scarier than main roads as we don’t know what lies ahead of us.
The author studied the realm of Sino-Korean literature of joongin (the middle class), who accounted for the majority of the population, unlike yangban, a handful of noblemen in power. Based on a personal collection of works and a wealth of Sino-Korean literature records, the author has compiled real stories about Joseon’s ordinary people, almost forgotten, rather than the higher-ups that we find hard to relate to. The book contains vivid stories of gangsters, gamblers, thieves, swindlers, and kisaeng (trained courtesans) who used to make a scene in the back alleys of Joseon, to which mainstream history didn’t pay attention. Further, the book introduces various stories about byulgam (royal officials) who took care of all the chores in the royal palace in close proximity to the king but ruled over the prostitution business outside the palace as well as people at the gwageo (civil service examination) site who hired poxy test-takers. By reading the book, one can picture the boisterous scene of Joseon’s night that overlaps with today’s Jongno street. I recommend this book with great confidence that you will no longer see Joseon as the “The Land of Morning Calm” after reading stories that would never be covered in history exams, such as the drinking and gambling practices of the country, the world of thieves and thugs, and byulgam who were at the forefront of the latest fashion at that time.

If you pictured the noisy streets of Joseon after finishing Landscape of Joseon’s Backstreet, try King is Fine (Munhakdongne) by Seong Suk-Je which takes us to the time when King Sukjong reigned. Interestingly, the lead character’s job is byulgam, who had control over Joseon’s prostitution business as described above, but what is more interesting is that his grandmother is “Seong Choon-Hyang.”
Who is Seong Choon-Hyang? “Lee Mong-Ryong and Seong Choon-Hyang” are the Korean version of “Romeo and Juliet.” It seems that love stories that overcome social taboos between men and women have always been popular regardless of nationality and age. Novelist Seong Suk-Je, one of the most outstanding storytellers in Korea, wrote the tale featuring Seong Choon-Hyang’s grandson, which is not limited to her touching love story. The lead character is indeed unique and intriguing, as he is a sworn brother of King Sukjong, who led the age of peace and prosperity of Joseon, and a royal daejeon byulgam (king’s guard), but at the same time a libertine who had quite a reputation outside the royal palace in Joseon’s prostitution business.
The book offers its readers an extraordinary experience to view complicated political disputes in late Joseon from the perspective of a libertine instead of a solemn historian. For instance, the readers would feel as if they are right next to the king of the late Joseon, who seeks to reinforce royal families’ authority and his subjects who support or object to his ideas by forming seoin and namin political parties. Moreover, the book becomes even more immersive when Jang Ok-Jung (also known as “Jang Hee-Bin”), a royal concubine of King Sukjong, occasionally shows up in the story and shares jokes with the main character, blurring the boundary between reality and fiction. Of special note, the book also features Kim Man-Joong (whose penname was Seopo), the author of the first Hangul-based novel of Korea Guwoonmong, who visits the main character’s kisaeng chamber and listens to Seong Choon-Hyang talk about her love story with Lee Mong-Ryong. This scene is a perfect device for the readers to learn the history of Joseon in a more friendly way.
What has always been regrettable as a specialist in history and art history and a museum curator is that a museum can only display history in two dimensions. Conveying more vivid images of the old times to visitors is always a big challenge for curators. King is Fine is a book that gives life to the muted figures in a history book that we often find irrelevant and helps the readers to feel as if they live right next door. I recommend this book to those who want to walk through the age of Joseon in an easy way.

Written by Yoo Jei-Wook (Art and Science Researcher at Cheongwadae Cultural Promotion Task Force of the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation)