Joseon Research Articles

북한강유역권에 나타난 새로운 유형의 철기문화와 위만조선(衛滿朝鮮)

As the early iron age drew to a close, a new type of iron culture emerged in the Bukhan River basin, centered on the Daeseong-ri and Daljeon-ri sites in Gapyeong and the recently excavated Geumnam-ri in Namyangju. This is a combination of a new forged iron culture centered on “forged weapons” and the cast iron culture of the early iron age represented by rectangular cast iron parts and cast iron forges. This iron culture has long been regarded as a transplantation of the advanced Han iron culture after the establishment of the Lelang Commandery. However, this new type of iron culture does not introduce typical Han ironwork. In other words, the iron culture that appeared in the Bukhan River basin was based on the Gojoseon iron culture, which centered on cast iron. Moreover, it was the combination of forging technology introduced in Northeast Asia around the time of the Qin-Han dynasty that coincided with the transition to
 forged iron. Based on these characteristics, it is more reasonable to assume that the power that was able to form the new iron culture was Wiman Joseon, which was able to acquire Han military wealth in addition to the Gojoseon tradition. It is believed that the new iron culture established by Wiman Joseon first reached the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, especially the Bukhan River basin. This was because these local forces were either the most external forces directly influenced by Wiman Joseon or were closely involved in Wiman Joseon's ironware distribution network. In other words, the close influence from the "center" was the first factor that led to the development of a more advanced iron culture in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula that was different
 from the early iron culture of the previous period. However, this geopolitical proximity to the “center” may have paradoxically contributed to the lack of succession of the introduced iron culture within the community. Political and economic stimuli from outside, such as the establishment of the Lelang Commandery, contributed to the absence of iron and other archaeological elements in the Bukhan River basin for a considerable period of time. This is evidenced by the disappearance of most archaeological elements, including iron, in the period between the fall of the Wiman Joseon Dynasty and the establishment of the Lelang Commandery.

『治平要覽』: ‘史外傳心’의 要典

“The Abridged version for fair Governance”(治平要覽, 1445) 150-volume, which was compiled by scholars from Hall of Worthies in Se-jong of Chosun dynasty, is a book for looking at the rise and fall of past kingdoms in China and national history. King Se-jong wanted to acquire political lessons from past history of China and Korea, and at the same time he tried to leave a core of Confucian politics to his descendants. This book has a characteristic that distinguishes it from the form of general historical books in that the ‘chronological records’ which specifies the Lunar calendar and the reign of the monarch, is intentionally omitted.
 After completing the compilation of the book, Jung In-ji told Sejong, “This book is the Essential text over the historical record that transmits the Confucius’s mind.” This word originally came from A Commentary of The Spring and Autumn Annals written by Hu An-Guo in Song Dynasty.
 This book is also like a political textbook or guide book provided for king's rule. and mainly adopted a principle that was reflected by Confucius's The spring and Autumn Annals(『春秋』) with a view of Confucianism. This thesis is a new perspective on the essential characteristics of “The Abridged version for fair Governance” based on the above facts.

지공의 고려불교에 대한 영향 검토

Buddhism in Goryeo Dynast during the period of the Yuan intervention was influenced by Tibetan Buddhism, resulting in anti- sila-vinaya precepts in which monks’ marriage and eating meat were allowed. During this period, Jigong(指空 Śūnyâdiśya, 1300-1361) visited Goryeo as King Temür Jìnzōng (晉宗)’s messenger who lit incense to Buddha on behalf of the king. The enlightenment through Jigong’s Musaenggye(無生戒) and Indian Zen(印度禪) was transformed into a clean atmosphere, shocking the murky Goryeo Buddhism. With this as a momentum for Goryeo’s Zen monks, starting with Naong(懶翁), to look for Jigong after he returned to the capital of Yuan. Naong was the best disciple of Jigong, and this made him lead Goryeo Buddhism in the late years of King Gongmin. Of course, there was a reason that Naong had an outstanding ability. However, Naong was selected under the situation of enthusiastic memorial service for Jigong, which must had been an important impact. This allows us to determine how deeply Jigong’s influence was imprinted on Goryeo Buddhism. Jigong is an important figure in changing the flow of Buddhism in Late Goryeo Dynasty and Early Choson Dynasty. In this regard, a detailed review on Jigong is inevitable for the understanding of Korean Buddhism. This paper examines ① the murky aspects of the Goryeo Buddhism due to the influence of Tibetan Buddhism during the period of the Yuan intervention, ② the enlightenment by Jigong’s sila-vinaya, and its influence on Goryeo Buddhism, ③ the educational perspective through the comparison with Dharma and Indian Zen, ④ the connection between Jigong and Naong, and ⑤ Naong, who became the nominal head at the end of the Goryeo Dynasty thanks to the status of Jigong. This provides a clearer understanding of the Jigong’s influence on Goryeo Buddhism and his inheritance.

颐齋 黃胤錫의 義理 인식

Hwang Yun-seok(黃胤錫) is a neo-Confucian scholar known for great learning who wrote and left a tremendous amount of journal titled 『Yijae Nango(頤齋亂藁)』 in the 18th century. He thoroughly sticked to neo- Confucian ideas, especially theory of legitimacy and theory of loyalty and cause, both of which were more strengthened during the late Joseon period. In a similar vein, 『Yijae Nango』 includes some evaluation of particular figures from Hwang Yun-Seok's own view of fidelity.
 In its 2nd chapter, this study noted that Yijae regarded loyalty as ‘the most utilitarian thing in the universe[天下之公]’, so he claimed it's wrong for scholars to forcibly and unconditionally accept even opinions from their factions, teachers or friends if the opinions seem suspicious.
 And, 3rd chapter of the study put a prior focus on Yijae's suggestion that the posthumous title honored on Confucius should be changed from ‘Munseonwang(文宣王)’ to ‘Jiseong Seonsa(至聖先師)’ on the basis of discrimination in duty between sovereign and subject.

조선시대사 연구로서 조선후기 국가의례 연구의 기여와 과제

조선시대사 연구로서 조선후기 국가의례 연구의 기여와 과제

여암 신경준의 수필본 방안지도 『팔도지도 초본(지도 초)』

Yeoam Shin Gyeongjun (1712-1781) was one of the best geographer of the Joseon Period who made outstanding achievements in various fields, especially in the field of geography. The main purpose of this paper is to introduce the unknown copies of the grid system county atlas Paldo Jido Chobon (八道地圖 草本, Draft Map of Eight Provinces: Jido Cho (地圖 草)) which is the collection of the Korea University Library. As a result of comparing this map with Yeoam’s another handwitten book Yeoleup Sansuji (列邑山水志), this atlas is presumed to be a handwritten map produced by Shin Gyeongjun considering the similarity of the handwriting and traces of collation work. In addition, it is thought that the draft map was made between 1747 and 1767, and continuously revised until 1781. Since Shin Gyeongjun’s handwritten map has never been discovered, Jido Cho is very important in the history of Joseon cartography in that it is the only handwritten map by Yeoam. Although it is an incomplete draft, it is also valuable given that it shows the initial process of devising a 20-ri grid system map that is efficient and convenient to use. Jido Cho is likely to be a pioneering map of the 20-ri grid maps that led to the development of Joseon cartography after the late 18th century. Furthermore, it is also significant that Shin Gyeongjun had the idea of making maps that include several counties on one page. The fact that the grid and road are partially marked in certain counties reflects where Yeoam directly visits or had solid data, shows Shin Gyeongjun’s empirical and scientific map production process. It is confirmed that Jido Cho is Yeoam’s geographical writings and achievements were based on Yeoam’s empirical experience of visiting and exploring many regions of Joseon.

조선 후기 인골의 체질인류학 및 골화학 분석을 통한 질병과 식생활 연구

This study aims to examine the disease and diet of people in the Gyeonggi area in the late Joseon Period based on the morphological and chemical analysis of human remains from an archaeological context. The human remains contain information on individual health and diet. In this study, we applied physical anthropological analysis and stable isotope analysis to understand the disease and diet of individuals from the late Joseon period. As a result, the physical and pathological characteristics of the study group were summarized into three. First, the life expectancy of the study group was under 50 years. Second, osteoarthritis was evenly high in the study group regardless of gender and age. Third, Dental caries and enamel hypoplasia were identified with high frequency in the study group. According to these results, we inferred high labor intensity, poor dental care, and childhood nutritional imbalance of people in the Gyeonggi area in the late Joseon Period. Next, the dietary characteristics of the study group were summarized into two. First, the study group’s diet was highly dependent on C3 plants. Second, the statistical comparison showed no difference in diet between several factors (Sex, age, disease, burial type, excavated site). The results showed that dietary variations in the late Joseon Period were small, depending on several domesticated crops. And this dietary pattern is very common in an agricultural society that relies on a small number of cultivated crops.

The Study on the Popular Form of Characters from Children's Enlightenment Education Literature in the Joseon Dynasty

The Study on the Popular Form of Characters from Children's Enlightenment Education Literature in the Joseon Dynasty

傳記的 관점에서의 지석묘 상석

Dolmen capstones in the Bronze Age remained on the ground even in later times and existed in people's consciousness, forming their own biography as part of the landscape. During the Bronze Age, the so-called Altar dolmens were a symbolic megalith as a place of ritual. Even in ancient times, megaliths such as dolmen capstones were used as objects of faith. In the case of the Goryeo Dynasty, it can be seen from the literature records that dolmens were considered sacred objects. On the other hand, in the case of the Joseon Dynasty, cases used for folk beliefs in various ruins have been confirmed, and it is still used as a place of faith in various parts of the country and is designated as a monument by local governments. Therefore, dolmen capstones are archaeological materials with ritual continuity from prehistoric times to modern society. And many stories have been told in dolmen capstones since ancient times. Among them, ‘Mago Grandmother’ often appears as the main character of the story of giants related to shrines, fortresses, and rocks as well as dolmens. Mago, who appears in ancient literature, was a young fairy admired by the intellectuals, and since the late Joseon Dynasty, she has changed her appearance to a female giant who is friendly to the common people. The appearance of a female god deeply penetrating the folk beliefs of the common people has continued from the late Joseon Dynasty to the present through dolmen capstones. In addition, dolmen capstones next to the ancestors' tombs were not just rocks, but were considered a sacred symbol protecting the family, so they should not be damaged or moved recklessly. As such, megaliths installed in the prehistoric times had a very deep relationship with the lives of later people. Dolmen capstones, the object and place of rituals, have continued to serve as social and personal medium of memory throughout various periods to the present. While rituals for megalithic monuments in the Bronze Age were collective events led by the ruling class, since the Middle Ages, they have often been held at the level of personal wishes along with village rituals. The tendency of weakening collectivity and strengthening individuality in the megalithic faith will continue beyond modern society to future society.

Perceptions on disabilities and illnesses in late Joseon Korea

This paper seeks to delineate and explain changing public perceptions towards those who suffered from deafness, blindness, or intellectual disability in Joseon Korea. In the fifteenth century, the Great Code of State Administration (경국대전, 經國大典 Gyeongguk Daejeon) prohibited discrimination against the disabled. The deaf and blind in particular even enjoyed favorable attention. The state provided such economic benefits as exemption from taxes as a way to compensate them for their impaired abilities, thereby fostering a rather favorable social climate towards persons with disabilities. Some blind persons were even believed to have such special talent as fortune telling. In the eighteenth century, however, negative perceptions towards the disabled began to gain strength. Increasing frequency of documented references to disability as an object of mockery suggests that the state and the society alike viewed the disabled as ‘useless people’ (폐인). Mainly utilizing court histories, literary anthologies, army rosters (군적), and military division (군영) records, this paper argues that overall change in the Joseon economy fueled discrimination against the disabled. In particular, changes in the military defense system and its associated military tax (군포) significantly contributed to the negative portrayal, as the new practice tended to divide the population into households collectively responsible for tax levies. By the nineteenth century, the state’s harsher treatment of the disabled set the stage for outright discrimination against disabled in modern Korea, exacerbated by the introduction of the Western notion of eugenics.

Perspectives on the Horak debate (湖洛論爭): reviews and suggestions

This paper analyzes the perceptions shared in previous studies by dividing them into two categories and examines how to grasp the Horak debate and the academia of the late Joseon Dynasty. First, the appropriateness of describing the late Joseon academia in terms of the doctrinized Neo-Confucianism and anti-Neo-Confucianism is examined. The consciousness and research methods of the Horon, which are considered to be typical of the doctrinized Neo-Confucianism, was analyzed. Next, whether the political positions of Horon and Rakron before and after the Horak debate can be categorized as conservative or open-minded is examined. The actual political positions of the main debaters of the Horak debate was carefully reviewed. With this discussion, this paper argued that the existing understanding of the Horak debate is largely based on an overly schematic framework, and that it is necessary to move beyond this framework and examine the context of the period in a more nuanced way.

Non-Destructive Material Analysis of Whetstones Discovered in Grain Transport Ship of the Early Joseon Period

Non-Destructive Material Analysis of Whetstones Discovered in Grain Transport Ship of the Early Joseon Period

Adaptation process of a Korean traditional house to modern dwelling culture: focusing on Hui-Dong Go’s house (1918-1959) in Wonseo-dong, Seoul

ABSTRACT Housing in the Joseon Dynasty was regulated by the caste system based on Confucianism and the perceived predominance of men over women. Therefore, the houses and associated dwelling culture of the Joseon populace did not evolve and became stagnant. Although new dwelling cultures and associated houses from abroad through the Gaehwa and the 1876 port-opening were introduced, the dwelling cultures led to stagnant evolution of the houses of the Joseon populace. In this sense, Hui-Dong Go’s house is an extremely rare case, having been built in a relatively economically manner on the parcel of a typical house. Therefore, the current work analyzes Go’s house in comparison with houses proposed in the discourses of pre-modern and modern dwelling culture at the time in Joseon both before and after the 1876 port-opening, and it then examines the meanings of the dwelling culture that can be drawn from his house. As a result, this study reveals that Go’s house is a highly valuable integration of the dwelling culture, which succeeded the traditional type of Korean housing, improved upon both the problems of Joseon houses and the problems of urban hanoks, and actively accepted and adapted modern residential discourses.

A Characteristic Analysis of Glass Beads Excavated from the Naedeok-ri Site in Gimhae

This study conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 10 beads and a surface analysis of 38 beads among 48 glass beads excavated from the Naedeok-ri site in the Gimhae region, Korea. According to the cross-sectional analysis results, all glass beads were cobalt blue, and depending on the period, the bead colors from wooden coffin tomb No. 19 from the Proto-Three Kingdoms period and wooden coffin tomb No. 92 from the Three Kingdoms period were determined to be ultramarine and Wedgewood blue. According to the surface analysis results, the colors of the beads were divided into blue from the Proto-Three Kingdoms and Three Kingdoms eras, and brown from the Joseon Dynasty. Furthermore, the size of the beads was estimated to be Gimhae “small-sized”. These small beads were popular until the late Gaya period. As a result of analyzing the composition of the glass, only potash 1 type was confirmed in the cross section, but lead, potash, and soda glass were confirmed in the surface analysis. This is because glass from the Proto-Three Kingdoms period was easily broken, and glass from the Three Kingdoms period was excavated relatively complete. Through this study, Gimhae Naedeok-ri is confirmed to be a group that uses glass with various ingredients. These results reveal a trend moving in the following order: lead-barium Ⅱ → potash Ⅰ⋅Ⅱ → soda alumina → potash Ⅲ⋅lead glass.

Species Identification and Tree-ring Dating of Wooden Elements in Seongjeonggak of Changduk-palace, Seoul, Korea

This aimed to species identification and tree-ring dating of wooden elements used in the Seongjeonggak of Changduk-palace, Seoul, Korea. All 50 wooden elements were confirmed to be <i>Pinus</i> subgenus (Hard pines). Increment cores of the wooden elements were collected using a drill for tree-ring dating, and mutual compatibility of dendrochronologies were constructed using statistical and graph comparison methods. As a result of tree ring dating, The chronologies of 30 Pinus subgenus wooden elements were matched to each other and to the standard chronologies. In addition, some wooden elements had bark revealing the following logging dates: early spring 1774 – early spring 1777. The obtained felling date of the 1770s were found to be consistent with those in the construction and repair records of the Ilseongnok (Records of daily reflections) and Seungjeongwon’ diary (The daily records of royal secretariat of Joseon dynasty). However, the obtained outermost dates of the 1881 were not consistent with those in the construction and repair records. Therefore, additional confirmation of repairs that were not included in the records was possible using tree-ring dating.

The Revival of the “Glorious Past” In the Republic of Korea under Park Chung Hee

The study examines the Republic of Korea’s (ROK) history politics under Park Chung Hee rule (1961-1979). The author argues that it’s possible to identify two stages of the development of policy toward Korea’s national heritage: 1) the early stage (1961 to mid 1960s), during which the government of the ROK managed to create the legal basis of the state policy on the protection of cultural heritage and the Office of Cultural Properties and 2) the late stage (the late 1960’s to 1979), when the regime carried out large-scale propaganda of Korean traditional culture. The article covers such problems as historical views of Park Chung Hee, restoration of Korean places of military glory, measures to perpetuate the memory of Korean outstanding historical figures - admiral Yi Sun-sin and king Sejong the Great, glorification of the ancient Korean kingdom Silla, promotion of Confucian values. The author concludes that President Park Chung Hee sought to strengthen the national consciousness of South Koreans in order to mobilize them to implement national tasks and unite the population around the authorities. The main emphasis was placed on the heroic pages of the military history of Korea and the history of Silla, the first unified Korean state. In the 1970s, the state actively promoted Confucian values to ensure the loyalty of the population to the authoritarian regime of Park Chung Hee. Despite the democratization of the Republic of Korea since 1987, Park Chung Hee’s cultural policy has played a significant role in shaping the historical identity of modern South Koreans. The research is based on Park Chung Hee’s works, ROK’s official documents and materials of South Korean researchers.

Non-Human Creatures in Joseon Wangjo Sillok: Pragmatics, Myth and Morality

Abstract From the modern point of view, The Annals of Joseon Dynasty (Joseon Wangjo Sillok 朝鮮王朝實錄)—one of the major literary windows into the discourse at the royal court of premodern and early modern Korea—may appear strongly anthropocentric. The nonhuman dimension is especially underutilized in research on the Joseon era whenever animals and legendary creatures are taken into consideration, as they have often served multiple functions in high-level discussions—for example, as exemplifications of moral judgments, sociocultural “otherness,” or purely within the frameworks of husbandry, taxation, and rural administration. Indeed, a closer look reveals that “miscellaneous” or even “posthuman” topics are often strongly connected with this-worldly attitudes of Joseon-era Confucian scholar officialdom. In this article, the pragmatic aspects of the “birds and beasts,”, including indigenous as well as Chinese nonhumans, and the influence their associated notions exerted on the theory and practice of Joseon’s Confucian statesmanship will be analyzed.

전기소설에 나타난 여성의 문해력(文解力)과 문예

The male and female main characters of the Korean Cheongi novel are depicted as people with excellent ability of classical literature and composing poems, as they reveal their emotions and identity through literature and further form a mental bond with their lovers. However, considering the reality of women in Joseon Dynasty who lacked opportunities to be educated and trained for writing compared to men, these characters can be said to be somewhat unrealistic. In Cheongi novel, female characters and their surrounding environments are elaborately set so that women can have literacy and literary capabilities to secure novel probability. The status of heroins can be largely divided into noble class and middle and lower class. They were daughters of wealthy prestigious families, court ladies or Kisaeng(妓生) and all belonged to a small group of women who could access to literary arts in Joseon Dynasty. The experience and situation of female characters described in the novel also help the reader’s understanding of their literacy and literature. In the late Joseon Dynasty, the narrative role of literary works in Cheongi novel gradually weakens and the status of female characters are confined to middle and lower classes. Literacy and literature of female characters develop in a way that reflects the language environment based on classes, beyond the traditional custom of the genre.

이규준의 유기(遊記) 연구

Lee, Gyujun (1855-1923) was a philosopher of the Joseon Dynasty and an Oriental medicine scholar who developed modern Oriental medicine based on clinical experiments. He lived during the late Joseon Dynasty and the Japanese colonial period and sometimes traveled for the purpose of sightseeing. During his time in Joseon, Confucian ideology was on the decline, and Western civilization was gaining influence due to modernization efforts. This period of both spiritual and material transition led to societal upheaval. And he tried to understand these problems through conver-sations with senior Confucian scholars.
 Since the senior Confucian scholar he sought to converse with lived far away, he planned and carried out a long-distance trip to meet him. As a result, he was able to travel to many regions, including Songnisan Mountain, Jeoksangsan Mountain, Gyeryongsan Mountain, the east coast, Geumgangsan Mountain, and Seoul, and wrote about his experiences and impressions at those travel destinations in Chinese poetry such as 〈Seoyu Nojeonggi(西遊路程記)〉(1901), 〈Geumgang Ilgi(金剛日記)〉(1902), 〈Ipgayasangi (入伽倻山記)〉(1909), 〈Hoyu Ilgi(湖遊日記)〉(1911), 〈Hosangjaeyu Ilgi(湖上再遊日記)〉(1913), and 〈Gyeongdoji(京都志)〉(1901).
 His diary entries were not daily records of activities but focused on significant events. While he did not record a wide range of content in his travelogues, he approached his subjects by selecting and documenting only ‘reliable information.’ These records were compiled and published as 『Seokgoksango』 through the final editing by Son, Jingyu. In this study, the researcher examined the significance of Lee, Jingyu’s travels and the characteristics of his travel records, focusing on 『Seokgoksango』.

조선 후기 한글소설 속 아동관 연구

Objectives In this study aim to achieve a serious consideration of children by exploring our unique view of children using Korean novels from the late Joseon Dynasty.
 Methods For this purpose, we extracted documents meaningful for children's understanding from the list of 󰡔Seonbon Haeje 11󰡕, which organizes classic novels owned by the National Library of Korea, and analyzed children's views according to the children's view analysis model.
 Results First, children in the Joseon Dynasty were the objects of realistic trials, but they were also the objects of affection in the hope that they would achieve their aspirations and wishes to overcome them. Second, it is an extraordinary object that can be taught a lesson and a precious member of a family that can fully develop into such a being.
 Conclusions On the surface, children are the subject of strict education and growth that must follow Confucian concepts and values, but on the other side, the people's aspirations include a complex view of children as affectionate objects who want to escape from realistic pain and suffering and grow up in a warm and safe environment reflected.