2025, Vol., No.70

The Aspects and Meanings of Gwak Bunyang in the Mongokssangbongyeonrok and GwakJangYangmunrok Series

Kim, Eun-il | 2025, (70) | pp.5~32 | number of Cited : 0

PDF

This study aims to analyze the reception and significance of the character Gwak Bunyang in the Mongokssangbongyeonrok and GwakJangYangmunrok Series. This series is a Korean full-length novel depicting the story of Jang Hong and his descendants. Its literary and historical value is underscored by the fact that Lady Seong, a royal concubine of King Jeongjo, transcribed GwakJangYangmunrok, which enables scholars to estimate the time of its transcription and offers insight into the appreciation of Korean long novels within the royal court. The series consists of two parts: Mongokssangbongyeonrok, which centers on the heroic deeds and marriage of Jang Hong, and GwakJangYangmunrok, which focuses on the marriages of his descendants. Since Gwak Bunyang’s family is portrayed as one of the key families connected to Jang Hong and his descendants through marriage, it is essential to examine how Gwak Bunyang is depicted in the narrative. The modes of reception of Gwak Bunyang in Mongokssangbongyeonrok and GwakJangYangmunrok differ. In Mongokssangbongyeonrok, he is framed chiefly as a military hero. On the other hand, in GwakJangYangmunrok, he is cast as the head of the lineage. This contrast aligns with late-Joseon patterns of cultural enjoyment in the court and literati households. The shift visible in Gwak Bunyang Haengnakdo—from emphasizing martial prowess to highlighting prosperity and blessing—parallels the series’ separate narrativization of “heroic” and “prosperous” Gwak Bunyang. Haengnakdo was especially popular at court and among elites, a fact that resonates with the palace transcription of the Mongokssang- bongyeonrok–GwakJangYangmunrok series. This indicates that the cultural code centered on Gwak Bunyang operated not only in painting but also in narrative; the series likely mobilized that code as a narrative strategy. Whereas paintings and short fiction tend to isolate a single code, the linked form of the series keeps the “military” and “prosperity/blessing” strands apart at the work level yet integrates them as a dual code at the level of the whole. Accordingly, the series is significant not only to the history of the Korean long novel but also to broader cultural-historical currents.

The Process and Meaning of Bereavement and Mourning in the Kang Eul-saeng Version of Heoungaegibonpuri - In Comparison with the Mother–Daughter Relationship in the Film Wonderland (2024)

Kim, Ji-hye | 2025, (70) | pp.33~60 | number of Cited : 0

PDF

Syntactic Rules and Narrative Semantics of <Segyeongbonpuri>

Oh, Se-jeong | 2025, (70) | pp.61~88 | number of Cited : 0

PDF

This paper aims to find the syntactic rules of the narrative in the agricultural origin myth <Segyeongbonpuri> and analyze the meaning of the narrative based on those rules. This myth is a narrative of a ‘female human’ becoming a ‘female god’, and the change from the initial situation to the final situation of the entire narrative is well expressed through the syntactic rules of the mythemes, which is the unit form of the transformation stage that constitutes the narrative. This can be expressed as a system of opposition between ‘meeting Moon-doryeong’ and ‘parting with Moon-doryeong’, and ‘killing Jeongsunam’ and ‘saving Jeongsunam’. In the entire narrative, Jacheongbi kills Jeongsunam to meet Moon-doryeong, and then breaks up with Moon-doryeong to save Jeongsunam. In this process, Jacheongbi overcomes the limitations of her innate ontological identity, becomes a goddness in the heavenly world, and ultimately takes her place as an goddess of agriculture in the human world. According to the syntactic rules of <Segyeongbonpuri>, the entire narrative is centered around the narratives of Jacheongbi and Jeongsunam, and in the position system of agricultural gods, unlike Jacheongbi and Jeongsunam, Mun-doryeong exists only in name. Also, if we understand the actions and roles of Jacheongbi within the opposing system of ‘killing people’ and ‘saving people,’ the process of Jacheongbi becoming an goddess of agriculture and its implications become clearer. After repeated acts of killing and reviving, Jacheongbi chose agriculture as the best way to save many people on earth. This myth is about the ontological transformation of a female human born as an imperfect being. She demonstrates the ability to overcome the ontological constraints of ‘female /male’ and ‘human/god’ and is reborn as an independent being who chooses for herself rather than a being subordinate to someone. And her story tells us that the most necessary value for ‘living’ for imperfect humans on earth is agriculture.

A Bibliographical Study of the 30-folio Seoul-area Edition (Gyeongpan) of Sodaeseongjeon at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies

Yi, Ji-young | 2025, (70) | pp.89~122 | number of Cited : 0

PDF

This study aims to analyze the bibliographical features of the commercially printed woodblock (Bangakbon) 30-folio Seoul-area edition (Gyeongpan) of Sodaeseongjeon held at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS) and to investigate its relationship with other Seoul-area editions of the same text by comparing their textual content. TUFS houses five identical copies of the 30-folio Sodaeseongjeon, all bearing the imprint ‘Hyogyo Singan’(孝敎新刊), meaning “newly engraved at Hyogyo.” This 30-folio edition shows similarities in format and in the number of characters per half-folio from folio 2 to folio 20 with the 24-folio edition. Specifically, from folio 3 to folio 20, the number of characters per half-folio ranges from 340 to 360, but it decreases to between 290 and 310 from folio 21 onwards, accompanied by a change in font style, indicating a composite printing style. Considering the unusual misengraving examples and the existence of multiple identical copies (five in total), it is presumed that this 30-folio edition at TUFS is a Japanese reprint of a Korean original published in Joseon bearing the ‘Hyogyo Singan’ imprint. The narrative length up to folio 20 in the 30-folio edition matches that of the 24-folio edition and shows little difference compared to the 36-folio edition. In the concluding section, however, the 30-folio edition has more narrative content than the 24-folio edition, yet less than the 23-folio and 36-folio editions. Textual comparison reveals that from folio 21 onward, especially in the war narratives, the 24-folio edition significantly abridges the content present in the 30-folio edition, whereas the 36-folio edition expands upon it, making the 30-folio edition most similar to the 23-folio edition in this section. The 36-folio edition distinctly elaborates on narrative scenes, causing textual complications. These findings suggest that rather than the 30-folio edition being an abridged version of the 36-folio edition, it is more likely that the 36-folio edition expanded upon a common source text. In the concluding marriage narrative, the 24-folio edition again abbreviates content compared to the 30-folio edition, whereas both the 36-folio and 23-folio editions show an expansion of narrative detail, marking this section as exhibiting the greatest variance among the four editions. Connecting these characteristics to the composite printing style of the 30-folio edition, it can be inferred that the 30-folio edition was produced by slightly altering a preceding, now lost, ‘33-folio edition’ by primarily increasing characters per half-folio from folio 3 to 20 and then adopting an existing printing format from folio 21 onward. Additionally, it can be assumed that the 36-fascicle version was a redaction that elaborated on the military narrative sections of the ‘33-fascicle version.’

Stylistic and Persuasive Strategies in Buddhist Exhortation Texts by Joseon Monks in the Late Joseon Period

Jeon, Sun-young | 2025, (70) | pp.123~164 | number of Cited : 0

PDF

The Chaste Lady Buried as a Man -The Banghallimjeon Read through Confucian Virtues

Jung, Dan-Bee | 2025, (70) | pp.165~196 | number of Cited : 0

PDF

The portrayal of daughters-in-law and the patterns of married life in <SoHyunSungRok>

Jeung, Sun-hee | 2025, (70) | pp.197~222 | number of Cited : 1

PDF

In this article, the portrayal of daughters-in-law and the patterns of marriage life are examined through the serialized classic Korean novel <SoHyunSungRok>. It discusses the emotions felt by these women during marriage, as well as their feelings towards family members other than their mothers-in-law, thereby reflecting on the aspects of married life depicted in poetry by a woman after marriage and her response to it. The focus is primarily on the wives of SoHyunSung and UnSung : Madame Hwa, Madame Seok, Madame Yeo, and madame Hyeong, as well as Princess Myeonghyeon. Although the marriage lives of women in the late Joseon Dynasty are also depicted in literary works such as folk songs and poetry, these tend to focus on emotions or are relatively short. However, in classic Korean novels, the portrayal of daughters-in-law is subtly detailed, focusing on their psychology and responses. Madame Hwa is portrayed as a daughter-in-law who rebels slightly against her elders but quickly becomes obedient after admonition. Madame Seok is depicted as a daughter-in-law who calmly and perfectly responds by understanding the hearts of her husband and elders in advance. Madame Hyeong, being wise and patient, endures hardships caused by her husband's favoritism without losing her composure, showing a dignified attitude. Madame Yeo and Princess Myeonghyeon, though not experiencing married life, become troubled or are driven away or killed due to their negative attitudes towards married life. The daughters-in-law in <SoHyunSungRok> exhibit obedient and calm responses to married life. While they are capable of speaking frankly or expressing their opinions confidently compared to other classic Korean novels, they maintain a docile attitude towards their parents-in-law. This may be considered desirable behavior in the upper-class families that were the audience for contemporary novels.

A Study on the Literary Representation and Characteristics of the Gasa Chaeransangsagok in Songgyejaprok

Choi, Ji-hye | 2025, (70) | pp.223~250 | number of Cited : 1

PDF

This paper investigates the literary representation and characteristics of the gasa Chaeransangsagok, included in Songgyejaprok, the collected writings of Bak Eung-seong. The aim is to elucidate the work’s literary significance within the tradition of Korean gasa literature. A notable complication in studying Chaeransangsagok is the uncertainty surrounding its authorship; unlike the Chinese poems and sijo also featured in the collection, the work cannot be definitively attributed to Bak Eung-seong. This ambiguity has posed challenges in assessing the text’s meaning and literary value. In addressing this issue, the study first examines the thematic content and authorship of Chaeransangsagok, followed by an inquiry into the circumstances that may have led to its inclusion in the collection. Through this contextual approach, the paper seeks to interpret the work’s place within the broader corpus of gasa literature. Composed of 23 lines, Chaeransangsagok is a concise lyric expressing the poignant longing of a female speaker for her absent lover. Structurally, the work can be divided into four sections: a narrative introduction outlining the separation, the first thematic section expressing reproach toward the beloved, a second section articulating sorrowful yearning, and a concluding segment in which the speaker’s longing intensifies into tragic despair. Given the content and emotional tenor of the text, it is difficult to assert that Bak Eung-seong adopted a female persona to convey his own sentiments. The work’s themes and affective stance diverge markedly from those found in his known writings and biographical background. Instead, considering Bak’s modest lifestyle and the aesthetic sensibilities reflected in his oeuvre, it is more plausible that Chaeransangsagok originated within the cultural milieu of Pyeonghae, where such poetic works were likely performed or composed by female entertainers (gisaeng) and enjoyed in local gatherings. Moreover, the poem’s tragic conclusion distinguishes it from conventional love gasa, suggesting that it may represent an early prototype of the later Sangsabyeolgok subgenre. The work’s formal features—including its consistent 4.4 syllabic meter, distinctive concluding structure, and use of Sino-Korean diction—indicate a transitional position between early and late Joseon-period gasa. These features, alongside its sophisticated composition, further imply a relatively advanced level of literary culture in the Pyeonghae region, particularly as mediated through the performance practices of the time.

The Aesthetic Consciousness Reflected in Nam Yoo-yong’s Appreciation of Painting and Poetic Representation

Ha, Ji-young | 2025, (70) | pp.251~284 | number of Cited : 1

PDF

This study explores the aesthetic consciousness that links the appreciation of painting and literary creation among the literati of late Joseon, using Nam Yoo-yong (1628–1692) as a representative case. Nam Yoo-yong was not only an avid admirer of painting but also a painter himself, and he left behind numerous records regarding the paintings he created or appreciated, as well as the painters with whom he interacted. He asserted that the ultimate beauty resides in the natural order of heaven and earth, emphasizing the value of painting as an act of expressing one's artistic intent through profound contemplation and emotional communion with objects. In his discussion of portraiture, Nam highlighted the efficacy of painting in capturing not only the external form of a subject but also the inner spirit, which the artist should discern and convey to the viewer. Such views led Nam to adopt a characteristically subjective mode of appreciation, favoring interpretation of the iconographic meanings and the artist’s intentions over empirical or formalist analysis. His theories of artistic creation and appreciation are also reflected in his poems on paintings(jehwa si-mun, 題畵詩文), where he often reinterprets visual motifs dynamically through deep empathy and imagination, thereby amplifying the emotional resonance of the artwork or actively decoding its intended message. Nam Yoo-yong's aesthetic sensibility and representational strategies, evident in both his art theory and his poems on paintings, are likewise present in his other poetic works. He regarded the ultimate beauty in poetry as rooted in the natural world, advocating for the spontaneous expression of emotion, the avoidance of artificial embellishment, and the pursuit of novel diction and imagery. His Chinese-style poetry (hansi) is notable for its painterly qualities, derived from contemplative engagement with everyday scenes and experiences, expressed in a fresh yet restrained manner. While such literary achievements are significant, his poetry shows limitations in confronting social realities or articulating critical perspectives on contemporary issues. This tendency toward aestheticization and transcendence in his poetry reflects not only his interests in art appreciation but also aligns with the optimistic and romantic worldview characteristic of the 18th-century Gyeonghwa aristocracy.

Emotion and Classical Literature from a Neuroscientific Perspective

Hwang, Hye-jin | 2025, (70) | pp.285~314 | number of Cited : 0

PDF

KJCKorea
Journal Central

The Research of the Korean Classic 2025 KCI Impact Factor : 0.66

2025, Vol., No.70