@article{ART003314705},
author={CHOI JIHYE},
title={Aspects of the Figuration of Disability in Saseol Sijo and Its Significance},
journal={The Research of the Korean Classic},
issn={1226-3850},
year={2026},
number={72},
pages={325-354}
TY - JOUR
AU - CHOI JIHYE
TI - Aspects of the Figuration of Disability in Saseol Sijo and Its Significance
JO - The Research of the Korean Classic
PY - 2026
VL - null
IS - 72
PB - The Research Of The Korean Classic
SP - 325
EP - 354
SN - 1226-3850
AB - This article examines the modes through which disability is represented in saseol sijo and, on that basis, investigates the significance of disability representation in literary works. In dictionary terms, disability is defined as “a condition in which a bodily organ fails to perform its original function, or in which there is a defect in mental capacity.” Historically, however, disability has often been perceived as abnormal or incomplete, and even as something repulsive or fear- inducing. In the realm of vernacular poetry, disability frequently appears as a problematic situation that falls outside the bounds of normative life: examples range from Docheonsu Daebiga, which earnestly expresses a desire for the restoration of sight in a blind child, to the gasa Nocheonyeoga, which recounts the story of an “old maid” unable to marry due to disability. The sijo tradition likewise contains works that figure disability, and a noteworthy point is that all of the texts considered here belong specifically to the saseol sijo corpus.
Before turning to a full examination of the patterns and meanings of saseol sijo, it is necessary to consider perceptions of disability in the Joseon period. First, the Joseon dynasty employed a range of terms to refer to persons with disabilities, including dokjilja(篤疾者), pyejilja(廢疾者), janjilja(殘疾者), and bulseongin(不成人). Records in “the Seongjong Sillok” indicate that people with disabilities were regarded as socially vulnerable and thus as objects of communal care. Moreover, sources such as Jeong Yak-yong’s “Mokmin Simseo” and Park Ji-won’s “Balseungamgi” (髮僧菴記) suggest that Joseon society—particularly the yangban elite—exhibited an attitude of refraining from viewing or judging individuals through a distorted lens on the sole grounds of disability. The difficulty of finding representations of disability in pyeong sijo can likely be understood within this socio-cultural context.
By contrast, saseol sijo presents a variety of disability figures. Such representations may function as material for humor, become targets of exclusion or ridicule, or serve as a device for reflecting contemporary social realities.
KW - disability;Saseol Sijo;comic effect;exclusion;reflection of contemporary social realities
DO -
UR -
ER -
CHOI JIHYE. (2026). Aspects of the Figuration of Disability in Saseol Sijo and Its Significance. The Research of the Korean Classic, 72, 325-354.
CHOI JIHYE. 2026, "Aspects of the Figuration of Disability in Saseol Sijo and Its Significance", The Research of the Korean Classic, no.72, pp.325-354.
CHOI JIHYE "Aspects of the Figuration of Disability in Saseol Sijo and Its Significance" The Research of the Korean Classic 72 pp.325-354 (2026) : 325.
CHOI JIHYE. Aspects of the Figuration of Disability in Saseol Sijo and Its Significance. 2026; 72 : 325-354.
CHOI JIHYE. "Aspects of the Figuration of Disability in Saseol Sijo and Its Significance" The Research of the Korean Classic no.72(2026) : 325-354.
CHOI JIHYE. Aspects of the Figuration of Disability in Saseol Sijo and Its Significance. The Research of the Korean Classic, 72, 325-354.
CHOI JIHYE. Aspects of the Figuration of Disability in Saseol Sijo and Its Significance. The Research of the Korean Classic. 2026; 72 325-354.
CHOI JIHYE. Aspects of the Figuration of Disability in Saseol Sijo and Its Significance. 2026; 72 : 325-354.
CHOI JIHYE. "Aspects of the Figuration of Disability in Saseol Sijo and Its Significance" The Research of the Korean Classic no.72(2026) : 325-354.
