âA young âkisaengâ (singing girl) in full Korean traditional dress. She has a typical married womenâs hair style (jjok), which is called chignon with a hairpin (the 'pinyoâ). Korean 'kisaengâ, or singing girls, dressed up for singing and dancing. A 'Kisaengâsâ social position was among the lowest in the traditional Korean class system. Their daughters also became 'kisaengâ and their sons became slaves. The art of entertaining of the 'kisaengâ is analogous to the Japanese geisha. These professional entertainers were highly trained in the arts of poetry, music, dance, and other forms of social or artistic diversion. eIn the early 1900s, 'kisaengâ did their hair up in a 'chignonâ and wear shorter jackets (about 7-8 inches) than ordinary women - The skirts were cut with a full slit at the back and were fixed to the right side, while upper class womenâs skirt were fixed to the left.e Source: Kwon, O-chang. Inmurhwaro ponun Choson sidae uri ot, 1998, p. 140.â
(via Picture of the Day: Korean Gisaeng In 1904 | ROK Drop)
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I wasnât familiar with the name Ahn Chang-ho but it was pretty obvious by the way they had him introduce himself that he was a real life historical figure. So I looked him up and while he didnât spend time in New York or attend Columbia University he was amazing.Â
From his wiki page: Ahn Chang-ho was a Korean independence activist and one of the early leaders of the Korean-American immigrant community in the United States. He is sometimes referred to by his pen name âDosanâ.Â
When he returned to Korea from the U.S. in 1907, he established the New Korea Society, the most important organization in the fight against the Japanese occupation of Korea. He also established the Young Korean Academy in San Francisco in 1913 and was a key member in the founding of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai in 1919.Â
Ahn is also one of two men believed to have written the lyrics of the Aegukga, the South Korean national anthem. He had seven children, including U.S. Navy officer Susan Ahn Cuddy.
Susan Ahn Cuddy was the first female gunnery officer in the United States Navy. She was also the first Asian-American woman to join the Navy in 1942, where she served until 1946.Â
She felt joining the Navy was a way she could help free Korea from Japanese occupation and was eager to join the Navy to fight the Japanese. She worked her way up in the Navy, becoming a Navy LINK instructor in 1943, teaching aviators how to maneuver in a simulator cockpit, and later becoming the first female aerial gunnery officer in the Navy. In other words, she trained fighter pilots how to shoot down enemy aircraft. She eventually became a Lieutenant and went on to work for US Navy Intelligence, the Library of Congress, and the NSA.Â
In April 1947 she married Chief Petty Officer Francis âFrankâ Cuddy, an Irish-American. They defied laws criminalizing interracial relations and wed at the only place that would marry them: a Navy chapel in Washington, D.C. Francis also worked for Navy Intelligence and the NSA. He was a code-breaker and helped the United States free Korea.
During the Cold War, Susan Ahn Cuddy was in charge of a think tank of over 300 agents working in the Russia section. She worked on many top secret projects for the Department of Defense and other agencies during her service with the US government until 1959.
In 2003, the State Assembly of California of District 28 named Cuddy the Woman of the Year in honor of her commitment to public service. On October 5, 2006 she received the American Courage Award from the Asian American Justice Center in Washington D.C.
Hwang Jin-i (Hangul: íŠě§ě´; c. 1506 â c. 1560), also known by her gisaeng name Myeongwol (literally âbright moonâ, ëŞ ě), was one of the most famous gisaeng of the Joseon Dynasty. She lived during the reign of King Jungjong. She was noted for her exceptional beauty, charming quick wit, extraordinary intellect, and her assertive and independent nature. Hwang was highly skilled in the arts of conversation, dance, song and poetry. Defying the accepted social conventions surrounding the lower-class kisaeng, she associated freely with scholars, artists and aristocrats. Few facts are actually known of her life, but anecdotes and legends abound concerning her early life, her reason for becoming a kisaeng, and her relationships with various men in the upper reaches of society and government.Â
Though Hwangâs literary reputation today is based almost solely on six sijoâchiefly concerning loveâthat have come down to us, she is still highly respected, and her poems continue to be among the most popular classical favorites. Hwangâs sijo often describe the beauty and sites of Gaeseong (such as the palace of Manwoldae and the Pakyon Falls), the personal tragedy of her lost loves and responses to famous classic Chinese poems and literature (the majority of them reflecting on lost love). Itâs noteworthy that she was tutored by the great scholar So Kyongdok and produced poetry in both her native Korean script (Hanguel) and in Hanmun (Chinese).Â
In the late 20th century, Hwang Jin-iâs story began to attract attention from both sides of the Korean divide and feature in a variety of novels, operas, films and television series. Novelizations of her life include a 2002 treatment by North Korean writer Hong Sok-chung (which became the first North Korean novel to win an award in the South) and a 2004 bestseller by South Korean writer Jeon Gyeong-rin. In late 2006, KBS released a TV series entitled Hwang Jin-i starring Ha Ji-won in the title role. A film starring Song Hye Kyo was released on June 6, 2007.
Oh that I might capture the essence of this deep midwinter nightÂ
And fold it softly into the waft of a spring-moon quilt,Â
Then fondly uncoil it the night my beloved returns.
Background:Â
Hwang Chin'iâs pen name was Myongwol, meaning Bright  (or Full) Moon. Hwangâs reference to  a spring moon is most likely a reference to herself.
Oh, what have I done, I should have known what he meant to me.Â
If I had asked him to stay, I know he would never have gone.Â
Stubborn, I sent him away, so now I must pay the penalty.Â
Background:Â
This verse is sometimes attributed to King Songjong (r. 1470-1494). in which case it might be an expression of regret over the dismissal of one of his ministers.
Seeing as there is very little readily available information regarding kisaeng, often referred to as Korean âgeiko,â I decided to compile all I have found here. Enjoy and use responsibly!
In historic Korean society (yangban society), they were considered to be members of the lowest social class (cheonmin) and were treated as government property. Kisaeng were trained by the government in the fine arts, singing, dancing, needlework, medicine, and poetry to perform at national/ provincial government feasts as well as private middle-class celebrations. By the Joseon period, a strict hierarchy of kisaeng was already established, dictating the quality of a particular kisaengâs talent, knowledge, beauty and artistic repertoire.Â
Girls as young as 8 either inherited the profession (due to their kisaengmotherâs hereditary cheonmin status) or were sold into it from all social levels. At this time their name would be entered on the gijeok, or local kisaeng registry, and they would begin their government regulated training at the local school and administrative center known as the gyobang. The only way a kisaeng could have her name removed the gijeok was to retire, be bought out of servitude or die.Â
All the village kisaeng would answer to the hojang, a low level government official solely responsible for maintaining a current gijeok and preventing any of the women from running away. He would conduct inspections twice a month and set the training regimens of the gyobang to reflect regional traditions and claims to fame.
The doogi, or apprentice kisaeng, would begin a three year training period, the content of which would be determined by the location of her gyobang. She would eventually be classified as one of three types of kisaeng. Government kisaeng, known as kwan-gi kisaeng, were the highest class of kisaeng and, upon completing their apprenticeship, would entertain directly in the royal palace in Seoul.
Provincial kisaeng, called hyang-gi or haengsu kisaeng, were highly skilled kisaeng who were retained by the local governments to perform for visiting officials and local bureaucrats. As the nickname seonsang (âpreferred choiceâ) implies, these kisaeng were able to pick and choose their clients and were responsible for training the doogi of their local gyobang.Â
If the doogi proved to have too few charms, she could expect to be a lowly third rank kisaeng known as samsu kisaeng. These women had mediocre artistic training and abilities, mostly entertained at private middle-class (chungin) parties and were often hired for their sexual (rather than artistic) talents.
With their official careers starting around 12-13, itâs no surprise that most kisaeng careers peaked circa 16-17 years of age and were usually considered over by age 22. As a kwan-gi or hyang-gi kisaeng, they would be forced to retire from performing at age 30. At which point, they would focus on the handicraft or medicinal aspects of their training. No such expectation was made of samsu kisaeng however.
By age 50, all kisaeng, regardless of rank, were forced to retire from the profession entirely and find work elsewhere. Many kisaeng went into business as inn or tavern managers. A very few lucky kisaeng could suceed to become the concubine of a government official, who would pay the exorbitant price to have her name removed from the gijeok.
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historical context pt 2: on yi bang wonâs brothers (and sisters), seon-ho and his father, womenâs rights in joseon vs goryeo
a bit more focus on yi bang wonâs family this time, since heâs always fascinated me as a real historical figure. he did a lot of good, but he committed a lot of terrible things in order to achieve the good and heâs always been a pretty polarizing figure to Korean historians. (the majority of them like him because heâs the father of Kim Sejong aka the King who invented the Hangul/Korean alphabet while the others are like âdamn why this dude so murderousâ)
yi seong-gye had six sons from his first wife and two sons from his second wife, but why are only like three of them mentioned in the drama?
- mostly because they donât have any major relevance to the plot, tbh. yi bang won IS arguably yi seong-gyeâs most talented/qualified son in a lot of ways. he really was the only son who passed the civil examination in that entire family.
Eldest Son Yi Bang-U
-Â yi seong-gye mentions him in the drama when discussing who should be named crown prince and dismisses him bc heâs an alcoholic. which was true, yi bang-wonâs oldest brother WAS an alcoholic, but he only became so after Yi Seong-Gye seized the throne. he was so distraught by the rebellion that he literally retreated to the mountains and retired. imagine serving your dad and your country and then seeing him betray the very country you both spilled blood for your whole life?? he was granted a princely title, but otherwise stayed away from politics and the military until his death
Second Son Yi Bang-Gwa
- this is the dude who is currently king that appears in episode 14. the one whoâs in the throne room while bang-won and bang-gan yell at each other lol. basically he was just put on the throne bc heâs the second son (and the eldest was like donât even contact me about this shit) and later in history he renounces the throne so yi bang-won can take it. he also had NO legitimate sons from his first wife (though he had many from his concubines, but they were all illegitimate and couldnât become princes). meaning he was the safest choice to be bang-wonâs puppet ruler. all in all he was supremely lucky in that he got to live in peace and avoid getting murdered by anyone
Third Son Yi Bang-Ui
- while he was on yi bang-wonâs side during the first coup, heâs never mentioned in dramas/television because apparently heâs not all that interesting. heâs been described as someone who had a loving relationship with ALL of his brothers, which imo COULD have been interesting to see but what do i know
Fourth Son Yi Bang-Gan aka the One Thatâs Weirdly Comedic and Also Murderous and Has Like that Weird Sword Boner For Hwi
- bang-gan did in fact try to murder bang-won and seize the throne, but he was urged on to do so by a historical figure called park po who was bitter that all his efforts during the first coup were not recognized by bang-won. the most hilarious thing is that bang-gan is like âdamn this is a great idea, im gonna do itâ and sets an official date for murdering, and NEVER TELLS park po the day heâs gonna murder bang-won so park po is just hanging around in ignorance until bang-won arrests him and then has him executed
- bang-gan actually tells his father yi seong-gye and his second bother yi bang-gwa of his intentions and they BOTH tell him that heâs stupid as fck. at this point, the historical yi seong-gye is SICK of the fighting between his sons and tells bang-gan to stop (unlike in the drama when he purposefully eggs him on).Â
- bang-gan obvs doesnât stop though, but his attempts are foiled bc bang-won knew of his coup beforehand. bang-gan is not executed and is instead sent away in exile. the fault of the coup instead lands on park po who again has no idea whatâs occurring until heâs arrested. (damn it would suck to be park po, though inb4 seon-ho becomes the park po of this sageuk)
The Ill-fated Crown Prince Yi Bang-Seok and his brother Yi Bang-Beon
- in history, Yi Bang-Won forces his father to remove Bang-seok from the crown prince position during the coup, which Yi Seong-Gye IMMEDIATELY does in order to save bang-seokâs life (bang-seok is still alive at this point in time). unfortunately, bang-won then murders bang-seok anyway. (fulfilling the queenâs prediction that no matter what he would have murdered her sons)
- there are two versions of the crown princeâs death: the first is what we saw in ep 12 when he was assassinated right after stepping out in the palace. (this is the official record. his final recorded words are âmy brother promised to spare my life, do not worry.â). thereâs another version that yi bang-won went into the palace and threw his brother into a well to kill him. which is... not recorded, but yi bang-wonâs side framed everything in the records to make him and his people look good. (because they were the winners!!! winners in history get to frame themselves however they want)
- so what about yi bang-beon? aka the queenâs other son that never gets mentioned? he gets murdered too of course!!! though bang-won is content with just exiling him, his brother bang-gan murders bang-beon (of course in the show, we see bang-won approving of the assassination). (Bang-beon also suffers from the unfortunate position of having a.) envied his younger brother for being crown prince and therefore did NOT alert him or his father about the upcoming coup and b.) trying to maintain a neutral position that ultimately got him killed
- btw, yi seong-gye was absolutely in the palace during the Strife. He never left to go to a Temple. he was dragged from his throne and forced to abdicate during the coup after stripping Bang-seok of his position as Crown Prince in order to save him.
The Sixth Brother
 - died at a relatively early age, sadly.
Sisters?!
- yes, Yi Seong-Gye had daughters!!! Two from his first wife and one from his second and two more from his concubines (yah he had concubines). sadly, nothing else is known about them. Queen Sindeokâs daughter aka Bang-seok and Bang-beonâs younger sister outlived both of her older brothers, and died maybe nine years later. (somewhat comforting, but ultimately sad.)
- Bang-wonâs sisters lived a little longer, but ultimately they had little historical relevance (or they did and the records refused to record them bc they were just Women). mostly, they were just married off to build political alliances
more on seon-ho
- thereâs a scene in ep 5 where bang-won makes fun of seon-hoâs bastard status and compares him to Sambong and i just want to say that imo this is very realistic of bang-won. Sambong is an incredibly important and vital figure in history -- he served as yi seong-gyeâs aide and was actually the mastermind behind ALL of yi bang-wonâs social/political reforms. unfortunately, yi bang-won murdered him because.... uh.... he wanted to carry out those reforms HIMSELF, essentially. (no one else gets to do it but ME!!) he disliked sambong strongly, and there were rumors that sambong was descended from bastards/had slave blood in his family, so Bang-won sneering at Seon-ho for essentially having the same background would be legit. the line where he mentions that âin his country, bastards will never gain statusâ is so sad... and also true, even though he introduced the new Slave Law (that law was immediately repealed later)
- in other words, illegitimate children from nobleman + slaves were still eventually barred from taking the government exam and owning property in joseon. seon-hoâs fate would have more or less remained the same.
Seon-hoâs father Nam Jeon
- is a fictional figure, but his status as Yi Seong-Gyeâs aide in the show cooouullld place him as the stand-in for the actual Nam Eun who was one of Yi Seong-Gyeâs trusted aides and who was also killed by Yi Bang-Won
- the difference here is that Yi Bang-Won regrets murdering Nam Eun after and gives government positions to Nam Eunâs friends as like a way of apology lmfao
womenâs rights in goryeo vs joseon
- just wanted to talk about this because hee-jae is such a kickass figure, but the long and short of it is that women lose all the rights (what little they had) in joseon vs in goryeo. theyâre forbidden to step outside their homes after marriage, are NOT allowed to mingle with the other sex, they lose their rights as land-owners and property-inheritors, and Confucianism gains a huge foothold in a country that already treats women as second-class citizens. they werenât allowed to re-marry if widowed, and were encouraged to kill themselves if they were assaulted or harassed so like....... life continues to suck for bastard children and ladies
fun fact for that (1) Legitimate Child that Yi Bang-Won Allowed to Live
- in my last post I mentioned that Yi Bang-Won killed the children of the âtraitorsâ who conspired to prevent his coup except for Sambongâs eldest son, who was demoted (name: Jung Jin). Fortunately, this son managed to rise through the ranks of the government again and became the Minister of Justice under Yi Bang-Wonâs reign.Â
some historical context for my country -- specifically for seon-ho
for anyone interested, iâd like to bring up some historical bullet points for the history/culture of the time my country takes place, specifically in regards to seon-ho. most of this information is from @bodashiri âs wonderfully in-depth historical bg posts for the drama six flying dragons over HERE (six flying dragons took place around the same time period as my country: the new age). also some spoilers for ep 13/14
- seon-hoâs status as âeoljaâ means a child born from a noble father and a lowborn/slave mother (children born from noble fathers and commoner mothers were called seoja). back in goryeo, children born from such unions were always slaves/servants. as a kid, we saw seon-ho dressed in servant clothes right before nam jeon takes him in as his âheirâ.
- itâs probably 50% of the reason why his father was such an ass about seon-ho never acknowledging his mother again because that would mean she a.) didnât exist and b.) was absolutely NOT one of his household slaves. goryeo law was such that seon-ho should have been named a slave/servant so this was probably also nam jeonâs way of trying to prevent that fate for seon-ho. (which doesnât matter bc he like immediately threatens seon-ho with it anyway?? thanks dad)
- FUN FACT: yi bang won is actually the one who introduces a law saying that children born from free fathers and slave mothers can assume the social rank of their father (ur screwed if it was the other way around tho ig), so seon-ho would have absolutely been a noble-man if he had been born during his reign.... thereâs some supreme irony there (and it makes me extremely sad)
- why did seon-ho take the state exam when heâs a noble? goryeoâs class system being what it is -- nobles back then were allowed to bypass the examinations and were given governmental positions purely based on their family line. the fact that seon-ho had to take the exam was probably because a.) the writers wanted a reason to jumpstart the hwi/seon-ho conflict or b.) seon-ho isnât noble enough to qualify for nepotism thanks to being a Bastard
why is seon-ho running around with the Jurchens all of a sudden? and why did they even accept his command?Â
- WELL the Jurchens were promised a lot of things by Yi Seong-Gye and his aide Jung Do-Jeon (aka Sambong aka the guy Nam Jeon constantly talks about but never shows up on-screen until his death scene in episode 12). these things were getting to live on land of their own and becoming naturalized Joseon citizens
- all of which went immediately to shit when Yi Bang Won started his coup against his father
- so you have a whole group of people (people who were in fact also of Goryeo, seeing as lot of them were either survivors or refugees) who were promised things and who didnât get them because Politics, and they would have felt doubly betrayed considering that they saw Yi Seong-gye as one of their people (which he was! his ancestors were Jurchens)
- though the idea that they would have smoothly adapted to seon-hoâs command needs to be taken with some historical inaccuracy but thatâs fine bc thatâs the kdrama life
did yi bang won really kill all the trueborn children except for seon-ho
- yah basically. however sambongâs eldest son was allowed to live and was merely demoted (though his brothers were killed). so yi bang won going âi only spared YOU because ur a BASTARDâ was a thing the writers probably put in to ruin seon-hoâs life further LFMJFJ but yes basically yi bang won did murder everyone except for (1) legitimate child