[Namsan Ddalggakbari] 'Joseon History Not in Textbooks'...The Raw Face of Joseon Captured in Diaries

Joseon History Not Found in History Books / Lee Sang-ho, Lee Jeong-cheol / Pureun History / 18,000 KRW

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-woo] When it comes to Joseon Dynasty history, people commonly think of the "Annals of the Joseon Dynasty." Learning Joseon history is often considered memorizing the royal lineage by reciting "Tae, Jeong, Tae, Se, Mun, Dan, Se..." and memorizing wars like the Imjin War or the Byeongja Horan, as well as state policies such as the Daedong Law or the Tangpyeong Policy.

However, strictly speaking, this only looks into the lives of the royal family and officials, who made up about 1% of the entire population during the Joseon era ? the privileged class. It is a story far removed from the real lives of the remaining 99% of the people. It is no different from gathering only presidential records, National Assembly minutes, and official gazette policy contents and calling that the life of 21st-century people.

Joseon History Not Found in History Books is a book that moves away from the annals-centered content and focuses on the lives of the common people revealed in diaries left by ordinary Confucian scholars of the Joseon period. Dozens of fragmented episodes excerpted from 20 different Confucian scholars' diaries vividly reveal the lives and hardships of people at that time. As the title suggests, it is a book that satisfies readers who want to glimpse the real lives of ordinary people that cannot be seen in annals-centered history books.

There are also episodes that can be compared to the current situation suffering from the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). On July 17, 1616, Confucian scholar Kim Taek-ryong was lost in thought when his distant relative Jeong Hee-saeng suddenly came to his house, crying loudly and begging for help. Jeong Hee-saeng’s mother was infected with a contagious disease. Upon hearing this, not only Jeong Hee-saeng’s relatives but also the village residents and even doctors turned their backs. Since a suspected infected patient had invaded the house, they must have worried first about their own and their families’ health.

This is not much different from the current situation where fear of COVID-19 has cut off family gatherings and conversations. Back then, unlike now, there was no basic medical system, and accurate information was hard to obtain, so the fear must have been much greater. Fear worsens the situation. Jeong Hee-saeng’s mother hanged herself, fearing harm might come even to her son. Thanks to her sacrifice, the situation was barely resolved. Kim Taek-ryong persuaded the villagers to help ensure that Jeong Hee-saeng’s mother was buried according to funeral procedures rather than cremated. This shows the miserable situation at the time when the mortality rate of infectious diseases was very high, and even neighbors had to ignore each other.

The chaotic scenes of the past civil service examination halls, which were more intense than today's college entrance exam halls, are also well depicted. The so-called "Geojeop (居接)" where Confucian scholars lived together and studied before the civil service exam is also shown. Hundreds of Confucian scholars gathered at local academies operated like boarding schools to take preliminary exams. They ate together at designated restaurants and slept together in designated accommodations, nurturing their dreams of passing the civil service exam. The book also introduces tricks of Confucian scholars who registered at hyanggyo (local Confucian schools) to avoid military service without studying.

Although hundreds of thousands took the exam nationwide, only 33 were finally selected, and the exam was held once every three years. The enthusiasm seemed fiercer than any current high-level exam. Some changed their birthplace registration to apply for regional special admissions and fought secretly with Confucian scholars who came from other regions. These are shameful contents that reveal the reality of the so-called "Land of Courtesy in the East" scholars. Parents who would stop at nothing to ensure their child's success are not much different from 400 years ago to now.

Even after passing the exam and becoming officials, life as a Joseon official was not smooth. Confucian scholar Kim Ryeong from Yean, Gyeongsang Province, passed the grand exam at age 35 in 1612 but only received the position of assistant at the Seungmunwon (Royal Secretariat), equivalent to an internship, two years later. At 37, already quite old, he underwent the "Heochamrye (許參禮)" and "Myeonshinrye (免新禮)," rites that all rookie officials had to go through. These two bad customs were like military hazing for newcomers today. In severe cases, people even died. Various behaviors such as forcing new officials to stand on the roof in strange postures, nitpicking all night, ostracizing, beating, or demanding bribes were rampant. This passage shows that workplace bullying was a deeply rooted bad custom.

Despite the tough work life of Joseon civil servants, there were holidays. According to the lunar calendar, the 28-day lunar cycle was divided by four, and they rested almost every seven days. They worked six days a week, starting around 5 a.m. in summer and working 12 hours. This shows the heavy workload. Fortunately, due to a shortage of candles or oil for lamps, night shifts were less frequent than expected. They could take special leave for seven days for ancestral rites, up to 70 days for nursing parents, and three years for mourning parents. This reflects the characteristics of Confucian society, which emphasized filial piety.

The book also discusses the "Jobo (朝報)," which can be considered the newspaper of the Joseon era. Jobo, the predecessor of the current official gazette, was published daily as a morning edition in Seoul and monthly in the provinces. In 1577, during King Seonjo's reign, private publishers printed it and charged subscribers. Jobo practically developed into a form of today's newspaper. Premium services existed, such as entrusting calligraphers to copy the text or enhancing the content according to the reader's social status.

Joseon History Not Found in History Books does not contain stories of heroes like Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s "Nanjung Ilgi" or Ryu Seong-ryong’s "Jingbirok," who always put the country first and had a patriotic heart. It is difficult to find any great lessons, new trends in major historical events, or consistent views. However, it is a sufficient book to reflect on our current lives by looking into the lives of Joseon’s struggling "semi-living" people who fought desperately to survive amid all kinds of hardships.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.