[K-Women Talk] Kim Eunae, a Joseon-Era Woman Who Stabbed Her Enemy to Prove Her Innocence

Killed Her Neighbor Over Malicious Adultery Rumors
An Unbearable Shame for Women of the Era
King Jeongjo Grants an Unprecedented Pardon After Hearing Her Story

In 1790, a murder occurred in Gangjin-hyeon, Jeolla Province. Eighteen-year-old newlywed Kim Eun-ae confessed to killing her neighbor, a woman named An Jo-i. However, there were complicated circumstances surrounding this murder case. The victim, An Jo-i, was like the embodiment of a middle-aged villainous woman from a drama. She spread rumors throughout the village that Eun-ae had committed adultery with her relative’s nephew, Choi Jeong-ryeon, under the pretense of arranging their marriage.

In the Joseon Dynasty, it was extremely damaging for an unmarried woman to be the subject of such scandal, but fortunately, Eun-ae’s husband believed in her innocence, and she was able to marry safely. However, An Jo-i, harboring resentment, continued to slander Eun-ae even more. Two years passed with An Jo-i’s defamation worsening, and finally, unable to endure it any longer, Eun-ae secretly took a weapon late at night and went to An Jo-i’s house.

According to the investigation after the incident, An Jo-i was older but tall and robust, while Eun-ae was rather weak. An Jo-i looked down on Eun-ae and provoked her, which ultimately led Eun-ae to kill An Jo-i. The clothes were soaked in blood to the point that their color could not be distinguished. Eun-ae even tried to kill Choi Jeong-ryeon, but stopped because her mother intervened, and then she went to the government office to surrender herself.

Even now, murder is an extremely serious crime. Yet, despite being bound and interrogated, Eun-ae showed no fear and pointed out that the authorities had never helped her until then.

"The government has done nothing for the crime of being wronged."

However, Eun-ae was very lucky. Although murder is the highest level of violence and she intentionally committed it, it was impossible for her to be without guilt. Under Joseon law, those who killed others were usually sentenced to death. But the local magistrate and governor who first arrested Eun-ae felt sympathy after hearing her story and tried hard to consider her circumstances rather than punish her. Eventually, the case reached the king.

King Jeongjo, who ruled Joseon at the time, learned of Eun-ae’s situation and issued a special order. He declared, “It is easier to commit suicide out of grievance, but she took up a knife to stab her enemy to prove her innocence,” and he bent the law to release Eun-ae without punishment. Jeongjo also ordered Lee Deok-mu to write Eunaejeon, a record of Eun-ae’s case. Although Eun-ae received an unprecedented pardon, the outcome leaves a bitter aftertaste. Eun-ae surely must have voiced her grievances over the past two years, but she was ignored and received no help. Only after committing the worst violence of murder did the world listen to her voice and sympathize with her.

Still, saying “murder is murder” is a thoughtless remark. Many women in the Joseon era ended their lives by hanging themselves from the main beam when wronged. That too was a form of violence. The difference was only whether one killed oneself or another.

Why do we obey the law? And why do we punish those who break it? The law is a set of rules for humans to live together in society. But if the law exists yet fails to protect the innocent or relieve their grievances, what should one do? By driving a knife into the cruel and heartless chest of a world indifferent to the weak, Eun-ae left her three syllables written in red in history.

Lee Han, Historical Writer

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