Book Notes
Literature
Linguistics
History
Religious Studies
Art History
History of Science
242 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
[ Literature ]*1
Kim, Jin-yeong. Gojeonjakga-ui Pungmo-wa Munhak [The Character
and Literature of Classical Writers]. Seoul: Kyung Hee University
Press, 2004, 530 pp.
, , : , 2004, 530 .
Kim Jin-yeong, Professor of Korean Language and Literature at
Kyung Hee University, says that “Up until now, my literary interest
has been drawn to the personal, human attributes of classical
writers, and I have spent much time researching them and learning
to appreciate them. What gives me the greatest joy is that I have
been able to discover the attractive qualities of character demonstrated
by the lives of the fifteen writers discussed in this book, from Choe
Chiwon to Hwang Jini, that I want to emulate in my own life, such
as constant diligence, an author's lucidity of mind, a scholar's upright
integrity, the striving effort to make one's inner and outer selves
agree and to seek concordance between one's words and actions,
loyalty to one's nation, intense training of the mind, the spirit of
surging enjoyment, a free and unfettered artistic soul, and a sincere
humanity.”
Contents: Chap. 1 Choe Chiwon / Chap. 2 Yi Inno / Chap. 3 Im
Chun / Chap. 4 Yi Gyubo / Chap. 6 Hong Gan / Chap. 7 Song Sun /
Chap. 8 Na Sechan /Chap. 9 Kim Inhu /Chap. 10 Jeong Cheol /Chap. 11
Im Je /Chap. 12 Heo Gyun /Chap. 13 Kim Manjung /Chap. 14 Hyu
Jeong / Chap. 15 Yu Jeong / Chap. 16 Hwang Jini
* Written by La Shure, Charles, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Korean Language and Literature S.N.U., and Son, Yu-gyeong, Lecturer of Ajou Univ.
Book Notes 243
Bak, Chun-u. Hanguk Ibyeolsiga-ui Jeontong [The Tradition of Korean
Poetry of Parting]. Seoul: Yeongnak Publishing, 2004, 374 pp.
, , : , 2004, 374 .
This work categorizes and expounds in detail on various aspects
of parting and separation that can be found in Korean classical
poetry. By closely analyzing the situational circumstances and the
attitudes evinced in classical poetry that deal with the subject of
parting in such ancient genres as the hyangga, Goryeo songs, sijo,
gasa, and folk songs, then determining what sort of influence they
have had on modern poetry regarding parting and separation, this
book sheds light on the fundamental sentiments and lifestyles of the
Korean people.
Contents: Part 1 Aspects of Parting Appearing in Classical Poetry -
Chap. 1 Introduction / Chap. 2 Aspects of Parting Appearing in
Ancient Songs / Chap. 3 Aspects of Parting Appearing in Hyangga /
Chap. 4 Aspects of Parting Appearing in Goryeo Songs / Chap. 5
Aspects of Parting Appearing in Sijo / Chap. 6 Aspects of Parting
Appearing in Gasa / Chap. 7 Aspects of Parting Appearing in Folk
Songs / Chap. 8 The Historical Development of the Classical Poetry
of Parting / Chap. 9 Conclusion; Part 2 The Typology of the Classical
Poetry of Parting and its Relationship to Modern Poetry of Parting
- Chap. 1 Types of Sentiments in Classical Poetry of Parting / Chap. 2
Structural Forms of Gasa of the “Miingok” Variety / Chap. 3 The
Relationship Between the Classical Poetry of Parting and Modern
Poetry of Parting
Seo, Dae-seok. Hanguk Gubimunhak-e Suyongdoen Jaedam Yeon-gu
[A Study on Witticism in Korean Oral Literature]. Seoul: Seoul
National University Press, 2004, 132 pp.
, , : , 2004,
132 .
This work takes a closer look at witticisms (“units of language
that amuse through wit or cleverness”) in genres of Korean oral
literature such as tales, folk songs, shaman songs, pansori, and
masked drama. The book provides context for a better under-
standing of the meaning of these witticisms, and examines their
244 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
techniques and effects. These techniques include the use of
homonyms, parallelisms, enumerations, exaggerations, sarcasm, and
rhyming. In particular, Korean witticisms often make use of homonyms,
taking advantage of the fact that many Sino-Korean words have the
same sounds but different meanings, thus causing deliberate
misunderstandings and evoking laughter.
Contents: Chap. 1 The Concept of Witticisms and Research Issues /
Chap. 2 Witticisms Used in the Oral Literature of the General Public /
Chap. 3 Witticisms Used in the Oral Literature of Professionals /
Chap. 4 Witticism Techniques / Chap. 5 The Literary Significance of
Witticisms / Chap. 6 Conclusion
Sin, Dong-heun. Saraitneun Urisinhwa [Our Living Myths]. Seoul:
Hankyoreh Books, 2004, 334 pp.
, , : , 2004, 334 .
This book takes the reader on a tour through the rich storehouse
of Korean folk mythology, arguing that the Korean people have a
proud mythological tradition that is second to none. More importantly,
these myths are not merely the remnants of an ancient culture
removed in both time and space: they comprise a living tradition
that reflects the spirit of the Korean people, a spirit that continues
to live and breathe in modern society. These myths will serve as
guidelines in a quest for the essence of the Korean people and for
the nature of all humankind.
Contents: Introduction: In Search of Our Myths / Chap. 1 The
World is First Opened / Chap. 2 The Two Faces of Samsin, the
Goddess of Life / Chap. 3 How Do the Gods Come? / Chap. 4 This is
a Myth / Chap. 5 In Search of the World of Mystery / Chap. 6 The
Breath of Heroic Myths / Chap. 7 The Heroes of Baekdu / Chap. 8
The Gods of Halla, the Heroes of Halla / Chap. 9 Parents and
Children in Myths / Chap. 10 Men and Women in Myths / Chap. 11
Women Play the Leading Role in Myths / Chap. 12 Where Does
Divine Nature Come From? / Conclusion: For the Return of Our Gods
Book Notes 245
Yu, Hak-yeong. 1950nyeondae Hanguk Jeonjaeng Jeonhu Soseol Yeon-
gu [A Study on the Post-Korean War Novels of the 1950s], Seoul:
Bookfolio Publishing, 2004, 254 pp.
, 1950 , : , 2004, 254 .
This research on Korean literature in the post-war 1950s is a
modified and supplemented version of the author's 1988 paper “A
Study on Korean Novels of the 1950s - Focusing on War Experiences
and the Structure of Conflict.” It is divided into four chapters, the
first of which looks at the characteristics of the 1950s, examines the
history of research on the subject, and explains the book's research
methodology. The second chapter takes a look at the process by
which the tragic experiences of the Korean War were molded through
literary creativity, and the third chapter closely examines aspects of
conflict in these novels. The fourth and final chapter carries outa
comprehensive study based on the results of the preceding chapters.
Contents: Chap. 1 Period and Literary Research / Chap. 2 War
Experiences and Literary Creativity / Chap. 3 Aspects of Conflict
Appearing in War and Post-War Novels / Chap. 4 The Significance of
War and Post-War Novels in Literary History
Yi, Yeong-tae. Goryeosogyo-wa Ginyeo [Goryeo Songs and Gisaeng].
Seoul: Gyeongin Cultural Publishing, 2004, 210 pp.
, , : , 2004, 210 .
The author of this work does not refer to the narrators of Goryeo
songs by the general term gisaeng, but analyzes these works by
subdividing the gisaeng according to their functions. Gisaeng are
divided into government and private gisaeng, and the government
gisaeng are then classified according to their roles, such as kitchen
gisaeng, cotton-spinning gisaeng, temple gisaeng, and laundry gisaeng.
Private gisaeng constituted a professional, or occupational category
of gisaeng. The book discusses each song with respect to the
corresponding type of gisaeng narrator.
Contents: Chap. 1 Introduction to Methodologies of Researching
Goryeo Songs /Chap. 2 Manjeonchunbyeolsa and Occupational Gisaeng /
Chap. 3 Jeongseokga and the Gasa Changing and Editing Abilities of
Occupational Gisaeng / Chap. 4 Dongdong and the Hyoseon Language /
246 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
Chap. 5 Yugugok, Birds, and Gisaeng / Chap. 6 Samogok and an
Aspect of Gisaeng Emotions / Chap. 7 The Variety and Origin of the
Subject of Ssanghwajeom / Chap. 8 Cheongsanbyeolgok and Kitchen
Gisaeng / Chap. 9 Seogyeongbyeolgok and Cotton-Spinning Gisaeng /
Chap. 10 Isanggok and Temple Gisaeng / Chap. 11 Naedang and Temple
Laundry Servants
Jang, Miyeong. Singminsidae Hanguk-ui Gajokjuui-wa geu Soseoljeok
Suyong [Korean Familism During the Colonial Period and its Appropria-
tion in Novels]. Seoul: Geulsotdae Publishing, 2004, 278 pp.
, , : , 2004, 278 .
This book studies novels written by Koreans in the 1930s, when
Japanese colonial rule reached its height, in order to examine the
national situation of the era and efforts to overcome colonial rule. It
probes into the situation how Korean people faced being a colonized
nation at the fringes of the flow of world history, and takes a look
at the independent efforts of the Korean people to establish a
position for themselves under those historical circumstances.
Contents: Chap. 1 Introduction / Chap. 2 Familialism and Family
Novels / Chap. 3 Family Structure and Narrative Structure / Chap. 4
Changes in Family Consciousness /Chap. 5 Explorations of Alternative
Families / Chap. 6 The Significance of Family Novels in the History
of Literature / Chap. 7 Conclusion
Cho, Dong-il. Samguksidae Seolhwa-ui Tteutpuri [Interpreting the
Meaning of Three Kingdom Period Tales]. Paju: Jipmoondang
Publishing, 2004, 296 pp.
, , : , 2004, 296 .
This work is the fulfillment of the author's desire to gather
together all the tales of the Three Kingdoms period, including those
in the Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms. The book conducts a
detailed historical investigation of these tales, so as to uncover the
origins of Korean literature and contribute to other fields related to
literature as well. The Three Kingdoms period was the golden age of
tales, a genre that secured Korean cultural integrity, and it is this
Book Notes 247
period and this genre to which this work turns its undivided
attention.
Contents: Part 1 Examining the Texts - Chap. 1 Materials and
Methodology / Chap. 2 Manifesting Wondrous and Strange Powers /
Chap. 3 The Aid of the Spirits and the Buddha / Chap. 4 The Issue
of Hierarchical Relationships / Chap. 5 The Issue of Male-Female
Relationships / Chap. 6 Conclusion; Part 2 Examination of Problems -
Chap. 1 The Basic Character of Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms
Tales / Chap. 2 The Sublime and the Vulgar as Portrayed in Buddhist
Tales / Chap. 3 The Relationship with Orally Transmitted Tales
Kim, Byung-hak. Christianity and Korean Literature during Korea's
Enlightenment Era. Yeoklak, 2004, 256 pp.
, , , 2004, 256 .
This book is based upon the author's dissertation on Korean
literature in the Enlightenment era. The author investigates the
influence of Christianity on Korean literature in the Enlightenment
era with synthetic as well as systematic methods. This book is divided
into three parts. Part 1 examines the specificity of the literature in
the Enlightenment era by investigating the background to Christianity
in Korea and the emergence of Christian literature. Part 2 deals
with some aspects of the development and transformation of poems
in the Enlightenment era. Part 3 focuses on the development and
transformation of novels in the Enlightenment era.
Contents: Chap. 1 Introduction / Chap. 2 The Importation of
Christianity and the Emergence of Christian Literature / Chap. 3 Poems
of the Enlightenment Era and Some Aspects of the Importation of
Christianity / Chap. 4 Novels in the Enlightenment Era and Some
Aspects of the Importation of Christianity /Chap. 5 Significance of
Christian Literature in the Enlightenment Era / Chap. 6 Conclusion
Kim, Chan-ki. The Development of Modern Korean Novels and
Traditional Korean Jeon. Somyung, 2004, 310 pp.
, , , 2004, 310 .
According to this book, Jeon in the Enlightenment era can be
248 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
divided into two categories. One belongs to “fact” and the other
belongs to “fiction.” These two styles are different from each other
in terms of their stylistic characteristics as well as their aesthetics.
Chapter 1 reviews previous studies in the field. In Chapter 2, the
author notes the fact that Jeon in the Enlightenment era included
not only “fact” but also “fiction,” and claims also that the Jeon
rediscovered the values of Korea's “post-Middle Age.” Chapter 3
deals with the relationship between literature [ ] and national
identity in an era when the idea of “governing a nation through
literature [ ]” functioned as a ruling ideology. Chapter 4 focuses on
the characteristics of modern fiction-oriented Jeon in the Enlighten-
ment era. Struggling against traditional Jeon, modern fiction-
oriented Jeon turned out to be a new literary style that established
its own historicity. In this chapter the author also investigates the
aesthetic characteristics of the modern Jeon.
Contents: Part 1 - Chap. 1 Introduction / Chap. 2 The Transforma-
tion of Jeon in the Enlightenment Era and its Stylistic Characteristics /
Chap. 3 Fact-Oriented Jeon and The Idea of Enlightenment / Chap. 4
Fiction-Oriented Jeon and Modernity; Chap. 5 Conclusion; Part 2 -
Chap. 1 A Study of the “Jeon of Aristotle” in Hanseong-Sunbo /
Chap. 2 A Study of the “Jeon of Cheongaesomun.”
Pak, Heon-ho. Colonial Modernity and Style in Novels. Somyung,
2004, 446 pp.
, , , 2004, 446 .
This book criticizes the conventional, formulaic association of
short stories with aestheticism and of novels with popularism.
Examining the history of modern Korean novels and the stylistic
history of Korean short stories, the author investigates the influence of
colonial modernity on novelistic styles in Korean Literature. This
book also problematizes the recent inclinations of studies on Japanese
modernity.
Contents: Introduction / Part 1 - Chap. 1 The Subject of Style
Concerning Modern Korean Novels / Chap. 2 Modern Korean Short
Stories and Kim Dong-in / Chap. 3 Short Stories as a Ruling Genre
In the History of Modern Korean Novels / Chap. 4 The Historical
Book Notes 249
Direction of Kim Dong-in's View of Literature / Chap. 5 Modern
Korean Novels and the Internal Narrative / Chap. 6 The Subject of
Desire and Na Do-hyang /Chap. 7 The Relationship between Motherhood
and Modern Subjectivity in Na Do-hyang's Mother; Chap. 8 Shaking
Colonial Doubleness in Hyeon Jin-geon's Wan Morning Mist; Part 2 -
Chap. 9 A Study on Yoo Jin-O / Chap. 10 A Study on Gu-in-hwae /
Chap. 11 The Structure and Meaning of the Family-History-Novel in
the Late 1930's; Part 3 - Chap. 12 The Relationship between Idea
and Popularization in Kim Dong-lee's Liberation / Chap. 13 The
Features of Literary Criticism in the 1950's: Toward a Theory of
National Culture / Chap. 14 A Scene of Alienation in Seo Jeong-in's
River
Seo, Young-chae. The Narrative of Love. Mineum Press, 2004,
392 pp.
, , , 2004, 392 .
This book investigates the spirit of the literature of Lee Kwang-
soo, Yeom Sang-seop, and Lee Sang. It also examines the inner
dynamic of modern Korean literature. Instead of “modernism as
experience,” the author focuses on the issue of “modernism as
logic.” Therefore, this book attempts to clarify the difference between
Lee Kwang-soo, Yeom Sang-seop, and Lee Sang's literary subjectivity by
analyzing the narrative of love in their works. The author interprets
the connotation of the term love functioning as a main vehicle in
narratives of love. According to this book, Lee Kwang-soo, Yeom
Sang-sep, and Lee Sang are distinguished from each other in terms
of how each deals with the paradox of love.
Contents: Introduction; Part 1 Idealism, Love, and Patriotic
Subjectivity: Lee Kwang-soo - Chap. 1 The Significance of the “Liberation
of Sentiment” /Chap. 2 The Emergence of Passion /Chap. 3 Romantic
Love and Idealism / Chap. 4 Love as Solidarity; Part 2 The Realism
of Love and the Subjectivity of Artisanship: Yeom Sang-seop - Chap. 1
The Elimination of Passion and Mature Love / Chap. 2 Cynicism and
Realism / Chap. 3 The Narrative of Romance and the Realism of Love /
Chap. 4 The Sincerity of Love and Literature; Part 3 Masochism and
Love, An Artist as A Prodigal: Lee Sang - Chap. 1 Subjectivity in Lee
250 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
Sang's Literature and The Theme of Love / Chap. 2 The Rhetoric of
Love / Chap. 3 Death and Repetition In Lee Sang's Literature / Chap. 4
Masochistic Writing and The Emergence of the Aesthetic Subject;
Conclusion
Woo, Jung-kwon. The Development of the Modern Korean Confes-
sional Novel and Its Narrative Style. Somyung, 2004, 292 pp.
, , , 2004, 292 .
According to this book, modern Korean novels in the 1920s
inherited their narrative style from traditional Korean narratives
rather than from Japanese or Western literature. The author emphasizes
the fact that Lee Deok-mu, Pak Ji-won, and Yoo Deuk- gong's
narrative style developed from the short narratives of the 1910s,
which also created modern Korean novels by such authorsas Lee
Kwang-soo, Kim Dong-in, Yeom Sang-seop, Na Do-hyang, and Hyun
Jin-keon. The author also attempts to identify the traditional narrative
style of confession as the defining essence of modern Korean novels.
For example, Lee Kwang-soo's To A Little Friend, Kim Dong-in's
The Sorrow of a Timid Person, and Hyun Jin-keon's A Poor Wife
reflect the authors' personal experience and private history. These
autobiographical elements are the origins of modern writings.
Contents: Introduction / Chap. 1 How to Examine Confessional
Novels / Chap. 2 The Development of the Confessional Narrative /
Chap. 3 The Narrative Style of Confessional Novels / Chap. 4 The
Significance of Confessional Novels in Korean Literary History /
Chap. 5 The Emergence of Modern Novels and Confessional Novels
Lee, Seong-wook. Modern Korean Literature and Urban Culture.
Munhwa-kwahak Press, 2004, 302 pp.
, , , 2004, 302 .
This book analyzes the relationships between the phenomena of
city or urban culture in the colonial period and its representations
in literary materials. It is noteworthy that this book is a thorough
academic work dealing with not only modern Korean literature but
also modern Korean culture. In this sense, this book can be evaluated
Book Notes 251
and appreciated as a work of cultural studies.
Seoul in the 1930s was characterized by its modern spatial
arrangements such as electric trains, department stores, and cafes.
According to the author, Korean literature representing urban lives
in that period overcame previous attitudes of both strong opposi-
tion and enthusiasm toward the new urban lifestyle. Instead, it
developed a structural affinity between the new urban subjectivity
and literary representation.
Contents: Introduction / Chap. 1 The Subject of the “City” / Chap.
2 Some Aspects of the Representation of the City in Modern
Korean Literature / Chap. 3 The Absence and Excess of Urban
Sensibility / Chap. 4 Department stores and Urban Culture / Chap. 5 A
Crowd and A Flâneur / Conclusion
Lee, Jae-bok. Korean Literature and the Poetics of the Body.
Taehak Press, 2004, 364 pp.
, , , 2004, 364 .
This book attempts to synthesize “eco” and “digital” themes
through via the “body.” The author deals with currently contro-
versial issues regarding the various postmodern discourses of the
body, taking as his starting point the accumulated works of previous
research concerning the subject. Analyzing the subject of the body
with the modernism of Lee Sang's novels, the author calls attention to
the issue of modernism, modernity, postmodernism, and post-modernity
in modern Korean literature.
Contents: Introduction / Chap. 1 Reflections on the Discourse of
the Body and Its Future / Chap. 2 The Body in Lee Sang's Novels
and the Metaphor of Modernity / Chap. 3 The Aesthetics of the Body
and the Postmodern Imagination
Cho, Young-bok. The Ideology and Aesthetics of Korean Poems of
The Early 1920s. Somyung, 2004, 364 pp.
, 1920 , , 2004, 364 .
This book attempts to reorganize poems of the early period of
literary groups in the 1920s from a different point of view.
252 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
According to previous research on the Korean literary movement
groups Changjo, Pyeheo, and Baekjo, the poems of these groups
were characterized by an imitation of Western Symbolism and
Romanticism, and therefore the significance of these poems within
literary history was assessed to be nothing more than the limited
significance of imitative efforts. This view originated from the
conventional way of regarding the journals of this period of literary
groups as pure literary magazines. The author, however, emphasizes
the fact that early magazines such as Pyeheo, Changmichon, Baekjo,
Samgwang, Shincheongnyeon, and Shinsaenghwal included not only
literary writers but also ideological-activists. The author also focuses
on revealing the fact that writers such as Hwang Seok-woo,
Namgung Byeok, Yeom Sang-seop and socialist ideologists such as Lee
Hyeok-noe, Na Kyung-seok, and Jeong Tae-shin played common roles
in terms of establishing modern Korean literature. In particular, the
mutual communication between anarchists and literary writers had a
vital influence on developing the ideas of modern literary aesthetics.
Contents: Chap. 1 Introduction / Chap. 2 The Study of Modern
Poems And Positive Methods / Chap. 3 How to Interpret Poems
from the Period of New Literary Movements / Chap. 4 Discourse in
the Age of New Literary Factions and the Stairs of Subjective Arts /
Chap. 5 New Poetic Ideals in the Age of New Literary Factions and
The Emergence of Metaphor / Chap. 6 The Conditions of Publishing
Journals in the Period of Early Modern Literature / Chap. 7 The
Features of Amateur Writers in Jangmichon / Chap. 8 Poems of a
Socialist Ideologist /Chap. 9 Aspects of Aesthetic Cognition in Early
Modern Poems and the Systematization of Modern Poetry /Chap. 10
The Establishment of a New Self-Consciousness among Korean
Poets and the Genealogy of Modern Korean Poems
Choe, Dong-ho. The Significance of the History of Modern Korean
Poems. Korea University Press, 2004, 412 pp.
, , , 2004, 412 .
It seems particularly meaningful to ruminate on the poets of 20th
century, their lives, and their poems at this present moment in
history. This book describes the history of poems from the years 1945
Book Notes 253
to 2000, including the literary history of North Korea. The author
argues that this integrated approach of surveying both the literature
of South and North Korea will significantly enrich our nation's
literary sources. The author also emphasizes that a history of
Korean poems should demonstrate a concern for not only humanity
in general but also for the specific history of this nation.
Contents: Part 1 The Methods of Describing the History of
Modern Poems - Chap. 1 How to Write the History of Modern Poems /
Chap. 2 The Digital Era and the Writing of the History of Poetry;
Part 2 The Development of the History of Modern Korean Poems -
Chap. 1 Perspectives / Chap. 2 Poetic Chaos in the Postwar Period /
Chap. 3 Poetic Usefulness in the 1960-70s / Chap. 4 Poetic Prolifera-
tion At The Turning Point /Chap. 5 Toward a New National Literature;
Part 3 The Poetry of the Digital Era and Its Historical Meanings -
Chap. 1 The Significance of the New Generation of Turn-of-the-century
Poets / Chap. 2 Poetic Dialectics, From Oppression to Liberation /
Chap. 3 Postmodern Poems In The 1990s / Chap. 4 The Vortex of
The History of Poems At The End of 20th Century / Chap. 5 Poetic
Sacredness and Reality; Part 4 The History of Modern Poems of
North Korea - Chap. 1 Perspectives / Chap. 2 Poems as Culture in the
Postwar Period /Chap. 3 Poems as Juche Literary Art in the 1960-70s /
Chap. 4 Poetic Transformation at The Turning Point / Chap. 5 The
Future of Poetry in South and North Korea
Research Institution of Literature and Criticism. The Genealogy of
Power of Korean Literature. Korean Publishing Marketing Research
Institute, 2004, 350 pp.
, , , 2004, 350 .
This book investigates the genealogy of literary institutions and
the literary canon from the 1950s to the 1970s that has exercised a
substantial influence upon Korean literature. The authors criticize
these central members of the literary field because of their
partisanship, favoritism, and academic sectionalism. At the same
time, the authors also strive to establish an alternative literary
paradigm. Part 1 deals with the process of canon formation by
analyzing literary textbooks, discourses on pure literature, and the
254 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
academic practices of foreign literature majors. Part 2 examines Kim
Dong-lee, Seo Jeong-joo, Pak Mok-wal, and Yoo Chee-jin, all of
whom have established the major institutions of Korean literature.
Part 3 investigates such publications as Sasang-gye, Creation and
Criticism, The Literature and the Intellect, and Literary Ideas
which have played an important role in the history of modern
Korean literature.
Contents: Introduction: Mapping the Genealogy of the Institution
of Literary Institutions and the Canon; Part 1 Establishing Represen-
tational Power and the Canon - Chap. 1 The Canonization of Literary
Texts and Literary Power / Chap. 2 The Establishment of “Pure”
Literature and The Logic of Exclusion / Chap. 3 Discussions on
Realism in the 1960-1970s and Representational Influence as Practiced
by Academic Critics of Foreign Literature; Part 2 The Undermining
of the Creative Power of the Literary Field - Chap. 1 Kim Dong-lee
and Literary Power / Chap. 2 Study on Yoo Chee-jin's Theory of the
Play in the 1950s and Historical Dramas / Chap. 3 A Reflection on
Literary Power and Canonization; Part 3 The Subversion of the
Center, the Return of The Other - Chap. 1 The Dong-in Literary
Prize and the Reorganization of the Postwar Literary Field / Chap. 2
The Desires of Intellectuals and the Mechanism of Exclusion in The
Theory of National Literature / Chap. 3 The Isolation of Postwar
Criticism and Its Exclusive Power-Orientedness / Chap. 4 Toward an
Empty Center
Sangheo Research Institution. Modernity and the Subjects of Novels
in the 1960's. Kipeunsaem, 2004, 432 pp.
, 1960 , , 2004, 432 .
The Sangheo research institution has published its 12th journal.
This book is divided into two parts, one of which contains featured
articles concerning the issue of the modernity and the subjects of
novels in the 1960s, and the other is comprised of general articles.
Specifically, Part 1 deals with the issue of modernity and subjectivity,
the meaning of intellectuals, various aspects and the significances of
aesthetic subjects, and the issue of the subaltern in our industrialized
society.
Book Notes 255
Contents: Part 1 Featured Articles - Modernity and the Subjects of
Novels in the 1960s - Chap. 1 The Subjects of Novels in the 1960s
and the Intellectuals' Identity / Chap. 2 Precarious Literary Subjects
and Modernity / Chap. 3 A Study on the Resistant Urban Subaltern
in the 1960s / Chap. 4 The “Negating Father,” Or An Adventure of
Aesthetic Subjects in the 1960s / Chap. 5 Bildungsroman and the
Ideology of Progress; Part 2 General Articles - Chap. 1 The Education
of Literature, Art and “Sympathy”; Chap. 2 Lee Kwang-soo's Ideas in
“Development of Agricultural Villages” and “Civilized Korea” / Chap. 3
Knowledge, Culture, and the Literature of Identifi-cation and
Discrimination / Chap. 4 The Ladies of “Troops in the Rear” [Chonghoo
Ladies], the Modern Women, and Spies / Chap. 5 A Study of the
Fascism of Novels in the 1950s / Chap. 6 Poetics and Rhetoric / Chap. 7
The Characteristics and Significance of Desire in Choe In-hoon's
Kwangjang / Chap. 8 A Study of Kim Jong-sam's Poems / Chap. 9
Novels against Globalization and the Post-Cold War Era
256 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
[ Linguistics ]*2
Ko, Yeonggeun et al. Bukhan-ui Munbeop Yeongu-wa Munbeop Gyoyuk
[Grammar Studies and Education in North Korea]. Bakijeong, 2004.
, , , 2004.
This book is a collection of articles on grammar study in North
Korea. It represents a comprehensive investigation that covers grammar
education and the relationship between ideology and grammar
theory. Foreign language education is also covered.
Contents: Part 1 Language Theory and Language Philosophy in
North Korea; Part 2 Studies on Morphology in North Korea; Part 3
Studies on Syntax in North Korea; Part 4 Korean Grammar
Education in North Korea; Part 5 Foreign Language Education in
North Korea
Kim, Mu-rim. Gugeo-ui Yeoksa [History of the Korean Language].
Hangukmunhwasa, 2004.
, , , 2004.
Based on the author's lecture notes for “History of the Korean
Language” over a ten year period, this book provides a systematic
history of Korean. From a historical perspective, this book consists
of three parts: ancient, middle, and modern Korean, each of which
is explained in terms of orthography, phoneme, grammar, and
lexicon. Although the book focuses mainly on middle Korean, the
lexical change of dialects is also covered.
Contents: Chap. 1 Introduction / Chap. 2 Ancient Korean / Chap. 3
Middle Korean /Chap. 4 Modern Korean /Chap. 5 Contemporary Korean
* Written by Ha, Shin-young, M.D. Candidate, Department of Korean Language and Literature, S.N.U.
Book Notes 257
Park, Young-sun. Hangukeo Uimiron [Korean Semantics]. Korea
University Press, 2004.
, , , 2004.
With the main purpose of investigating the fundamental nature
and properties of the structure of meaning, this book analyzes
actual meanings and discusses semantic theories of Korean from the
perspective of lexicon, syntax, and discourse. The study challenges
discontinuity and dichotomy in traditional language descriptions and
proposes a “synthetic semantics,” which synthetically describes the
continuity and diversity between meaning and form.
Contents: Chap. 1 The Foundation of Semantics / Chap. 2 Lexical
Semantics / Chap. 3 Sentential Semantics / Chap. 4 Logical Semantics /
Chap. 5 Pragmatic Semantics / Chap. 6 A Study for the Synthetic
Semantics
Park, Hyeong-u. Gukeo Bujeongmun-ui Byeoncheon Yeon-gu [A Study
on Changes of the Korean Negative Sentence]. Hangukmunhwasa,
2004.
, , , 2004.
This book provides an in-depth analysis of negative sentences.
The study broadens the scope of research on the negative sentence
to ancient Korean and the process of change. The analysis consists
of three periodical considerations ― ancient Korean, ancient-middle
Korean, and middle Korean ― and clarifies the types of negative
sentences, the characteristics of each type, and the causes of change.
Contents: Part 1 Introduction / Purpose of Study / Previous Studies /
Methods and Object; Part 2 Changing Aspects of the Negative
Sentence /Basic Concepts / The Negative Sentence in Ancient Korean /
The Negative Sentence in Ancient-Middle Korean / The Negative
Sentence in Middle Korean; Part 3 Conclusion
Lee, Gwang-ho. Geundaegukeo Munbeopron [The Grammar of Modern
Korean]. Taehaksa, 2004.
, , , 2004.
This book, meant as a textbook for university students who are
258 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
interested in modern Korean grammar, covers phonology as well as
morphology and syntax. Along with an explanation of morphemic and
syntactic structures, the core of modern Korean grammar, the book
also deals with the issues in letters, phonography, and the Korean
phoneme system.
Contents: Part 1 Introduction / Letters and Phonography / Phonological
System and Phonological Change; Part 2 Form / Word Structure and
Word Formation / Inflection /Modifier and Absolute Word; Part 3
Syntax / Structure of Sentence / Extension of Sentence / Syntactic
Specialty
Choi, Myoung-ok. Gukeoeumullon [Korean Phonology]. Taehaksa, 2004.
, , , 2004.
This book, an introductory course on Korean phonology, gives an
introduction to phonology, and approaches Korean phonology from
the perspective of generative phonology, with an emphasis on concrete
phonology. The main data discussed are limited to standard Korean.
Contents: Chap. 1 Introduction / Chap. 2 Phoneme List / Chap. 3
Phonemes and Their Distinctive Features / Chap. 4 The Syllable /
Chap. 5 The Phonological Process / Chap. 6 Phonological Processes and
Phonological Rules / Chap. 7 Phonological Processes and Morpho-
phonological Rules / Chap. 8 Methods of Phonological Description /
Chap. 9 Phonological Changes /Chap. 10 Spelling Forms, Phonetic Forms,
and Underlying Forms
Choi, Jae-hui. Hangukeo Munbeopron [Korean Grammar]. Taehaksa,
2004.
, , , 2004.
This book deals with basic concepts in Korean grammar. The first
half presents the characteristics of language in general and Korean
in particular, the developing process of grammar studies (from
traditional grammar to generative grammar), and the nature of
words. The second half introduces the essentials of generative
theory and applies the theory to Korean, especially in terms of
X-bar theory.
Book Notes 259
Contents: Chap. 1 Language and Korean /Chap. 2 Formation and
Development of Grammar Studies /Chap. 3 The Structure of Words /
Chap. 4 Substantives and Inflectionals / Chap. 5 Particles / Chap. 6
Sentence Constituents and Closings / Chap. 7 The Basis of Generative
Theory /Chap. 8 X-bar Theory and Korean Syntax /Chap. 9 Embedding
and Conjunctions /Chap. 10 Tense /Chap. 11 Passives and Causative /
Chap. 12 Negation / Chap. 13 Antithesis
Choi, Jeon-seung. Hangukeo Bangeon-ui Gongsijeok Gujo-wa
Tongsijeok Byeonhwa [Synchronic Structure and Diachronic Changes
in Korean Dialects]. Yeokrak, 2004.
, , , 2004.
This book is a collection of articles on diachronic and synchronic
linguistic transformation. Focusing on regional dialects and historical
linguistic data, the study accounts for linguistic change and varia-
tion. The data collected through dialectal and historical research are
explained on the basis of sociolinguistic variation theory.
Contents: Part 1 Development and Differentiation of Regional
Dialects; Part 2 Dialect and the Formation of Standard Korean;
Part 3 Dialectal Morphology and Grammaticalization; Part 4 A
Synchronic Description of Regional Dialects and Historicity; Part 5
Appendix
260 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
[ History ]*3
The Organization of Korean Historians (Depts. of Ancient History).
Transmission from the Ancient Past. Pureun Yeoksa, 2004.
, , , 2004.
The Organization of Korean Historians has contributed much to
the development of Korean historical studies, not only by engaging
in sophisticated historical research but also by participating in an
enormous task meant to transform such academic studies so that
the general public could have easy access to the results and gain
more historical knowledge and understanding. The 18 articles in
this aptly titled book, written by those who specialize in ancient
Korean history, share something in common in that every article
deals with historical information collected from letters or lines from
excavated artifacts, which include epigraphs and other inscriptions, or
even tile pieces and wooden tablets. In fact, inscriptions upon stone
monuments and other various forms of epigraphy are all crucial
resources for historians considering that transcribed or printed
documents containing historical information of the ancient periods
are rarely found intact. History can be complex and inaccessible to
the average person, but here we are presented with 18th stories that
effectively examine age-old artifacts and the information they give
us, in a rather educationally entertaining way, without being overly
academic. From the famous Goguryeo Gwanggaeto Mausoleum
tablet to the Shilla Naengsuri-bi and Bongpyeong-bi tablets, from
Baekjae tile pieces to Shilla Wooden tablets, we can deeply feel the
wisdom of the ancient people who left these invaluable insights to
us.
* Written by Lee, Kang-Hahn, and An, Jong-chol, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Korean History, S.N.U.
Book Notes 261
Song, Ho Jeong et al. Historical Atlas of Korea. Sagyaejeol, 2004.
, , , 2004.
History is usually viewed as a linear entity determined and
defined by time rather than the space it occupies. But space is as
important a factor in history as time; historical facts and events and
historical lessons are all about the places, locations, regions, and
countries where such events actually took place, as much as they
are about time. Unfortunately, however, Korean researchers have
produced very few geographical textbooks combined with historical
side-notes, save for a few geography textbooks written for middle
and high school students. Historical Atlas of Korea fills a gap in
this respect and covers the days of the ancient states to contemporary
events. Each phase of our history is divided in terms of specific
topics and displayed with vivid maps and graphic tables, helping
readers understand what the geographical features of our country
are and what role these features played during the various phases of
Korean history. It is true that certain periods of history should have
been fleshed out even more and that certain areas are less
developed than expected, but, overall, this is a compelling book.
Though not perfect, the work is compelling and relevant.
Roh, Myung Ho et al. Issues Regarding the Local Administration of
Korean Ancient and Medieval Periods. Jipmoondang, 2004.
, , , 2004.
This book contains five articles, all of which deal with various
local entities that constituted the ancient and medieval local
administrations of Korea. The first three articles examine important
local units such as capitals, minor local capitals, or Chon [ ] and
Do [ ] units, and the last two, which deal with the social status of
local officials and local self-defense communities, cover not only the
units but also the structure surrounding the units. As the authors
state in the opening of the book, local administration usually reveals
two distinctive features: the one is the administrative aspect of
being directly related to the central government and also being
regulated by central-local dynamics; and the other is its representa-
tion of local public lives and local situations. In addition, this book
262 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
has a detailed section on epigraphy materials re-collected from
numerous relevant studies that had been announced in the past. In
this section, these materials are listed and re-examined in terms of
bibliographical aspects and also the contents. As the authors claim,
epigraphic inscriptions or other types of various excavated articles,
and most importantly the letters identified upon them, are no less
important than ordinary written or printed materials. Moreover,
these materials are well organized. According to the authors, materials
collected here are from excavation reports, thesis and picture books
that were published before the end of 2000, and these materials are
enlisted or introduced for the first time. Artifacts are presented in
group-categories determined by the location they were found, and
each material is given with a list for the readers to know what kind
of studies had been conducted regarding that particular material.
Most artifacts are tile pieces or earthenware, but the inscriptions are
so clearly dated and located that they serve as a huge storage of
information.
Kim, Chang Seok. The Commercial Circulation System of the Three
Kingdoms Period and the Unified Shilla Period. Iljogak, 2004.
, , , 2004.
This book, a revision of the author's doctoral dissertation, begins
with a critique of past studies before giving sold definitions to the
key terms in this area. Chapter 1 examines the features of the
ancient marketplaces and the changes that occurred in the nature of
the markets, and the following chapter covers the official merchants
and markets arranged by the authorities as well as the handicraft
production at the time. Chapter 3 deals with the warehouse storage
system, along with the taxation system and methods, and Chapters
4 & 5 deal with currency and circulation issues, including material
currency and mintage matters, and also civilian trades and the
overall circulation of commercial goods of that era. Finally, the
author pursues the issue of revealing the nature of the circulation
system which was established and overseen by the government and
attempts to determine the nature and characteristics of commercial
activities that prevailed during the Three Kingdoms and Unified
Book Notes 263
Shilla periods.
Jang, Dong Ik. Ancient and Medieval Japanese Documents Containing
Information on Goryeo. Seoul National University Press, 2004.
, , , 2004.
The author, a specialist on Goryeo history, especially during the
time when Goryeo fell under the invasion and later massive political
interference of the Mongol Yuan regime, is renowned for his
impressive collection of data regarding the history of Goryeo from
foreign sources, such as the Yuan and Sung dynasties. In his
previous works, such as the Yuondae Ryeosa Jaryo Jibrok [
], he searched through various kinds of Yuan-based
official documents, diaries, letters, test results, anthologies, and even
geographic texts, and secured all kinds of remarks or references
regarding the Goryeo dynasty in any form, in any magnitude. And
then, such acquired remarks and references were assorted into
various categories such as politics, economy, society, culture, and
other numerous fields. The author has repeated his efforts in his
next work, Songdae Ryeosa Jaryo Jibrok [ ]. Now
the author even seems to have surpassed his previous achievements
in this installment, as Japanese sources were rather ignored or
forgotten in past studies of the Goryeo history, yet he has compiled
a vast amount of data, which were collected from various Japanese
sources. As the author mentions, consulting foreign historical texts
is most important for ancient and medieval history researchers from
Korea, as Korean texts which currently contain information on that
era do not simply tell us much. Japanese diaries, chronicles, official
documents, publications, and letters, or even commemoration notes
were all covered in this project. Now all that is left for us is to put
his works to good use, and broaden the horizon of historical studies
of ancient and medieval Korean history.
264 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
Min, Hyeon Gu. The Political History of Goryeo. Korea University
Press, 2004.
, , , 2004.
The author is a renowned scholar in the field of Goryeo dynasty
and he occupies an important place in the entire canvas of that
particular field. With this book he delivers another part of his
research, in which he discusses the political aspects of various phases
in Goryeo history. He approaches the subject based on two concepts,
namely the concept of Unifying and that of staying Independent.
The issues covered in this book include Goryeo's unification of the
later Three Kingdoms period, the Goryeo dynasty's relations with
foreign entities in its early days, the insurrection of Myocheong and
the military government of the middle period, the Mongol invasion,
and the Sam-byeolcho resistance, but all these issue have been
given a new interpretation. The last part of the book examines the
final days of Goryeo with all the changes that accompanied the birth
of a new dynasty. Coming from an experienced senior of the field, the
discussions are highly informative.
Sambong Jeong Do Jeon Commemoration Committee. Reviewing the
Life and Achievements of Politician Jeong Do Jeon. Gyeongsaeweon,
2004.
, , , 2004.
This book contains four articles featuring the life of Jeong Do
Jeon as a prominent politician, his political relationships, his
diplomatic strategies derived from his own works, and also the issue
of how he developed his own character and what his ideological
influences were. The role Jeong Do Jeon played during the fall of
the Goryeo dynasty and the foundation of the Joseon dynasty was
pivotal and the reason he could play such a role in those chaotic
changes was that he was well-prepared. He wrote books on how the
new-born Joseon dynasty should function and what kind of an
administration it should establish. His specialties ranged from politics
to economics, and from society to philosophy. This book describes
the life of a great man more vividly than ever.
Book Notes 265
Choi, Seung Hi. The History of Journalism in the Early Days of
Joseon Dynasty. Jishik Saneob-sa, 2004.
, , , 2004.
This book is a collection of the author's works dealing with the
activities of the Eon-gwan [ ] officials, who were in charge of
criticizing governmental policies and the actions of the King from
the early days of the Joseon dynasty. The offices in charge of the
aforementioned task, especially in the early days of Joseon, were the
Daegan [ ] officials from the Saheon-bu [ ] and Sagan-weon
[ ] offices, and also the Jibhyeon-jeon [ ] and Hongmun-
gwan [ ] offices. The establishment of the Daegan system is
discussed in Chapter 1, and then Jibhyeon-jeon is examined in
Chapters 2 and 3. An examination of Hongmun-gwan follows in
Chapters 4, 5, and 6, and in the final two chapters, the dynamics
between such officials or offices and the King is examined, along
with the actual remarks or references made by such officials.
Lee, Min Wung. The Navel Battles during the Imjin Waeran War.
Cheongeoram Media, 2004.
, , , 2004.
The Imjin Waeran War, which was initiated by the Japanese
invasion of Joseon territory, is one of the most well-known and
most-discussed wars in Korean history. As the first major warfare
that Joseon dynasty was forced to experience, the war changed the
features of the Korean peninsula politically, economically and socially.
Numerous studies have so far tried to examine various aspects of the
war and many things have been elaborated. Yet, the actual warfare
itself was rather heavily dealt with in terms of inland battles, while
naval battles were somewhat under-researched (though being well-
recognized). The author, who already covered this issue in his
doctoral dissertation, tries in this book to capture the most elaborate
details and the ulterior workings of the numerous naval battles that
were fought during the war. He also examines the status of the Lee
Sun Shin fleet and key victories. He not only analyzes the proceedings
of such battles but also the meaning we can derive from such
conflicts either in political terms or strategic terms, or terms of
266 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
impact it had upon the Joseon people's war efforts during the war.
The beginning of the war, nature of the Japanese situation prior to
their resorting to an invasion, the early days' victories of the Joseon
fleet, the subsequent, prolonged and also lengthy truce negotiations
conducted between Japan and the Chinese Ming dynasty, the fall of
the Joseon fleet and the efforts to reassemble it, and the final
victory repelling the Japanese naval forces from Joseon, are all
examined here.
Kim, Tae-joon. A Study of the Government Finance of the Late Yi
Dynasty (1895-1910): An Analysis of the Budgetary System and the
Budget Structure. Seoul: Taehaksa, 2004.
, : , , 2004.
This book is based on Dr. Kim's dissertation at Yonsei University
from 1974, and newly embraced and published by Prof. Tae-jin Yi at
Seoul National University. Kim's main argument is that Korea first
established a modernized budgetary system in 1895. From that time
onward, annual budgets were set up and implemented in accordance
with the Budgetary Accounting Law and other regulations of the Yi
Dynasty. According to this book, during the period when Korean
sovereignty manifested itself from 1896 through 1904, the authorities
carried out budgets in a rational and effective way. But the budgets
were not open to the public through official channels from 1897 to
1905, the year when Korea saw the Protectorate Treaty by Japan. In
addition to that fact, Japan tried to deny the historical fact in an
effort to invite their officials in order to materialize their scheme of
colonization.
In order to redress this issue, the author tried to find out historical
facts concerning Korea's past budgetary system. This is the primary
objective of this study. The second objective, according to Dr. Kim, is to
classify and analyze the data related to the budgetary system, including
the Budgetary Accounting Law, pertinent rules or regulations,
organization of relevant authorities such as the Ministry of Finance,
the Institutions of Revenue, Customs, and Auditors. The third is to
reconstruct original budget of Yi Dynasty and analyze them in terms
of their structure, scale and balance or deficit. And finally it is
Book Notes 267
attempted in the budgets that accelerated Korea's colonization.
Choi, Mun-hyung. The Russo-Japanese War and the Japanese
Annexation of Korea. Seoul: Chisiksan'opsa, 2004.
, , : , 2004.
This book deals with the international dimensions of the Russo-
Japanese War and the Japanese Annexation of Korea. Prof. Choi
was a well-known scholar on international history related to late
19th and early 20th century Korea. Because this book contains very
different interpretations from the Japanese scholarship on this
topic, it will also be published in Japan.
Scholars in western countries and Japan tend to focus on the
rivalry of Japan and Russia and on Japanese domestic issues when
they study this topic. Even though it is well known that the target
of this war was Korea and northeastern provinces in China, the
Korean annexation has not been well analyzed. So the author argues
that this war was related not just to the two warring countries, but
also to Korea and China. Moreover, the war was very important to
other western powers such as Britain, the U.S., France and Germany.
It means that the war was a miniature world war before World War
I. The author keenly analyzes each Western power's interest.
With these facts in mind, the author also tried to analyze the War
and its results in critical and comprehensive ways. After this
international war, the Protectorate treaty in Korea was concluded in
1905, and Japanese dominance over Korea became a fait accompli.
The contribution of this book is to show that the Korean annexation
could be possible after the 1905 Treaty, when Japan solved the
Manchu issue through the Kastura-Taft secret agreement and the
two Russo-Japanese Agreements.
268 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
Ryu, Dae-young. The Enlightenment Period Chos n and American
Missionary: Imperial Invasion, Enlightening Self-Strength, and
American Missionary. Seoul: The Institute of Church History, 2004.
, : , ,
, : , 2004.
This book is based on the second part of the author's Ph.D.
dissertation in the U.S. The first part of the dissertation was already
published under the title of The Research on Early American
Missionaries. The former book is mainly about the American
missionary group. It analyzed their educational, regional and theological
background. But the second book deals with the political back-
ground where missionary group were doing their jobs in Korea.
Thus, this book covers American foreign policy toward Korea, the
unequal treaty including extraterritorial rights, and Korean domestic
politics. This book is closer to being a political and diplomatic
history rather than a religious one.
This book sheds some lights on our understanding of early Korean-
American history. The author successfully shows why Korean people
had a positive view of the U.S. Most Korean people saw the US
through the missionaries who supported Korean causes in the early
independent movement, but the State Department had an ambivalent
position toward the missionary group. The State Department did not
fully support the missionary's stance toward the Korean government.
Anyway, this book used very extensive historical documents, especially
those related to missionaries. Even though Dr. Ryu's two books
wonderfully show the background of missionary groups and their
activities in Korea, there is also something to be desired. Ryu did
not much pay attention to the difference among missionaries, especially
between Presbyterian and Methodist groups. But still this contribu-
tion to our understanding of missionaries in Korea is very great.
Choi, Tong-hui. The Foreign Policy of the Chos n Dynasty. Seoul:
Jipmoondang, 2004.
, , : , 2004.
In this book, Prof. Choi reveals the central tenets of traditional
and modern international relations. On that point, the contents are
Book Notes 269
a general survey rather than an explicit thesis about Korean
international relations. The book is comprised of four parts. The
first part deals with traditional foreign policy dating back to the
Korean tributary policy towards the Ming dynasty in China. In this
part, Choi considers Pukhak or Northern Learning important in
terms of its practical stance to the Mainland China in traditional
international relations. The second part is about the two skirmishes
with Western powers in 1866 and 1871 and the following the
Korean-Japanese Treaty in 1876. The author follows the traditional
logic when he assessed the Treaty in terms of its shaking the
traditional East Asian world order. The third chapter assesses the
two great political changes, the military mutiny in 1882 and the
Kapsin Coup in 1884. Choi argues that these political turmoils
represented the tension between the traditional tributary and the
modern international law system. After the coup in1884, Korea
experienced the coexistence of the two different world orders, each
based on the traditional hierarchy and equal relations. Analyzing
this bifurcated system, the author shows how the Korean govern-
ment behaved actively and autonomously to protect its own security.
Kang, Man-gil et al. A Comparative Study of Japanese and the
Western Colonial Policies. Seoul: Sunin, 2004.
, , : , 2004.
Prof. Mangil Kang is famous for his long career in research on
the development of Korean nationalism and its modern history.
After he retired from a prestigious higher education institution, Korea
University, he embarked on this colonial study, a project that
required the collaboration of many scholars. This is a part of his
other projects related to the topic. He and other scholars here made
efforts to reveal the diverse experiences that other colonial countries
imposed on the colonized. The authors tried to focus on two
dimensions: the policy of the colonial country and the social
changes of the colonized society.
The first part of this book exposes readers to the colonial policy
level: its ideology and institutions. The case here enumerates the
Japanese, the British, the French and even the U.S. policy over each
270 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
colony. The second part of this book concentrates on the Korean
society and military mobilization. This part also slightly touches on
the Manchu puppet state and the British experience in India. The
contents are not so well systemized, but the real asset of this book
is that it is a rare case of a comparative colonial study. This kind of
research is more than welcome in Korean society regardless of its
research level.
Kim, Young. The Development of the Rice Cultivation in Modern
Manchuria and Migratory Koreans. Seoul: Kukhakjaryowon, 2004.
, , : , 2004.
This book is based on Kim's Ph.D. dissertation, which was
completed in the Department of Korean History at Seoul National
University. This book features several things. The first thing is that
this study deals with a very interesting but not well-known topic:
the Korean migrants who moved to Manchuria after 1875 around
the time that Korea had direct contact with Western powers. Dr.
Kim is a Korean-Chinese, so she is successful in digging into many
Chinese historical documents and showing that the Korean people
were the pioneers in developing paddy agriculture in barren
Manchuria. The second point is that this book also shows the
pattern of Korean migration into the vast region of Manchuria in a
detailed manner. She describes how the Japanese colonial government
set up the policy of Korean migration and rice production. The third
one is very interesting in that she shows the relation between
Korean farmers and Chinese ones. The third one is not fully
developed in this book, but the topic still waits for the students of
this topic.
Kim, Kyong-il et al. Korean Diaspora in Manchurian Cities in the
Early Twentieth Century. Seoul: Y ksa Pipy ngsa, 2004.
, : 20 , :
, 2004.
Four sociologists and historians conducted this research on
Korean people in Manchuria from the late 19th century to the
Book Notes 271
colonial period. Regarding the fact that there are few studies related
to Korean people in the region during this time span, this project is
highly recommended. Moreover, even if there are works on Koreans
residing Manchuria, most cover Koreans in rural areas. This trend is
understandable when we see that only 10 percent Koreans stayed in
urban areas. The authors tried to change this research orientation.
As the editor states in the preface, the collection of historical
sources is also based on a field trip, which was conducted from late
April 2002 to early May in 2002. The collection was not satisfactory
to the writers due to the Chinese domestic regulations and situations.
So the book is heavily dependent on public documents such as
statistics and yearbooks. That situation marks this book as the
beginning of this topic rather than the model research in Korea.
This book naturally deals with the Korean people in urban
Manchuria. The reason they studied urban areas is that the cities
reveal complexities in identity. People in cities such as Changchun,
Shenyang, and Harbin, who are the main targets of this study, were
interacting with more individuals from other ethnic groups than
their counterparts in rural areas did. In this regard, this research is
meaningful because previous works tend to focus only on the
Korean people. There are diverse approaches even among the
authors, but their binding factor is that they all tried to reveal the
daily life of the Korean people in urban Manchuria.
Yim, Kyong-suk ed. The Life and Times of Park Heon Young. Seoul:
Y ksa Pipy ngsa, 2004.
, , : , 2004.
This book is a part of the anthological work of Park Heon Young
whose penname is Ij ng, and is edited for the general reader. The
anthological series were also published this year. This book is full of
chronological information and newly found sources about this
renowned native Korean communist who was rejected by both
Koreas for different reasons. The South banned all communist
activities after its inauguration 1948, so it was understandable why
the government expelled Park from public history. But the North
also rejected Park after the Korean War due political in-fighting.
272 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
The result was that the general scholarship disregarded this important
figure in modern Korean history not only in communist history but
also in general history.
Prof. Yim is a young scholar, whose book The Origin of the
Korean Socialism was published in Korea in 2003. He is entitled to
commence this project, so with other young scholars started editing
the anthology since 1993, the year that Prof. Yim finished his Ph.D.
dissertation. As the writer said in the preface, the intention of this
co-authored work is to provide very useful but objective information
to the academic world. This purpose became successful in terms of
the fact that the editors attached historical sources to each
chronological item. In addition to this dimension, the fact that Prof.
Yim stayed in Moscow during 1994 to 1996 for the Russian
documents, adds the persuasive power to this painstaking work. He
and other editors several times conducted interviews with one of
Park's daughters in Russia and a presumed son in Korea, and used
many photographs regarding Park and his family. So it is a useful
source book for students of the modern Korean history.
Koh, Jung-hyu. Syngman Rhee and Korean National Independence
Movement. Seoul: Yonsei University Press, 2004.
, , : , 2004.
Dr. Koh already finished his Ph.D. dissertation related to Syngman
Rhee and his 1920s activities in the U.S. in the early 1990s. This
book expands on the topic because it covers up Dr. Rhee's activities
from the March First Movement in 1919 to the Pacific War. The
research had each chapter dealing with the Rise of Syngman Rhee
after March First Movement, Syngman Rhee's council in the U.S.
and its supporters in Korea during the 1920s and 30s, and his
diplomatic activities for the recognition of the Korean Interim
Government.
Dr. Koh succeeds in showing with whom and how Syngman Rhee
had contact in the course of the independence movement. Also,
even though Dr. Koh is critical of Rhee's political stance, he
objectively tried to clarify who was against later president Syngman
Rhee and from whom this obstinate political leader extracted support.
Book Notes 273
This book has several interesting interpretations. For example, the
reason why Dr. Rhee became the first president in Korean Interim
Government in Shanghai was that An Chang-ho, who was another
champion of Korean nationalist movement, calculated that it was
necessary to preserve the Interim Government under his leadership
and to check Dr. Rhee's influence in the U.S.
Another interesting point is that this book connects the domestic
support groups and Dr. Rhee's activities in the U.S. That makes
sense when we consider the fact that this shrewd politician had
relatively tight control over the political situation as soon as he
returned to Korea. Without domestic echoes, he would not have a
power in a short period. This book is an impressive effort in
continuing the research about the first Korean president following
Young-ick Lew.
Shim, Ji-youn and Kim, Il-young. The 50 Year Korean-American Alliance:
Legal Issues and Future Prospects. Seoul: Paiksans dang, 2004.
․ , 50 ― , :
, 2004.
This book aims at elevating Koreans' understanding of Korean-
American relations. It is based on a conference in 2003, which was
held by the Association of the Korean Political and Diplomatic
History. The year was very memorable in terms of the 50th year
from the Armistice between the UN and North Korea. The year also
saw the conclusion of the Korean-American Alliance. Therefore, the
conference was one of the many international and domestic meetings.
But the conference is different from other ones because it invited
many scholars who were able to focus on not only on the present
but also the past and even the future. Another contributing dimension
is that this study compares foreign cases.
This book is composed of three parts: comparative studies on the
legal issues of the Korean-American Alliance, current issues such as
the American military adjustment and North Korean nuclear issues,
and the legal issues on the future of the Alliance. This study gets
rid of the quick assessment of the related issues, and instead gives
more complicated dimensions of the Alliance. Also, the scholars are
274 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
quite famous in Korea; the contributors include Sung-ryol Cho,
Yong-sup Han, Ki-jung Nam, Il-young Kim, Sung-han Kim, Sung-ho
Che, Leun-gwan Lee, and Sung-ju Paik. They are political scientists
and legal scholars. It is very valuable in the current situation in
which many people align themselves either with the Pro-Alliance or
Self-reliance schools because this book gives many practical and
objective insights into the past, the present, and even the future.
Book Notes 275
[ Religious Studies ]*4
Yoon, Yee-heum. Hankook Jongyo Yeongu [Korean Religions] 6.
Paju: Jypmoondang, 2004, 422 pp.
, 6, : , 2004, 422 .
This book, one in a series, provides a methodological perspective
on the history of religions in Korea. This volume is divided into two
parts: the first part deals with methodologies while the second part
offers the author's understanding of the history of Korean religions.
In addition, the author discusses a cultural classification system and
recommends the construction of a museum of religions. His diversified
approach demonstrates how religious studies can provide unique
perspectives on understanding Korean culture.
Contents: Introduction; Part 1 The Methodologies of the History
of Religions - Chap. 1 Patterns in the Idea of Divinity: From the
Context of World Religions / Chap. 2 A Structural Understanding of
the Development of World Religions / Chap. 3 Buddhism from the
Viewpoint of Religious Studies / Chap. 4 Cultural Classification /
Chap. 5 A Proposal for the Construction of a Museum of Korean
Religions; Part 2 A Historical Understanding of Korean Religions -
Chap. 1 Methodological Issues in the History of Ancient Korea /
Chap. 2 Studies for a Holistic Understanding of Ancient Korean
Religions / Chap. 3 Religious Thought during the Koryeo Period: its
Characteristics and History / Chap. 4 Joseon Confucianism: A Typical
model of Classical Culture / Chap. 5 Religious Policies and the
Oppression of Korean Religions under Japanese Colonialism / Chap. 6
Korean Religious Plurality / Chap. 7 Diversity and Community of
Korean Religious History
* Written by Choi, Jong-seong, Professor of Religious Studies, S.N.U.
276 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
Geum, Jang-tae. Jugyo sasabg-gwa Jonggyojeok Segye [Confucian
Thought and the Religious World]. Paju: Korean Studies Information
Co., Ltd., 2004, 211 pp.
, , : , 2004, 211 .
Unlike other religions, Confucianism has had to face the question
of whether it constitutes a religion or not. This difficulty has raised
problems in the definition of religion. In discussing Confucian
thought and ritual, the author widens the scope of religion to include
modern life as well as traditional society. Part one deals with
self-cultivation, moral precepts, justice, ritual, and epistemology all
in relation to the spirit of modern times. Part two discusses Confucian
rituals and the Confucian perspective on other religions with the
intent to understand the structure and function of Confucianism.
Contents: Introduction; Part 1 Confucianism and Modern Life -
Chap. 1 Confucianism and Modern Life / Chap. 2 Reflection and
Cultivation in Confucianism / Chap. 3 Loyalty and Filial Piety in
Modern Life / Chap. 4 Confucianism and Societal Justice / Chap. 5
Confucian Ideology in the Modern World / Chap. 6 The Question of
Knowledge in Confucian Learning; Part 2 The Religious World of
Confucianism - Chap. 7 The Structure and Function of Confucianism /
Chap. 8 Traditional Religious Ritual and Modern Religious Conscious-
ness / Chap. 9 The Funeral Ceremony in Confucianism / Chap. 10
Confucian Ritual in the Pre-Qin [ ] Period
Geum, Jang-tae. Hankook Jugyo-ui Yeenyom-gwa Seohak Munje
[The Problem of Korean Confucian Ideasand Western-Learning].
Paju: Korean Studies Information Co., Ltd., 2004, 181 pp.
, , : , 2004, 181 .
This book deals with the history of Confucian orthodoxy and the
ideal of the learned man's virtuous spirit, which is considered the
essence and vitality of Confucianism. The author then tries to
understand the characteristics and the logic of Confucian thought by
inquiring into the modality of the relationship between Western
culture and the Confucian culture of the late Joseon.
Contents: Introduction; Part 1 The Orthodoxy of Korean Confucianism
and Critical Consciousness - Chap. 1 The Confucian Order and the
Book Notes 277
Realization of Confucian Ideology in Joseon Society / Chap. 2 The
Anti-Buddhism Movement of Seonggyukwan Students under the
Reign of King Jungjong / Chap. 3 Toigye's Critique of Yang Ming /
Chap. 4 Lee Hyun-il's Theory of the Four Natures and Seven
Feelings / Chap. 5 Hong Dae-yong's Theory of Art and Practical
Learning / Part 2 Confucianism and Western Learning in the Late
Joseon Dynasty - Chap. 6 Introduction of Catholicism and Earlier
Modern Thought / Chap. 7 The Conflict between Catholicism and
Confucianism during the Joseon Period / Chap. 8 An Jeong-bok's
Critique of Western Learning / Chap. 9 Jeong Yak-yong's Theory of
Yi Xue [ ] and Western Learning /Chap. 10 The Theory Regarding
the Life and Death of the Spirit: The Debate between Confucianism
and Western Learning
Noh, Kil-myong et al. Hanguk Minjok Jonggyo Woondongsa [The
History of New National Religious Movements in Traditional Korea].
Seoul: Association for Korean Native New Religions. 2003, 399 pp.
, , : , 2003, 399 .
This book is a collection of papers by four scholars on new
religious movements in Korea in the modern period. Each author
deals with religious movements during three respective historical
periods: after the opening of Korea, under Japanese rule, and after
the restoration of independence. Accordingly, this book sheds light
on the responses of new Korean religions to Western culture, Japanese
colonialism, recent union movements, and the reorganization of
religions.
Contents: Part 1 Modern Korea and the New Religious Movements -
Chap. 1 Development in Korean New Religious Movements / Chap. 2 The
Life and Teachings of the Founders / Chap. 3 The Characteristics of
Religious Thought in the New Korean Religions / Chap. 4 The
Mission of the New Korean Religion; Part 2 New Korean Religious
Movements During the Opening of Korea - Chap. 1 Beginnings of
Religious Movements During the Opening of Korea and their Social
Background / Chap. 2 Suun Choi Je-u's Understanding of the Period
and the Donghak Reform Movement / Chap. 3 The Donghak Movement
and the Equality of Human Rights / Chap. 4 Suun's Influence on the
278 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
Donghak Revolution and the Korean Resistance Army / Chap. 5
Jeungsan Kang Il-sun's Founding of a Religion and His Social
Reform Movement / Chap. 6 Jeungsangyo and the Equality of the
People / Chap. 7 The Cheondogyo Reform Movement / Chap. 8 Hongam
Na Cheol's Renewal of Daejonggyo and its Nationalism; Part 3 New
Religious Movements under Japanese Colonial Rule - Chap. 1
Japanese Colonial Policies and Korean New Religions / Chap. 2
Religious Movements during the Japanese Colonial Era / Chap. 3
Japanese Oppression and the Responses of New Korean Religions;
Part 4 The Reconstruction of Religious Orders and the Unification
Movement after the Restoration of Independence - Chap. 1 The
Rebuilding of Religious Society after the Restoration of Independence /
Chap. 2 The Creation of New Religious Orders after the Restoration
of Independence and The Unification of Religious Orders /Chap. 3 The
Unification Movement and North-South Exchanges / Chap. 4 The
Social Activities of Korean New Religions / Chap 5 Movements in Art
and the Academy; Appendix
Book Notes 279
[ Art History ]*5
Kim, Jeong-suk. Heungseon Daewon-gun Yi Ha-eung-ui yesul segye
[The Art of Heungseon Daewon-gun Yi Ha-eung]. Seoul: Iljisa, 2004.
, , : , 2004.
This book is based on a dissertation by Kim Jeong-suk, who
received her Ph. D. from the Academy of Korean Studies. It is the
first thorough investigation of the artistic achievement of Yi
Ha-eung, a powerful politician who was also a master of ink orchid
paintings in the late Joseon period. Rather than offering another
historical assessment of Yi's life in the spheres of Korean politics
and government, which has been the subject of most previous
studies of Yi Ha-eung, Kim examines how Yi endured difficult years
by drawing orchid paintings and how his unique artistic style
developed during the dynamic changes in his political life. In
addition to providing a chronological discussion of Yi's orchid paintings,
the author also examines Yi's calligraphy and the problem of the
authenticity of artworks now attributed to him.
Contents: Introduction /Chap. 1 Yi Ha-eung's Life and the Philosophy
of Art / Chap. 2 The Origin of the Style of Yi Ha-eung's Ink Orchid
Paintings / Chap. 3 Searching for a Distinctive Style in Ink Orchid
Paintings / Chap. 4 Ink Orchid Paintings during His Stay in Baodingfu
in the Qing / Chap. 5 Stone and Orchid Paintings during His Years at
Unhyeon Palace / Chap. 6 The Formal Characteristics of Yi Ha-eung's
Ink Orchid Paintings / Chap. 7 Yi Ha-eung's Calligraphy / Chap. 8
The Legacy of Yi Ha-eung's Ink Orchid Style and the Problem of
Authenticity / Conclusion.
* Written by Kim, Haewon, Curator, National Museum of Korea.
280 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
Jeon, Ho-tae. Goguryeo gobun byeokhwa-ui segye [The World of
Goguryeo Tomb Murals]. Seoul: Seoul National University Press, 2004.
, , : , 2004.
This timely volume on Goguryeo tomb murals, published closely
following their recent inclusion in the World Heritage List, is
arguably the first comprehensive guide to the subject. The author
Jeon Ho-tae is a professor of art history at Ulsan University, and
has been working on Goguryeo tomb murals for more than fifteen
years. Drawing on his extensive study of the tomb murals, he gives
succinct and clear explanations on the medium, the tomb structure,
the historical background, the formal and stylistic characteristics
and the discovery of the tomb murals. The book is also notable for
its rich color plates and detailed bibliography.
Contents: Chap. 1 The Definition of Tomb Murals / Chap. 2
Chinese Funerary Art and Its Dissemination in Northeast Asia /
Chap. 3 Goguryeo Culture and Its Tomb Murals / Chap. 4 The
Rediscovery of Goguryeo Tomb Murals and Their Locations /
Characteristics of Goguryeo Tomb Murals during the Early Phase /
Chap. 5 The International Status of Goguryeo in the 5th Century and
the Characteristics of Goguryeo Culture / Chap. 6 Goguryeo Tomb
Murals during the Middle Phase / Chap. 7 Goguryeo Society in the
6-7th Centuries and the Characteristics of the Tomb Murals in the
Late Phase / Chap. 8 The Present and the Future of Goguryeo Tomb
Murals.
Jang, Chung-sik. Han-guk bulgyo misul yeon-gu [A Study of Korean
Buddhist Art]. Seoul: Sigongsa, 2004.
, , : , 2004.
This book is a collection of the twenty most important articles
written by Jang Chung-sik, Professor of Art History at Dongguk
University, over the last thirty years. As one of the earliest specialists
in Buddhist art, he wrote a number of articles on various types of
Buddhist art, including sculptures, paintings, crafts, sutra copies and
stone architecture.
Contents: Chap. 1 Buddhist Sculpture: Regarding an Old Inquiry /
hap. 2 Stone Architecture: A Reinterpretation of the Structure and
Book Notes 281
Decoration / Chap. 3 Buddhist Painting: Understanding Buddhist
Iconography / Chap. 4 Buddhist Crafts: A Reconsideration of the
Aesthetics of Jang-eom (Religious Embellishment) / Chap. 5 The Art
of Sutra Writings and the Discovery of Textual Documents / Chap. 6
The Study of Stele Inscriptions and the Memorabilia of the Three
Kingdoms.
Art History Association of Korea, ed. Goryeo misul-ui daeoegyoseop
[Artistic Exchanges during the Goryeo Dynasty]. Seoul: Yegyeong,
2004.
, , : , 2004.
This volume is based on the proceedings of the 8th National
Conference of Art History organized by the Art History Association
of Korea in 2002. It includes eight papers on the various fields of
Goryeo art, including painting, calligraphy, Buddhist painting,
sculpture, metal works, ceramics, and wooden architecture. Focusing
on the international aspects of Goryeo art, the papers attempts to
identify its originality and its significance in the context of East
Asian art.
Contents: Chap. 1 The International Aspect of Goryeo Paintings:
Case Studies of Viewing Paintings in a Spring Garden and Writing
on Fans in a Autumn Garden / Chap. 2 Goryeo Calligraphy and the
Calligraphy Styles of the Song and Yuan /Chap. 3 The International
Aspect of Goryeo Buddhist Paintings / Chap. 4 Relations between
Chinese Buddhist Sculptures and Goryeo Buddhist Sculptures / Chap. 5
The Metal Works of the Goryeo Period in the Context of the
Cultural Exchanges with China / Chap. 6 Early Goryeo Ceramics in the
Context of the Cultural Exchanges with China /Chap. 7 Wooden
Architecture in the Goryeo Period in the Context of International
Exchanges / Chap. 8 Discussions.
282 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
[ History of Science ]*6
Kim, Yung Sik and Kim Geun-Bae Ed. Geunhyeondae Hanguksahoe-ui
Gwahak (Science in Modern Korean Society). Seoul: Changbi Publishers,
1998, 363 pp.
․ , , : , 1998, 363
.
The history of modern Korean science is a subject to which no
small importance has been attached but only a little has been
known about till now. This field started only in the late 1980s and
is still in its embryonic stage. This book is the first collection of
scholarly papers on the subject, over half of which are revised
versions of young scholars' master's theses. It encompasses the
period from the last decades of the 19th century called the
“Enlightenment” era to the 1960s, and mainly investigates the social,
educational, and institutional aspects of modern Korean science
rather than its contents.
Part 1 deals with the various efforts to assimilate Western science in
the last stage of the Joseon dynasty. Park's papers survey such
efforts mainly using the articles in newspapers of the day. Shin and
Kim reappraise the role and limits of the Korean government in the
establishment and management of Jejungwon (the first modern hospital
in Korea) and the introduction of electric facilities.
Papers in Part 2 discuss the scientific activities conducted during
the colonial period. These papers examine the harsh conditions of the
colony under which the activities of Korean scientists and scientific
organizations were conducted, and investigates the relation between
* Written by Her, Yoon Seop, Ph.D. Candidate, Program in History and Philosophy of Science, S.N.U.
This is the first time for the books of this field to be introduced in BOOK NOTES, so I included here not only the books published in 2004 but also some important books published after 1998.
Book Notes 283
the conditions and the spheres and directions of the activities.
Part 3 explores the processes and backgrounds of the establish-
ment of two key institutions, The Office of Atomic Energy and
KIST, which played important roles in the development of Korean
science in the latter half of the 20th century.
Contents: Part 1 Encounter with and Assimilation of Western
Science - Assimilation of Science in the ‘Enlightenment' Period, Park
Seong-Rae; Perceptions of Modern Science in Hanseongsunbo and
Hanseongjubo, Park Seong-Rae; Myths and Realities of Jejungwon,
Shin Dongwon; Electricity Projects during the Great Han Empire
Period, Kim Yeon Hee / Part 2 Suffering of Colonial Science and
Responses to It - The Establishment and Management of Gyeongseong
Technical High School, Jeong In Kyong; Butterfly-taxonomy of Seok
Jumyeong and ‘the Korean Biology', Moon Manyong; The Society of
Invention of Kim Yonggwan and the Science Movement, Lim
Jong-tae / Part 3 Formation and Problems of Modern Korean Science -
The Emergence of Atomic Institute in Korea and Its background,
Koh Dae Seung; The Establishment of KIST and the Role of the
U.S., Kim Geun-Bae; Characteristics of and Reflections on Science
in Korea, Kim Yung Sik
Park, Seong-Rae. Hanguksa-edo Gwahak-i Itneunga [Has There Also
Been Science in the History of Korea]. Seoul: Kyobo Book Centre,
1998, 319 pp.
, , : , 1998, 319 .
This book written by Park Seong-Rae, a senior leading historian
of Korean science, was originally written as a series of online
lectures on the history of Korean science, and this is his second
survey on this subject, the first one being Hangukgwahaksa
[History of Science in Korea], which was published in 1983.
This book deals with several important topics from ancient times
to the 20th century, the studies on many of which he has led or
participated in, in 24 chapters. And in the last chapter he refers to
his well-known “discourse on national science.” Though written as
an introductory textbook, this book strongly reflects Park's own
viewpoints and contains several of his radical arguments.
284 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
Contents: 1. Has There Also Been Science in the History of
Korea?; 2. Was Cheomseongdae an Altar?; 3. People Who Dealt with
Iron and Stone: the Depth of Science; 4. Was Science in Ancient
Japan Transmitted from Korea in the Three Kingdoms Period?;
5. Who Created Daranigyeong [sutra]?; 6. Is Pungsujiri [Geomancy)
Also an Science?; 7. Was Gunpowder Invented by Choe Museon?;
8. The Level of Achievements in Astronomy during the Reign of
King Sejong; 9. The Knowledge a Guest from Joseon Imparted to
Japanese Scholars; 10. Indigenous Biosciences of King Sejong;
11. Politics as Seen in the Records of Natural Phenomena; 12. Did
Silhak [ , Practical Learning] Scholars Advocate Western Science?;
13. Encounters with Western Science; 14. What and How Much Did We
Know?; 15. How Much Did We Lag Behind Japan in the 19th
Century?; 16. Did Daewongun [Father of King Gojong] Only Insist
on an Isolationist Policy?; 17. What Kind of Scientific Activities
Were There in Joseon?; 18. What Was ‘Science' Called One
Hundred Years Ago?; 19. Is a Yangban Still a Yangban Even Though
His Country Falls?; 20. The ‘Popularization of Science' under the
Japanese Regime; 21. Science to the Servants in the Colony?;
22. ‘Studying Abroad Because of the Korean War' and ‘Returning
Scientists because of the Vietnamese War'; 23. The Science and
Non-Science of Korea in a Scientific Age; 24. Has Science Really No
Frontier?
Jeon, Sang-woon. Hangukgwahaksa-ui Saeroun Ihae [A New Under-
standing of the History of Korean Science]. Seoul: Yonsei University
Press, 1998, 681 pp.
, , : , 1998, 681 .
Jeon Sang-woon is the author of the famous general survey on
the history of Korean science, The History of Korean Science and
Technology (English version of this book is Science and Technology in
Korea: Instruments and Techniques (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press,
1974). This book is a collection of papers written for over 30 years
after the publication of the book.
Papers in this book can be divided into two groups: the papers
published between the 1960s and the 1980s, and others written in
Book Notes 285
the 1990s. The former papers are largely concrete and positive
works based on literary analyses and actual surveys and measure-
ments of remains. The latter papers contain “big narratives” which
include the author's own understanding and interpretation of the
history of Korean science. Throughout, the author tries to correct
the distorted views made by Japanese scholars on the history of
Korean science.
Contents: Chap. 1 A New Understanding of the History of Korean
Science / Chap. 2 Science in Ancient Korea / Chap. 3 Science and
Technology in the Goryeo Dynasty / Chap. 4 Science of Jungin [ ]
and Technology of Artisan
Jeon, Sang-woon. A History of Science in Korea. Seoul: Jipmoondang,
1998, 396 pp.
This book is a new edition of his famous general survey on the
history of Korean science and technology, Science and Technology in
Korea: Instruments and Techniques (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press,
1974) with slight revisions and additions. Adopting modern classifica-
tion of the fields, this book mainly examines the instruments and
techniques. The author tries to give a new light on the achievements
and importance of the science during the reign of King Sejong in
the 15th century.
Contents: Introduction / Chap. 1 Astronomy - 1. Characteristics of
Astronomy in Korea; 2. Astronomical Concepts of the Universe;
3. Rotating-Earth Theories of Joseon Dynasty Scholars; 4. Astrono-
mical Charts; 5. Ancient Observation in Korea; 6. Sundials; 7. Clepsydras;
8. Incense Clocks; 9. Armillary Spheres and Clocks; 10. Astronomical
Instruments of the Joseon Dynasty; 11. Calendars and Time Measure-
ment; 12. Observation of Celestial Phenomena / Chap. 2 Meteorology -
1. Emergence of Agricultural Meteorology; 2. Refinement of the Method
of Rainfall Measurement; 3. Other Meteorological Observations /Chap. 3
Crafts and Technology; 1. Elementary Physics and Its Application;
2. Power Machines; 3. Mechanical Clocks; 4. Printing Technology;
5. Modern Firearms; 6. Shipbuilding Technology; 7. Civil Engineering
and Architectural Technology; 8. Metal Handicrafts and Mining;
9. Methods of Refining Metals in the Joseon Dynasty; 10. Copper
286 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
Alloys and Other Metal Compounds; 11. Korean Alchemy and Medicine;
12. Paper-making Techniques; 13. Gunpowder; 14. Ceramics / Chap. 4
Geography and Cartography - 1. Geography of Ancient and Medieval
Times; 2. Geography in the Early Joseon Dynasty; 3. Geographical
Compendia of the Early Joseon Dynasty; 4. The Use of Surveys;
5. Treatises on Geography in the Sixteenth Century; 6. The Taengniji
of Yi Chung-hwan; 7. Introduction of New Maps of the World; 8. Maps
in the Later Joseon Dynasty
Park, Seong-Rae. Portents and Politics in Korean History. Seoul:
Jipmoondang, 1998, 293 pp.
In this book, a published version of the author's doctoral disserta-
tion completed in 1977 at Hawaii University, the author examines
the relation between ideas and practices related to portents (unusual
natural phenomena) and politics from the Three Kingdoms period
to the Joseon period.
According to the author, the development of the Neo-Confucianism
in Korea led to an introduction of Neo-Confucian portentism, but it
was not until the late 15th century that Neo-Confucian portentism
emerged victorious over the former attitudes toward portents, when
the Neo-Confucian orthodoxy which had a strong tendency toward
ethocracy was established. According to Neo-Confucian portentism,
portents were a mirror to reflect the moral attainment of the
government, especially the ruler. So the appearance of portents was
interpreted as an institutional channel for remonstrance to protect the
government from an absolute monarch.
But in the later Joseon period when the king was less despotic,
portentism had lost its function. The author says that political
portentology ran its full and most productive life-cycle between 1392
and 1519 in Korea.
Contents: Chap. 1 Portentography in Korea - 1. Samguksagi;
2. Goryeosa; 3. The Sillok of the Joseon Dynasty; 4. Stages of Portento-
graphy / Chap. 2 Portents in Korean History - 1. Omens; 2. Auspices;
3. Recapitulations / Chap. 3 The Rise of Confucian Portentology in
Korea - 1. Portentology in Chinese Philosophy; 2. Portents and
Politics in Goryeo Confucianism; 3. Traditional Exorcism in the
Book Notes 287
Early Joseon Period; 4. Portents and Korean Kingship /Chap. 4 Portents
and Neo-Confucian Politics in Korea, 1392-1519 - 1. The Growth of
Confucianism and Portents Politics ― Kings Taejong and Sejong;
2. Reaction to Confucian Portentology ― Kings Sejo and Seongjong;
3. The Birth of Neo-Confucian Portentism― King Seongjong; 4. Violent
Reactions to Neo-Confucianism― King Yeonsan; 5. Victory of Neo-
Confucianism― King Jungjong / Conclusion
Yu, Gyeongno. Hanguk Cheonmunhaksa Yeongu [Studies on the
History of Korean Astronomy]. Seoul: Nokdu, 1999, 392 pp.
, : , : , 1999,
392 .
The late professor Yu Gyeongno, a pioneering scholar in the
history of Korean astronomy, made a remarkable contribution to the
translation and annotation of the classical texts in Korean astronomy,
represented by the translation and annotation of Chiljeongsan [
, The Calculation of the Motions of the Seven Governors].
This book is his posthumous collection of articles on the history
of Korean astronomy previously published in various journals and
some unpublished manuscripts. Part 5, appendices to this volume,
contains his chronological personal history, lists of his writings, and
memorial writings for him.
Contents: Part 1 An Outline of the History of Korean Astronomy /
Part 2 Understanding the Original Texts / Part 3 Astronomy in the
Joseon Period / Part 4 Miscellaneous Records Written in a Study
Room / Part 5 Appendices
Jeon, Sang-woon. Hangukgwahaksa [A History of Korean Science].
Seoul: Science Books, 2000, 442 pp.
, , : , 2000, 442 .
This book, the author's second survey on this subject, integrates
the author's 35 years of studies on the history of traditional Korean
science and technology. The introduction sketches out the history of
Korean science in chronological order accompanied by many
colorful photographs. In chapters 1-4, titled as ”Sciences of the
288 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
Heavens,” “Sciences of Earth and Fire,” “Printing Technology in
Korea,” “Sciences of the Earth,” the author gives general informa-
tion on various topics of the history of traditional Korean science
and technology to suggest several new interpretations and hypotheses.
In the following chapters, he deals with the relation between ancient
Korean science and its Japanese counterpart (chap. 5), and the lives
and achievements of scientists in the Joseon period (chap. 6).
The strength of this book lies in the combination of scientific
examinations of techniques and artifacts (analysis of composition,
restoration of remains, etc.) and historical approaches to them and
in rich illustrations.
Contents: Introduction / Chap. 1 Sciences of the Heavens / Chap. 2
Sciences of Earth and Fire / Chap. 3 Printing Technology in Korea /
Chap. 4 The Earth Sciences / Chap. 5 Ancient Japan and Korean
Science / Chap. 6 Lives and Achievements of Scientists in the Joseon
Period
Muhn, Joong-Yang. Joseon Hugi-ui Surihak-gwa Suridamron [The Hydro-
Agricultural Knowledge in the Late Joseon]. Seoul: Jipmoondang,
2000, 308 pp.
, , : , 2000, 308 .
This book is a revised version of the author's doctoral dissertation. In
this book the author introduces a field of study in traditional Korea
which has not been properly examined or even recognized. He
names it “Hydro-Agricultural Knowledge” [ ], that is, a study
on water-utilization in agriculture.
The author maintains that Hydro-Agricultural Knowledge was a
specialized and established branch of agricultural studies in tradi-
tional China which developed during the Sung and Yuan period in
the lower Yangtze region and was systematized in Wang Zhen Nong
Shu (1313) and synthesized in Nong Zheng Quan Shu (1639). The
author criticizes the previous studies by Needham et al. for the
point that they classified the knowledge involved in the field into
the two modern categories, mechanical engineering and civil engineering,
and did not recognize that they accounted for a specialized field of
study.
Book Notes 289
Knowledge of water-utilization in south China began to be
introduced to Korea from the late Goryeo period, but, the author
argues, it was not until the late 18th century that Korean scholars
began to pay any serious attention to it. The author seeks the
reason of the retardation mainly in the differences between the
natural environment of south China and that of Joseon.
Then in chapters 2 and 3, the author deals with the reasons why
Hydro-Agricultural Knowledge came into the academic world of
Joseon in late 18th century. He suggests two causes. The more
important one was the reappraisal of the field by scholars such as
Seo Myeongeung; they began to consider it as a field worth serious
study. The less important one was the social need to increase
irrigation facilities; until the 18th century, the wet paddy fields had
become the central component of Korean agriculture, so the promotion
of water-utilization had become an urgent problem.
King Jeongjo's command in 1798 served as a good opportunity.
He ordered all the central and local officials and scholars to present
treatises on water-utilization, and many of them discussed the
advanced hydro-agricultural technology contained in Chinese agricultural
treatises.
In the 19th century, all the discussions and knowledge on Hydro-
Agricultural Knowledge in Korea were synthesized in Seo Yugu's
great agricultural treatise Imwongyeongjeji.
Contents: Introduction /Chap. 1 A Prehistory of Hydro-Agricultural
Knowledge in Korea; The Formation of Chinese Hydro-Agricultural
Knowledge; Water-utilization in Korea Before the 18th Century:
Natural Circumstances, Agriculture, and Irrigation / Chap. 2 The
Emergence of ‘Hydro-Agricultural Knowledge' in the Late Eighteenth
Century; The Emergence of Hydro-Agricultural Knowledge in the
Middle of the Eighteenth Century; Seo Myeongeung's Study on
Hydro-Agricultural Knowledge; The Hydro-Agricultural Knowledge
of Bak Jiwon and Seo Hosu / Chap. 3 Discourses on the Promotion
of Water-utilization during the Reign of King Jeongjo; The Royal
Command in 1798 and Hydro-Agricultural Policy; Discourses on
Constructing Dikes and Digging Small Canals; Discourses on Water-
pumps / Chap. 4 Discourses on Water-utilization and R&D of Water-
pump in the Early Nineteenth Century; Fragmentary Knowledge and
290 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
Introductory Description: U Hayeong and Jeong Yakyong; Research
and Development of Water-pumps: Ha Baekwon and Choe Han-gi /
Chap. 5 The Synthesis of Hydro-Agricultural Knowledge in Joseon:
Seo Yugu's Imwongyeongjeji /Conclusion /Appendix 1: Irrigation Facilities
and Water-pump in Wang Zhen Nong Shu / Appendix 2: Western
Style Water-pump in Ta Hsi Shu Fa
Na, Il-seong. Hanguk Cheonmunhaksa [the History of Korean Astronomy].
Seoul: Seoul National University Press, 2000. xxx+245 pp.
, , : , 2000, xxx+245 .
The author, an astronomer, has studied the history of Korean
astronomy for a long time, though not as a professional historian.
This book offers some basic and useful information and raw
materials on several main topics of the history of Korean astronomy
with many photos.
Contents: Chap. 1 The Beginning of the Story /Chap. 2 Observatories
and Astronomical Bureaus / Chap. 3 Astronomical Charts / Chap. 4
King Sejong's Astronomical Instruments and After / Chap. 5 The
Inventions of Clepsydra and Meteorology / Chap. 6 The Changes of
the Calendrical System and Various Calendars
Kim, Ho. Heo Jun-ui Donguibogam Yeongu [A Study on Heo Jun's
Donguibogam]. Seoul: Iljisa, 2000, 318 pp.
, , : , 2000, 318 .
This book is a slightly revised version of the author's doctoral
dissertation with an enlarged introduction. The two main purposes
of this book are to investigate the historical backgrounds of the
compilation of Donguibogam [ , The Precious Mirror of
Oriental Medicine], the most important medical book during the
Joseon period, and its medical discourse. Emphasizing the importance
and necessity of “understanding in historical context,” the author
explores varied medical, intellectual, and social backgrounds in which
the book was compiled. They include an increase of knowledge of
indigenous herbs [ ], the importation of new medicine from Ming
China, the intellectual trend of harmonization of Confucianism,
Book Notes 291
Buddhism and Taoism, abnormal climatic changes, frequent outbreaks
of plagues, and the Japanese invasions.
According to the author, by Heo Jun's [ ] day (circa 1600) the
development of the discourse on Korean indigenous herbs [ ],
originating from the late Goryeo-early Joseon period, had reached a
considerable level. The discourse made it possible to replace original
Chinese herbs by indigenous herbs cultivated or gathered in Korea
at relatively low cost. Until then it had been necessary to assimilate
the new medicine which was based on the theoretical medical ideas
of Jin-Yuan periods and imported from Ming China. Moreover, the
Korean-Japanese wars, in addition to the abnormal fluctuations of
climate and frequent outbreaks of plagues named Onyeok [ ] in
the late 16th century, made the synthesis of the two streams of
medicine a more urgent task.
In chapter 2 the author makes corrections on the life of Heo Jun
by tracing the intellectual roots of the book. He maintains as
follows: an unorthodox intellectual trend of harmonization of
Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism [ ] appeared in the late
16th century among the scholars influenced by the master Seo
Gyeongdeok. Heo Jun was closely associated with some of them,
and the association gave the book a serious Taoist color.
According to the book, the most important category in the
medical discourse in Donguibogam is Jeong [ ]. Heo Jun classified
all parts of human body into the inside and outside according to
their relation to Jeong, and even categorized human beings into
reproductive man [ ], reproductive woman [ ] and non-reproductive
child [ ] by the same criterion (Chap. 3).
Lastly, in chapter 4, the author deals with the use of Donguibogam
in the 17th and 18th centuries. During the late Joseon period
specialized medical books which dealt with one specific subfield of
medicine respectively and several general compendiums appeared
and were used by many private medical practitioners. What is
important here is that most of them were based on Donguibogam.
So it is possible to regard them as new versions of Donguibogam.
Thus popularized, the author says, the reputation and authority of
Donguibogam became established.
Contents: Introduction / 1. Plagues and Medicine before Donguibogam /
292 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
2. Life of Heo Jun and the Compilation of Donguibogam / 3. Body
Discourse and Classification of Nature in Donguibogam / 4. Dissemina-
tion and Use of Donguibogam / Conclusion
Shin, Dongwon. Joseon Saram Heo Jun: Sangsang-ui Heo Jun Yeoksa
sok-ui Heo Jun [A Man of Joseon, Heo Jun: Heo Jun Imagined, Heo
Jun in History]. Seoul: The Hankyoreh Shinmun, 2001, 350 pp.
, : , : , 2001,
350 .
The author is a leading scholar and prolific writer in the field of
the history of Korean medicine and health care and he has spent
more than 10 years working on Heo Jun's medical works. In the
meantime he published several articles on the subject and co-
authored a book, Hangwon-euro Ingneun Donguibogam (Donguibogam
in one volume), which explains the medicine in Heo Jun's main
work Donguibogam indetail but easily. The present volume aims at
a biography of Heo Jun on the basis of the author's previous
researches on the life and medicine of him. Focuses are laid on the
analysis of Heo Jun's medical works.
Part 1 corrects some fallacies about the life and medicine of Heo
Jun most of which arise from the strong but misleading impressions
made by the famous novel Soseol Donguibogam and the much
more famous TV drama Heo Jun. The author also points out and
criticizes several fallacies in the researches of scholars, especially
those in the latest one by Kim Ho. It will be interesting to read
these two books in comparison with each other.
Part 2 is a short biography of Heo Jun and deals with the birth,
learning, government service, medical activities and writing and
publication of medical works of Heo Jun.
The crucial part of this volume is part 3, which examines the
features and medical significances of Donguibogam in various ways.
The author finds Donguibogam's originality and excellence in its
ways of composition centered not on the disease but on the human
body and its efficient cross-reference system, etc.
Lastly, part 4 examines the motives of the compilation, contents
and medical values of the other six medical works of Heo Jun.
Book Notes 293
Contents: Prologue: Heo Jun Imagined, Heo Jun in History / Part
1 False Heo Jun, Real Heo Jun; What We Know Wrongly About the
Medicine of Heo Jun; What We Know Wrongly About the Life of
Heo Jun; Traces of His Life and Its Authenticity; For a Heated
Discussion / Part 2 A Short Biography of Heo Jun: His Life, Medicine
and Scholarship; Laying the Foundations of His Medicine and
Learning; Advancing Over the Status Barrier; I Just Do My Best in
Diagnosis and Treatment; Rising to the Highest Medical Authority /
Part 3 Why Donguibogam?; From the Beginning to the Completion
of the Project; Principles of Composition of Donguibogam; Cross-
reference System of Donguibogam; One of the Most Important Three
Books in East Asian Traditional Medicine? / Part 4 Heo Jun's Basic
Medicine, Folk Medicine and Epidemiology; Correcting Errors in Pulse
Palpation, Chandobangronmaekgyeoljipseong; Rearrangement of First-aid
Medicine, Eonhaegugeupbang; Necessary for Pregnancy and Delivery,
Eonhaetaesanjipyo; Challenging the God of Smallpox, Eonhaeduchangjipyo;
Innovation of Korean Epidemiology, Sinchanbyeokonbang; Scarlet Fever
Study in the History of World Diseases, Byeokyeoksinbang / Epilogue:
A Man of Joseon, Heo Jun
Lee, Jong Bong, Hangukjungsae Doryanghyeongje Yeongu [Study on
the System of Weights and Measures in Medieval Korea]. Seoul:
Hyean, 2001, 342 pp.
, , : , 2001, 342 .
The study on the system of weights and measures [ ]-the
means to measure the quantity of things such as length, capacity,
and weight, and the units for the measurement is a foundation for
the studies in many historical fields such as socio-economic history
and architectural history. But so far, relatively little research has
been carried out on the subject in Korea. These conditions are liable
to lead to mistakes in historical interpretations, for example, overestima-
tion of the development of production power in agriculture. This is
why the author moved his research subject from agricultural history
as a subfield of socioeconomic history to the system of weights and
measures.
This book, a revised version of the author's doctoral dissertation, is
294 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
the first book-length monograph on the system of weights and
measures in the Goryeo period. The most important reason for the
inactivity of the study on this subject has been the shortage of
historical materials. To overcome this problem, the author compares
records such as monumental inscriptions with existent relics, and
uses historical records of the later days and research on the system
in China.
In chapters 2 to 4, he explores comprehensively the system of
weights and measures during the time from Unified Silla to early
Joseon, and the periods and reasons of the changes of the system.
On the basis of these exploration, he investigates the changes of the
Gyeolbu system [ ], a system for measuring the area of land,
in the following chapter.
Contents: Chap. 1 Introduction / Chap. 2 The System of Linear
Measurements and the Change of Standard Rulers / Chap. 3 The
System of Capacity Measurements and the Change of Capacity Units /
Chap. 4 The System of Weight Measurements and the Change of
Weight Units / Chap. 5 Characteristics and Changes of the Gyeolbu
System / Chap. 6 Conclusion
Park, Seong-Rae, Shin, Dongwon and Oh, Dong Hoon, et al. Uri
Gwahak Baeknyeon [One Hundred Years of Our Science]. Seoul:
Hyeonamsa, 2001, 359 pp.
․ ․ , 100 , : , 2001, 359 .
This book is one of a series of works on Korean culture and art
in the 20th century sponsored by a cultural foundation. It deals with
the history of Korean science from the late 19th century, when Korea
began to import Western science until the late 20th century, and is
the first historical survey on the subject. Written by scholars
majoring in this field and based on recent achievements of study,
this book reveals the current level of scholarship in this field,
though written for the general readership.
Contents: Part 1 Science and Technology in the Last Years of
Joseon; Science and Technology circa 1900: From the ‘Opening the
Country' Period to the ‘Enlightenment' Period; Science and Technology
in the Great Han Empire Period; Hospitals in the Last Years of
Book Notes 295
Joseon / Part 2 Science and Technology in the Japanese Colonial
Era; The Japanese Colonial Rule and Science Education; The Society
of Invention and the Formation of Scientific Discourses; Medicine in
the Japanese Colonial Era / Part 3 Science and Technology after the
Liberation; The World of Science and Technology after the Liberation;
The Introduction of Atomic Power and the Promotion of Nuclear
Power Generation; KIST and the Emergence of New Research
Institutes of Science and Technology; The Establishment of New
Educational Institutes of Science and Technology: KAIST and PUST /
Part 4 Lives of Scientists in Modern Korea; ‘The Korean Biologist'
Seok Jumyeong; Agriculturist of Our Nation U Jangchun; Lee
Seunggi and ‘Juche Fiber' Vinalon; A World Leading Scientist from
Korea Lee Hwiso / Part 5 Concluding Remarks
Shin, Dongwon. Hoyeolja, Joseon-eul Seupgyeokhada: Mom-gwa
Uihak-ui Hanguksa [Cholera Raids Joseon: A Korean History of the
Body and Medicine]. Seoul: Yeoksabipyeongsa, 2004, 376 pp.
, , : , : , 2004,
376 .
This book covers a wide range of topics in the history of Korean
medicine and health care, but its main attention is given to
exploring the medical-social-cultural processes and meanings of the
change from the traditional conditions to the modern conditions
concerning the body, disease and health care.
This book consists of three parts. Part 1 focuses on the bodies
inpain. First, the plagues are investigated as an important cause of
massive death and sufferings in the past. The most terrible one in
the 19th century was, the author says, hoyeolja [ , cholera]. The
book then discusses the modern health care system. According to
the author, the modern sanitary administration based on germ
theory also caused another kind of pain especially under Japanese
rule, though it really helped diminish the sufferings of people from
plagues significantly. According to the author, strengthening the
control of infectious diseases by sanitary police in the name of
“hygiene” was also strengthening the surveillance of everyday life of
Korean people by colonial authorities.
296 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
Part 2 deals with several topics on medical treatments such as
the official medical institutions in the Joseon period, hospitals
established in the last days of the Joseon dynasty, women healing
experts called uinyeo [ ], and famous household first-aid medicines.
Part 3 is devoted to a re-examination of several significant
problems in the history of Korean medicine. One issue is the place
of Korean medicine in the tradition of East Asian medicine. “Korean
medicine in East Asian medicine” is a new framework proposed by
the author to replace the old one, “Korean medicine vs. Chinese
medicine.” Another problem is the relation between traditional
Korean herbal medicine and Western medicine in modern Korea.
Western medicine, which began to be introduced from early 19th
century, is the mainstream of Korean medicine today. Under these
circumstances the importation of Western medicine has been the
most important topic in the study of the history of modern Korean
medicine so far. But the author reexamines the changes of the relative
importance of traditional medicine and Western medicine since the
19th century. In doing so, the author tries to redress the over-
estimation by earlier scholars of the meaning of the importation of
Western medicine and reappraising the role and influence of the
Korean herbal medicine underestimated so far. His argument is that
it was not until the medical policies of Japanese colonial govern-
ment began to be administered that the hegemony of Western
medicine was established.
Contents: Part 1 A History of the Body in Pain / Part 2 Medical
Life in History / Part 3 Korean Herbal Medicine or Western Medicine?
Shin, Dongwon. Han-guk Mauihaksa [A History of Korean Hippiatrics].
Gwacheon: Korea Racing Association Equine Museum, 2004, 380 pp.
, , : , 2004, 380 .
This book deals with the history of Korean hippiatrics (i.e.
medicine for horses, ) from the ancient times until the early
20th century. The horse was a major means of transportation and
communication in traditional Korea. Thus, horse breeding was of
great importance especially for military purposes. A main issue was
how to select good and healthy horses and how to care and cure
Book Notes 297
horses. In spite of such a historical importance, hippiatrics has not
received its due attention from historians so far. This is the first
book written systematically and comprehensively on this subject.
In part 1 the author deals with the history of the Korean hippiatrical
system, and in part 2 he surveys the contents, achievements, and
limits of Korean hippiatrics.
Contents: Part 1 History of the Korean Hippiatrical System - Chap. 1
The Formation and Changes of the Korean Hippiatrical System;
Chap. 2 The Prevalence of and Coping with Epizootics / Part 2 The
World of Korean Traditional Hippiatrics - Chap. 1 Hippiatrics during
the Goryeo and Early Joseon Period; Chap. 2 Hippiatrics during the
Late Joseon Period
Na, Il-seong, et al. Seoyang Gwahak-ui Doip-gwa Yeonhuijeonmun-
hakgyo [The Introduction of Western Science and Yeonhui College].
Seoul: Yonsei University Press, 2004, 352+xxiv pp.
, , : , 2004,
352+xxiv .
This book deals with the introduction of Western science to Korea
from the late 19th century until the colonial era. This book sets a
high value on the roles of the Protestant missionaries in the process.
So the focus is on the scientific activities of the missionaries and on
the schools and colleges established by them, especially Yeonhui
college.
The main author and editor of this book is Na Il-seong, who
taught astronomy at Yonsei University, the successor of Yeonhui
college, and who has also studied the history of Korean astronomy
for a long time. And his six colleagues at the same university and
two professional historians of Korean science coauthored this book.
This book consists of three parts. Part 1 briefly describes the
attempts made by Koreans to introduce Western science in the last
years of Joseon dynasty. It was in the 1880s that the missionaries
from the United States and Europe came to Korea. As a means of
their missionary work they founded schools and colleges, where
science was taught as part of the curriculum. Part 2 treats the
faculties, curriculums, textbooks and other teaching materials, and
298 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
research activities of the science-related departments of the two
representative colleges, Sungsil and Yeonhui. Part 3 gives various
information on scientists related to these colleges and other
scientists. They include missionary scientists (chap. 10), Japanese
scientists (chap. 11), and Korean scientists who studied abroad and
worked in the above-mentioned colleges (chap. 12) and graduated
Yeonhui college (chap. 13). This book provides useful and new
information though not a systematic investigation.
Contents: Part 1 The Days Without Light / Part 2 Efforts to Sow
the Seeds / Part 3 The Acts of Apostles in Science
Choe, Yeongrak and Lee, Eungyeong. Segye 1wi Meideu In Korea:
Hanguk-ui Wold Beseuteu_Bandoche [The Top of the World Made in
Korea: Korea's World Best_Semiconductor]. Seoul: Jisungsa, 2004,
144 pp.
․ , 1 : _ ,
, 2004, 144 .
Song, Seongsu. Sori Eopsi Sesang-eul Umjiginda: Hanguk-ui Wold
Beseuteu_Cheolgang [Still Mover of the World: Korea's World Best_
Iron and Steel]. Seoul: Jisungsa, 2004, 175pp.
, : _ , , 2004, 175 .
Han, Yeongseok. Umjigineun Saenghwalgonggan: Hanguk-ui Wold
Beseuteu_ Jadongcha [Movable Living Space: Korea's World Best_
Automobile]. Seoul: Jisungsa, 2004, 144 pp.
, : _ , , 2004, 144 .
Chae, Sujong. Mirae-reul Nareuneun Bae: Hanguk-ui Wold Beseuteu_
LNG Seon [A Ship Carrying the Future: Korea's World Best_
Liquefied Natural Gas Ship]. Seoul: Jisungsa, 2004, 175 pp.
, : _ LNG , , 2004, 175 .
These books are short but good introductions to the world's first
class high-tech products made by Korean companies today. These
books provide information on the technological aspects of them, and
describe the histories of their developments including strategies for
Book Notes 299
R&D and the activities of engineers. The technologies dealt with in
these books are the semiconductors of Samsung Electronics, iron and
steel of POSCO, automobiles of Hyundai Motor Company, and
liquefied natural gas ships of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine
Company and other shipbuilding companies.
These books were published as parts of the “Korea's World Best”
series which was planned by the National Academy of Engineering
of Korea and sponsored by Ministry of Commerce, Industry and
Resource to popularize information on Korean engineering and
technology. The authors are policy researchers, historians, journalists,
or professors of related fields.
Koo, Mhan Ock. Joseonhugi Gwahaksasangsa Yeongu I: Jujahakjeok
Ujuron-ui Byeondong [Studies on the History of Scientific Thoughts
in the Late Joseon Dynasty volume I: The Transformation of the
Neo-Confucian Cosmology]. Seoul: Hyean, 2004, 547 pp.
, I: , , 2004,
547 .
This book is a published version of the author's doctoral
dissertation, which explores the formation, development, and changes
of the Neo-Confucian cosmology in the Joseon period.
Contents: Chap. 1 Introduction / Chap. 2 Introduction of Neo-
Confucianism and the Formation of the View of the Heaven as a
Law / Chap. 3 Development of Neo-Confucian Cosmology and Diversi-
fication of the Views of Heaven and Society / Chap. 4 Under-
standing of Western Astronomy and Debates on Cosmology /Chap. 5
The Idea of ‘Transmission of the Way' in Neo-Confucianism and
the Reestablishment of Neo-Confucian Cosmology as a Part of
Factional Opinion / Chap. 6 The Rise of New Cosmologies Based on
the Separation of Ethics and Physics and the Changes of Worldview /
Chap. 7 Conclusion
300 Seoul Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 17
Compiled by Heo Jun. Translated by Oriental Medical Science
Research Center. Donguibogam je1gwon Naegyeongpyeon [The
Precious Mirror of Oriental Medicine, volume 1, Chapter on the
Interior Part of the Body]. Seoul: Humanist, 2002, 1992 pp.
, , 1 , : ,
2002, 1992 .
Written by Wangyeo. Annotated by Choe Chiun et al. Translated by
Kim Ho. Sinju Muwonnok [Records for Eliminating Grievances Newly
Annotated]. Seoul: Sagyejeol, 2003, 565 pp.
, , , : , :
, 2003, 565 .
Compiled by Seong Judeok. Translated by Lee, Myon-U, Park, Kwon
Soo and Her, Yoon Seop. Seoungwanji [Treatise on the Bureau of
Astronomy Seoungwan]. Seoul: Somyong Publishers, 2003, 479 pp.
, ․ ․ , , : , 2003, 479 .
These books are new and reliable translations of classical works
in the field of Korean traditional science originally written in
classical Chinese in the Joseon period.
The first book is the first volume of a famous medical work
compiled by Heo Jun in the early 17th century. This book had an
enormous influence on traditional Korean medicine and has been
published several times not only in Korea but also in China and
Japan.
The second book is a classical text on legal medicine written by
Wangyeo in the Yuan era of China and annotated by Korean
scholars (Choe Chiun et al.) in the early Joseon era. This book was
widely used as a standard manual for coroners in that period.
The third book is an official record of the royal astronomical
bureau of the Joseon dynasty, Gwansanggam whose former name
was Seoungwan. This book gives a detailed and reliable information on
the organization, works, finance, operation, and history of the office.
It was compiled by an astronomical officer of the office Seong
Judeok in 1818.