Jeong Cheol was a master of the Korean gasa (歌詞 literally “music words,” it describe all vernacular songs) in the sixteenth century during the Joseon dynasty. His works include Gwandong byeolgok (關東別曲 Song of the Northeast), Samiingok (思美人曲 Song of Longing), Songmiingok (續美人曲 Continued Song of Longing) and hundreds of other pieces of sijo (short fixed-form poems). Although Jeong Cheol was regarded as a self-righteous official, the head of the Westerners (西人 seoin) political faction during a period of political strife, he wrote sensually and fluently, giving him reputation as an alchemist of the Korean language. [1] Jeong Cheol’s poems and songs written with the Korean alphabet are contained in Songganggasa (松江歌辭 Music Words of Songgang).
1. Life
Jeong Cheol was a sixteenth-century bureaucrat and writer, and his pen name was Songgang (松江). He was born in 1536, Jangui-dong (near Cheongun Elementary School, northwest of Gyeongbok Palace), Seoul. Jeong Cheol’s literary career was closely related to his political activity. His eldest sister was a concubine of King Injong (仁宗, r.1544-1545), and so, he went through a period of wealth during his childhood and was able to enter the royal palace often. However, at the age of 10 (1545), the Literati Purge of 1545 (乙巳士禍 Eulsasahwa) pushed his family into difficult times with his father’s exile. At age 16 (1551), when his father was released from exile, his family settled at the foot of Mt. Seong (星山), Changpyeong (昌平), Jeolla Province for ten years. Indeed, this was the happiest period of his lifetime in which he laid the foundation for his academic and political growth, sharing and collaborating with the intellectuals of his time. He was educated by philosopher Ki Daeseung (奇大升, 1527-1572) and Kim Inhu (金麟厚, 1510-1560); and he collaborated with the masters of gasa, Song Sun (宋純, 1493-1582), Kim Seongwon (金成遠, 1525-1597) and Im Eongnyeong (林億齡, 1496-1568), who studied together at the Sigyeongjeong (息影亭) pavilion. This experience of his earlier years was recorded in the work, Seongsan byeolgok (星山別曲 Song of Seong Mountain, 1560).
At the age of 27 (1562), Jeong Cheol was awarded first place in the civil service examination. In fact, King Myeongjong (明宗, r.1545-1567), who was a good friends with him when he was a child, was pleased to see his friend’s name on the top of the list and sent him gifts of drink and food. Though, Jeong Cheol was later excluded from important offices because he refused King Myeongjong’s request to cover up a homicide committed by a member of the royal family. At the age of 33 (1568), King Seonjo (宣祖, r.1567-1608) was crowned, and Jeong Cheol, along with Yi I (李珥, 1536-1584), became a high-ranking bureaucrat. In the political strife between the Easterners (東人 dongin) and the Westerners (西人 seoin), he was a key player as the head of the Westerners. His honest and straightforward personality led him to face many ups and downs during his political career, but he wrote many Korean lyrical poems during this period.
Jeong Cheol tried to retire from politics due to political conflict at the age of 44 (1579) but was reappointed as the governor of Gangwon Province at age 45 (1580). Hunminga (訓民歌 Song of Teaching the People), which consists of 16 verses, was written to enlighten and educate the people, and Gwandong byeolgok (關東別曲 Song of the Northeast) was also created to praise the scenery of the Gwandong (關東 Northeast) region and to show his love toward his people. At the age of 48 (1583), he served as the Minister of Rites (禮曹判書 Yejo Panseo) and Minister of Justice (刑曹判書 Hyeongjo Panseo) despite fierce opposition from the Easterners, and he was repeatedly promoted with the absolute trust of King Seonjo. However, when he turned 50 (1585), he was convicted both by the Office of the Inspector (司憲府 Saheonbu) and the Office of the Censor (司諫院 Saganwon) and retired again. He wrote numerous sijo (時調 Korean traditional poetry) and Hansi (漢詩 Chinese character poetry) during this time in his hometown, Changpyeong, Jeolla Province, and he also wrote during this time the two gasa, Samiingok (思美人曲 Song of Longing) and Songmiingok (續美人曲 Continued Song of Longing), in which he sang his loyalty towards the king from a woman’s point of view.
Jeong’s loyal character was highly respected by King Seonjo. At age 54 (1589) when the Act of High Treason in 1589 (己丑獄事 Gichugoksa) [a rebellion of Jeong Yeorip (the Easterners) known as one of the bloodiest of political purges] occurred, he was appointed the Third State Councilor (右議政 Uuijeong) and wiped his political opponents, the Easterners, as a presiding judge. Later, his judgements during this time was criticized by the Easterners for a long time. Although Jeong was firmly trusted by King Seonjo during the early years, the last years of his political career were not as fortunate. When he turned 56 (1591), he asked King Seonjo to designate King Gwanghaegun (光海君, 1608-1623) as the next king in opposition to King Seonjo, and so he was exiled to Ganggye (江界), Pyeongan Province for standing against the King. He finished his short life in Ganghwa Island at the age of 58 (1593). [2]
2. Writing
Jeong wrote five gasa - Gwandong byeolgok, Samiingok, Songmiingok, Seongsan byeolgok, and Jangjinjusa (將進酒辭 literally “bring in the wine”; An Inducement to Imbibe) - a 16 verse yeonsijo - Hunminga - and 100 pyeongsijo. Among these, his representative works are Gwandong byeolgok, Samiingok, and Songmiingok. The themes of his works are varied: they are nature, loyalty towards the king, moral lessons, and drinking.
First of all, Gwandong byeolgok is a work written within the scope of both a Confucian responsibility for public service and a Taoist freedom that appreciates the nature of Gangwon Province, while he served as a provincial governor. Seongsan byeolgok is a tribute to the owner of Sigyeong Pavillon, who enjoyed the landscape of Mt. Seong. He elevated the art form with his portrayal of the four seasons and dialogue form of the work. Samiingok and Songmiingok deals with loyalty towards the king from a female speaker’s point of view and was written when he retired to his hometown. These two songs are considered to be the origin of song genre [or literature] of longing for the sovereign (忠臣戀主之詞).
The 16 verses of Hunminga were created with the purpose of enlightening and educating the people. However, the physicality of Jeong’s expressions is regarded as illuminating the people’s lives from a horizontal gaze rather than one from a governor to his people. Jangjinjusa, model for Gwonjuga (勸酒歌 Song for the Drinking) genre, has the theme of overcoming the vanity of life through drink. He wrote various drinking-related works, including Jumundap (酒問答). Contrary to his reputation of having a rigid personality, his sensuality and emotions of his literary world seem to be related to his love of drinking.
In the excerpt below is Jeong Cheol’s passion and emotion towards drinking. It is a humorous description of the conflict between impatience and patience while the narrator attempts to avoid drinking unripe wine. Thus, alcohol is not a simple ‘thing’ in his work. Rather, it is personified as a living creature; and more specifically, it is a woman to whom he has warm feelings. He gives life to an unliving object, alcohol, with physicality, and this is often classified as a unique emotional expression of Jeong Cheol. [3]
Jeong Cheol’s contribution to Korean poetry and literature is largely divided three ways. First, Jeong improved the status of the Korean language in a literary milieu centered around Chinese classical literature. Especially in the seventeenth century, Kim Manjung (金萬重, 1637-1692), in his work Seopomanpil (西浦漫筆 Random Jottings of Manjung), addressed Gwandong byeolgok, Samiingok, and Songmiingok as the only works which correspond to true Korean literature. Kim Manjung’s commentary was influential, classifying Jeong Cheol as a respected Korean traditional poet; and this treatment was inherited by Lee Byeonggi, who had the aspiration to restore Korean sovereignty in twentieth century literature. Second, Jeong Cheol’s work greatly influenced Seongsan Gadan (星山歌壇 a group that created and enjoyed Korean songs and/or poems in the Joseon dynasty). At Seong Mountain (星山), which is located in his hometown Changpyeong, Jeong collaborated with ‘The Four Immortal (仙人 seonin) of Sigyeong Pavillion’ - Im Eongnyeong, Kim Seongwon, Ko Gyeongmyeong (髙敬命, 1533-1592), and Baek Gwanghun (白光勳, 1537-1582) – and wrote Seongsan byeolgok. Seongsan Gadan is renowned for its role in enriching Korean literature in succession to Honam Gadan, who put emphasis on the elegance of literati, in contrast to Yeongnam Gadan, which pursued the artistic expression of nature’s beauty. Third, a genealogical line of literature was sprouted from Jeong Cheol’s work. Jeong Cheol’s literature later became the foundation for Sok Gwandong byeolgok (關東續別曲 Sequel to Gwandong byeolgok) by Cho Uin (曺友仁, 1561-1625), Sok Samiingok (續思美人曲 Sequel to Samiingok) by Lee Jinyu (李眞儒, 1669-1703), and Pyeol Samiingok (別思美人曲 Supplements of Samiingok) by Kim Cheotaek (金天澤, 168?-?).
Reference
Kim, Seokoe, “Minjokeo ui Yeongeumsulsa, Songgang Jeong Cheol (An Alchemist of National Language, Songgang Jeong Cheol),” Hanguk Gojeon Munhak Jakgaron (Theory of Korean Classical Writers), Somyeong Publishing, 1998.
Park, Yeongju, Songgang Jeong Cheol Pyeongjeon (Critical Biography of Songgang Jeong Cheol), JoongAng M&B, 1999.
Lee, Hyeongdae, “Jeong Cheol Sijo ui Gamseong Pyohyeon Yangsang (Emotional Expressions of Jeong Cheol’s Sijo),” Hanguk Siga Yeongu (A Study of Korean Poetry) 27, Korean Classical Poetry Association, 2009.
Jeong, Ikseop, Jeong Cheol, Hanguk Munhak Jakgaron (Theory of Korean Literary Writers) 2, Jipmoondang, 2000.
