Jo Aug 2, 2023
“Tonggukjiriji” is a book of history and geography written in 1640 by Han Paek Gyom (1552―1615), one of the early realist scholars. Ascertained in the book are the ancient history and geography, and the territories and the locations of capitals, mountains and rivers, fortresses, etc. of medieval feudal states in our country.
The author employed a new positivist approach for his book. In other words, he clarified the merits and demerits of the existing historical materials and theories and gave his opinion of them in order to give a correct explanation of the history and geography of the ancient and medieval states existed in our country.
The book is largely divided into three parts ― the first part deals with the territory of ancient Korea; the second part ascertains the capital, territory, topography and fortresses in the period of the Three Kingdoms including Koguryo, Paekje and Silla; the third part covers those of Koryo.
The book has extracts of geographical records of ancient and medieval states of our country from documents at home and abroad and the author’s opinion between them, which give correct solutions to a number of main historical and geographical issues.
Based on the historical books by feudal historians who worshipped great powers, “Tonggukjiriji” reveals some incorrectness. However, it deserves to be one of the precious national geographical legacies as it is written in the way of seeking truth from the fact.
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Jo Jul 9, 2023
Sokgakchonmundo is an astronomical chart (constellation drawing) carved on a stone, true to the meaning of the term.
The chart was made between the late fifth century and the early sixth century.
Although the chart does not exist at present, Chonsangryolchabunyajido made at the end of the fourteenth century convincingly demonstrates how profound astronomical knowledge the chart involved.
Chonsangryolchabunyajido was made with a slight adjustment to the rubbed copy of Sokgakchonmundo, which had been lost during a war (invasion of the Tang dynasty) in the Koguryo age as the constellation on the copy was a little different from that in those days.
Sokgakchonmundo shows 1 475 stars grouped on 307 constellations on a large stone about 2 metres long and 1.2 metres wide, drawn with the universe with the Arctic in the centre.
The chart also shows the equator circle, the ecliptic circle, the Arctic Circle, the longitude line and even the Galaxy.
Koguryo’s Sokgakchonmundo is one of the world’s oldest stellar charts and it contains a larger number of stars than an astronomical chart made in China in the middle of the third century.
Sokgakchonmundo is one of the precious cultural legacies that intensively show the high level of astronomical development of Koguryo.
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Jo Jul 6, 2023
“Nongsajiksol” is a book on agriculture where farming methods and experiences suitable for the climatic and soil conditions of our country are comprehensively systematized. It was written by a feudal bureaucrat and scholar Jong Cho (? – 1434) in 1429, hundreds of years from now.
The book has a small amount of information with farming experiences limited to certain areas, but it has a lot of valuable information necessary for farming ranging from preparation of seeds, ploughing and preparation of compost and manure to methods of growing several kinds of grain crops.
In addition, written in the book are use of various kinds of farming tools, methods of manuring, and how to cultivate cereals like millet, foxtail millet, wheat, barley, etc. and legumes such as beans, adzuki beans, mung beans, etc., sesame and buckwheat.
Therefore, the book was republished several times until the later period of the feudal Joson dynasty in order to be widely used in agriculture and consulted for other agricultural books.
Although it has some defects due to the purpose of compilation and the class limitation of the author, “Nongsajiksol”, the oldest of all agricultural books from the middle ages of our country still found, serves as an important historical record for research into the development of farming methods and skills of that time.
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Jo Jul 1, 2023
A thungso (a Korean bamboo flute) is one of the musical instruments peculiar to our nation which have been widely played by the folk from olden times.
This typical national pipe instrument is played held sidewards. It has been loved by our people in a long course of history.
It originated from a kinjo (jangjok) that Koguryo people had invented.
According to historical records including “History of Koryo”, Koguryo’s kinjo was improved into a thungso during the Koryo dynasty, but it was also called kinjo until then.
In “Akhakgwebom” compiled at the end of the fifteenth century, the name was fixed as thungso, which means a wooden pipe instrument whose ends are perforated through.
With soft, stirring, appealing and melodious timbre, it can fully express exciting thoughts and feelings.
Widely used for a solo and accompaniment to folk songs and folk games, it has been a popular national instrument.
A thungso is making a contribution to the cultural and emotional life of people and the development of Juche-oriented music blooming day after day under the wise leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea.
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Jo Jun 12, 2023
Folk song “Arirang”, representative of Korean folk songs and symbolic of the Korean nation, is a song of the Korean nation which is sung by each and every Korean and heard in any Korean settlements in the world.
A representative one among a great number of legends of the birth and etymology of a Korean folk song “Arirang” is “Songbu and Rirang”.
The legend goes like this.
Once upon a time a boy called Rirang and a girl called Songbu who were serving as servants for a landlord in a village took part in a riot raised by the local people in a year of crop failure and went into the depth of a mountain to avoid the pursuit of the government armed troops.
There, they got married and lived a happy life.
Later, Rirang decided to join the fight against exploiters and parted from his much beloved wife Songbu to set out on the journey over a series of mountain passes.
Songbu, gazing over the passes her husband crossed, sang a song of yearning, which was later handed down orally to finally become “Arirang”.
Sung by our people a lot, “Arirang” was diversified into a large number of local varieties ― “Sodo Arirang” of Phyongan Province, “Kangwondo Arirang” of Kangwon Province, “Tanchon Arirang” of Hamgyong Province, etc. to just name a few. All those have their features peculiar to their birthplaces.
“Arirang”, which is still widely sung by our people and known to the world, is a revised version as the theme song of a silent film “Arirang” by Ra Un Gyu in 1926.
The song is imbued with the spirit and sentiment of the Korean nation and it reflects simple aspiration of the Korean people for a happy life.
Today, “Arirang” is well-known as a famous song among people at home and abroad.
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Jo Jun 6, 2023
So Kyong Dok was a philosopher of materialism representative of the Korean medieval philosophy in the 16th century. His pseudonym was Hwadam or Pokjae.
He was born into a low-class aristocratic family in Kaesong in 1489. Although he was very clever from an early age, he could not start studying until he was 14 because of poverty.
Grown up in the historical environment from the late 15th century to the early 16th century when the contradictions of the feudal society started to be disclosed, he abandoned a government service from the start, out of discontent over a scramble for hegemony, arbitrariness and oppression of feudal ruling circles. Instead, he devoted himself to academic study and education of future generations, living in poverty all his life in Hwadam, Kaesong. That is why he was often called Teacher Hwadam.
Even though his philosophical idea represented the interests of low-class aristocrats, it exposed the misdeeds of the rulers of that time and expressed sympathy for the miserable life of peasants. Thus, it dealt a blow at the doctrines of Chu-tzu, which served as a basic idea of a ruling class, and exerted a great influence on the development of our country’s philosophy of materialism.
He died at the age of 57 in 1546. Reviewing his life, he said “I feel very happy with my perfect knowledge and satisfied with my worthwhile life.”
One of his books, which is still found, is “Hwadamjip” in four volumes.
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