A glimpse into life of Koreans centuries ago

From a wife’s affair, poverty and hunger to embezzlement by a government official, it seems that everyday life today is not so different compared with the Joseon period.

Ancient documents that offer a glimpse into people’s lives during the Joseon era are on display at Chonbuk National University Museum.

Since reopening in 2011, the museum has selected “interesting” old papers to exhibit, the museum’s curator Lee Jong-cheol said. Various documents from the Joseon period, including divorce papers and petitions, attract visitors’ attention.

An ancient divorce paper tells a story of a man whose wife had an affair. “We stayed with each other throughout hardships, but she married another man today,” he laments.

The man says that although "it is only justice that I slay her with a sword,” he would not do such a thing. Instead he receives 35 nyang -- equivalent of 1 million won ($894) today -- and ends the relationship.

Another document is a petition by a man who was ripped off by the local magistrate. The man, who paid the magistrate 120 nyang to settle his gambling debt, demands legal proof of his payment, but the magistrate simply tells him to “just wait for the punishment.”

Other old documents tell stories about poor parents who sold their daughter for cash, a famished commoner who voluntarily went to prison, and clan members petitioning their leader for squandering the family wealth.

The museum said it is preparing video exhibitions and other displays to make use of its 25,000 documents from the Joseon period.



The Korea Herald
(khnews@heraldcorp.com)