33 Keys to Decoding the Korean Wave  #19 From Ungnyeo to Haenyeo 

#19 Goddesses in Every Korean Woman 

*한류를 이해하는 33가지 코드 #19 한국여성 속의 여신들 <Korean version> 

https://www.nyculturebeat.com/index.php?mid=Focus&document_srl=4081428

Claude Monet, Woman with a Parasol,1886. Musée d'Orsay, Paris/ Elizabeth Keith, A Hamheung Housewife, 1921/ Park Soo Keun, The Woman Who Crushes, 1954

Korean society still adheres to patriarchal values, and women’s rights are relatively low. However, Korean women remain strong and resilient, perhaps due to the presence of numerous female role models throughout their long history.

In ancient times, Queens like Hatshepsut and Cleopatra ruled Egypt, and in the Silla dynasty, Queen Seondeok, Queen Jindeok, and Queen Jinsung displayed their leadership. Notable figures like Jeanne d’Arc in France and Yu Gwan-sun in Korea also left their mark in history. Even during the Imjin War, a gisaeng (female entertainer) named Non’gae, despite her status, bravely sacrificed herself and became a heroic figure. Myeongwol Hwang Jini, a gisaeng, musician and artist who captivated an entire era, is also highly esteemed. Moreover, Jeju’s Haenyeo (female divers) have fascinated feminists around the world.

In addition to these historical figures, great scholars like  Yi Yi of the Joseon dynasty were educated and received teachings from their mothers. Yi Yi’s mother, Shin Saimdang, was not only a Confucian scholar but also a talented painter. Similarly, the calligrapher Han Seok-bong received guidance from his mother, Baek Indang, a rice-cake seller who devoted her life to the success of her son. Shin Saimdang appeared as the face of the 50,000 won bill in Korea in 2007 (approximately $40), although there is no female face yet on any  paper money issued by the United States.

Furthermore, Korea has also had a female president, Park Geun-hye, and although she was imprisoned during candlelight protests, her presence is a significant milestone in Korean history. And the nameless common Korean women who have accumulated wisdom through “gye” (lending club) were geniuses of investment, and the “skirt wind” (“soccer mom” in the U.S.) symbolizes Korea’s passion for education.

While challenges persist, the influence and contributions of these remarkable women have left a profound impact on Korean society, contributing to the advancement and empowerment of women’s status and rights.

“Goddesses in Everywoman” (1984) by Jean Shinoda Bolen/ Korean translated version of the book published in 2003

In “Goddesses in Everywoman” (1984), American psychiatrist Jean Shinoda Bolen presents the archetypes that reside within women’s inner selves, such as Artemis (the huntress), Athena (wisdom), Hestia (hearth), Hera (marriage), Demeter (motherhood), Persephone (spring), and Aphrodite (love), who are the seven Greek goddesses.

Likewise, in the DNA of Korean women, we can find the presence of powerful archetypes: Ungnyeo (endurance and determination), Queen Seondeok (leadership), Shin Saimdang (wise mother, good wife and artistic talent), Baek Indang (passion for children’s education), Nongae (bravery and sacrifice), Yu Gwan sun (resistance and courage), and Jeju Haenyeo (strength and resilience). These figures represent the goddesses that reside within Korean women.

The Original Champion of Self-Quarantine, the Tenacious Ungnyeo

This stamp was issued in 2008 to commemorate the founding myth of Korea. It depicts scenes from the story of Ungnyeo (the bear woman), who was the mother of the legendary figure King Dangun (the founder of Gojoseon, the first kingdom on the Korean Peninsula), and her transformation from a bear to a human, riding on clouds with Hwanung (the divine son of the heavens), the god of wind, and the god of clouds, descending to Mount Taebaek.  She was the mother of our nation and the first vegetarian to practice self-quarantine. 

In every country, there are creation myths to give legitimacy to its origins. In ancient times, the divine son Hwanung desired to rule the human world and descended to the land with his father’s permission, leading a group of 3,000 followers, including the gods of rain, wind, and clouds, and established a new city beneath the divine tree at the top of Mount Taebaek (now known as Mount Myohyang). At that time, bears and tigers living in the east also desired to become human and sought out Hwanung. Hwanung gave them a handful of mugwort and twenty cloves of garlic, instructing them to endure 100 days without exposure to sunlight in a cave. If they succeeded, they would become human.

The tiger couldn’t endure and ran away, but the bear persevered and, after twenty-one days, transformed into a woman named Ungnyeo. Under the divine tree, she prayed to have a child. Consequently, she briefly transformed into a human and married Hwanung, giving birth to King Dangun. With the ideology of “Hongik Ingan,” which means “broadly benefiting all humankind,” King Dangun founded Gojoseon (ancient Korea) in 2333 BC and ruled for 1,500 years.

Most creation myths are dominated by tales of heroes. In Greek mythology, gods like Zeus swallowed their own children, waged wars, and had multiple wives. However, in our Dangun myth, Hwanung descended to the land, the bear patiently and tenaciously became a woman, and together they produced Dangun. Thus, it laid the foundation for a vertical exchange between heaven, earth, and humans, embodying the philosophy of “Cheon Ji In” (Heaven, Earth, and Human) and the horizontal and peaceful ideology of “Hongik Ingan.” From the beginning, the Korean people have been a nation that loves peace.

If, instead of a bear, it had been a tiger that succeeded in self-quarantine, we might have become a more aggressive people. The Korean scholar Cho Yoon-je once said, “steadiness is the charm of Korea, and tenacity is the strength of Korea.”

“Queen’s Era” Silla: Seondeok, Jindeok, Jinsung

The Metropolitan Museum of Art houses a Sphinx of Hatshepsut, ca. 1479–1458 B.C. (left), / Starring Lee Yo-won in the MBC-TV 62-episode drama “Queen Seondeok” (2009) / Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty / England’s first queen, Mary I.

When we think of the Queen of Ancient Egypt, Cleopatra comes to mind. Cleopatra is strongly associated with the image of a femme fatale, and was romantically entangled with the Roman heroes Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.  However, there was another great queen who lived about 1,400 years before Cleopatra: Hatshepsut, the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of the New Kingdom (1507-1458 BC). To conceal her female identity, Queen Hatshepsut wore male attire, including a fake beard, and ruled Egypt for 21 years, transforming it into a prosperous nation both economically and culturally.

Hatshepsut built five large ships capable of accommodating 200 people each near the Red Sea and initiated trade with neighboring countries such as Nubia and the Levant. She also constructed the imposing Djeser-Djeseru temple in Deir el-Bahri and erected a pair of obelisks at the entrance of the Karnak temple, which were the tallest in the world at the time. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a dedicated gallery showcasing Hatshepsut’s Sphinx.

The obelisks and the Djeser-Djeseru temple, constructed during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut in ancient Egypt. Photo by Youngmi Jin.

England’s first queen was Mary I (Mary I of England), the daughter of Henry VIII, famously associated with the “Bloody Mary” cocktail, reigned from 1553 to 1558. China’s first queen and the only Empress was Wu Zetian, who ruled during the Tang Dynasty from 690 to 705. In Korea, even earlier than England and China, a queen was born: Queen Seondeok (632-647), the 27th ruler of the Silla Kingdom, preceded Empress Wu Zetian by more than half a century.

Cheomseongdae, astronomical observatory in Gyeongju, (left), constructed during the reign of Queen Seondeok, and a restoration blueprint of major buildings, including Hwangryongsa Temple and the nine-story wooden pagoda, which were lost during the Mongol invasion in 1238.

As the daughter of King Jinpyeong, Queen Seondeok established her independent era by changing the era name to Inpyeong (仁平) after her father’s reign of three years. Amid threats from the neighboring kingdoms of Goguryeo and Baekje, she led generals Kim Yu-sin and Kim Chun-chu to lay the foundation for the unification of the Three Kingdoms. Queen Seondeok demonstrated her devotion to the country by erecting the Hwangnyongsa nine-story pagoda, reaching a height of 80 meters, often referred to as the Silla’s Obelisk.  Furthermore, to promote Buddhism in the country, she founded 25 temples, including Bunhwangsa and Yeongmyosa.

For the purpose of astronomical observation to prevent natural disasters, she constructed Asia's first Cheomseongdae observatory, designated as National Treasure No. 31. She dispatched scholars to China to foster talented individuals, and organized embroidery competitions for women around the time of Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) to enhance their skills and enjoy the festivities. Queen Seondeok’s legacy continued with the reigns of her cousin and younger sister, Queen Jindeok (647-654), and Queen Jinseong (887-897) of the Unified Silla, making a total of three queens who ruled Silla.

3,000 Palace Maidens, Nongae and Yu Gwan-sun

“Holy fury is deeper than religion,

And blazing passion is stronger than love.

Ah! Flow through the waves bluer than bean flowers,

Let your heart flow redder than poppy flowers.

Your charming eyebrows fluttered high,

Your lips like pomegranate seeds kissed death!

The flowing river water stretches endlessly,

Yet your soul is unbelievably red like a flower.”

-Nongae, Byeon Yeong-ro -

“With flower petals in your mouth, running with the wind,

You wept while folding your small hands to pray.

The big star, so high and beautiful,

Overflowed in your passionate lips, an incision.

Beautiful eyes that twinkled like the morning star,

An unforgettable beauty shining in your eyes.

Devoted, devoted, you left on the blue waves,

Devoted, devoted, you prayed,

That love, that love will last forever.”

-Nongae (1982), Lyrics/Composition: Lee Geon-woo, Singer: Lee Dong-ki-

In Jucheon Village, Jangsu County, Jeollabuk-do, stands a statue of Nongae, a woman famous for her loyalty.

During the Imjin War in the time of King Seonjo of the Joseon Dynasty, the defeated Japanese forces returned with an army of 120,000 soldiers in 1593. In the Second Battle of Jinju, around 70,000 Koreans fought valiantly, but Jinju Castle fell to the invaders. While the Japanese were celebrating their victory at Jinju, Nongae, a Korean kisaeng, lured the Japanese general, Wakizaka Yasuharu, to a cliff called Uiam Rock, embraced him, and jumped into Nam River with him, killing both of them, to revenge the deaths of her husband, brother and sisters. She was only 20 years old.

Moved by the loyalty of Nongae, who sacrificed her life for the country despite being a gisaeng, Yu Mong-in recorded her story in “Eou yadam” (unofficial histories).  Many songs have been composed about the loyal patriot figure, such as “Nongae” by Lee Mi-ja and by Lee Dong-gi, “Moonlit Jin Yangseong” by Woo Pan-yong, “Nam River Lives On” by Kim Jae-si, “Nam River Is Silent” by Lee Jae-ho, “Twin Rings” by Nam Sung-bong and Lee Mi-ja, and others.

Did Nongae know about the legend of the palace maidens of Nakhwamun Cliff? In 660, during the last days of the Baekje Kingdom, King Uija was neglecting his duties and indulging in pleasure with the palace maidens every day. Silla, which had suffered numerous invasions by Baekje, joined forces with Tang Dynasty and attacked Baekje from both land and sea, led by King Mu of Silla and Kim Yu-sin. When the Baekje capital of Sabi-seong (present-day Buyeo) fell, the palace maidens, rather than falling into the hands of the cruel enemy, decided to die with dignity. They climbed a high rock, turned their skirts upside down, and leaped towards the Baikma River. The number of the maidens was 3,000, and the name of the rock came to be called Nakhwaam (Rock of Falling Flowers).

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Joan of Arc at the Coronation of Charles VII, 1854, Louvre Museum/ Yu Gwan-sun in prison uniform ⓒIndependence Hall of Korea

In France, there was a heroic young girl named Jeanne d’Arc (1412-1431). Similarly, in Korea, there was Yu Gwan-sun (1902-1920).

Yu Gwan-sun was born into a Protestant family in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do, and attended Ewha Hakdang (present Ewha Girls’ High School) in Seoul. In 1905, after the signing of the Eulsa Treaty (Japan–Korea Treaty), Ewha Hakdang suspended classes every day at 3 PM to hold prayer meetings and patriotic discussions, praying for the independence of the country. On January 21, 1919, when King Gojong passed away, the students dressed in mourning attire and went on strike. Yu Gwan-sun participated in the March 1st Movement that took place at Pagoda Park. She, along with four other students, Seo Myeong-seon, Kim Bok-sun, Kim Hee-ja, and Gook Hyeon-sook, formed a group and left the dormitory to join the protest march heading towards Namdaemun.

Afterward, she returned to her hometown, Cheonan, and released the hidden Declaration of Independence on April 1st at Byeongcheon Market, leading the independence movement. Her parents died at the site of the protest, and she was arrested as the leader and sentenced to three years in prison. In 1920, on the first anniversary of the March 1st Movement, she led a protest inside Seodaemun (West Gate) Prison. However, on September 28 of that year, Yu Gwan-sun passed away due to torture and malnutrition. She was only 18 years old. In 1974, the Yu Gwan-sun Memorial Hall was established at Ewha Girls’ High School.

The stamp on the left depicts Jeanne d’Arc in 2012, and the stamp on the right depicts Yu Gwan-sun in 1982.

In 2005, Olivier Bouzy, scientific director of the Jeanne d’Arc Center in Orleans, France, visited the Yu Gwan-sun Memorial Hall in Cheonan and stated that “Yu Gwan-sun is the only young patriot maiden in the world comparable to Jeanne d’Arc.”  Mr. Bouzy suggested that Yu Gwan-sun might have read about Jeanne d’Arc’s life.  In Korea, in 1907, journalist Chang Ji-yeon of Hwangsung newspaper published a book titled “The Story of a Patriot Maiden” based on Jeanne d’Arc’s biography.

When we think of independence activists, figures like Kim Gu, the poet Yun Dong-ju, martyr Yu Gwansun, martyr Yun Bong-gil, and Ahn Chang-ho come to mind. However, there were countless female independence activists as well. Women like Kim Maria, Kwak Nak-won, Nam Ja-hyeon, Kwon Gwi-ok, Park Ja-hye, Park Cha-jeong, Cho Maria, Yang Je-hyeon, Yun Hee-soon, Choi Eun-hee, Choi Yong-shin, Ha Ran-sa, and Han Seong-seon, to name just a few. In February 2018, Korea’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs officially recognized 300 female independence activists, including Yu Gwan-sun, and honored them with a commemorative ceremony.

Poet and Doctor of Literature, Lee Yoon-ok, published a book called “Dictionary of 300 Female Independence Activists” in 2018, and in the same year, a group called “Beot:da” at Seoul Women’s University’s Department of Journalism and Media held a crowdfunding campaign to raise awareness of around 1,900 female independence activists. In March 2019, Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family held a special exhibition titled “Female Independence Activists, 100 Years of Memory Opening the Future” at the National Women’s History Museum in Goyang, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the March 1st Movement and the establishment of the Provisional Government.

With her brother on her back a war weary Korean girl tiredly trudges by a stalled M-26 tank, at Haengju, Korea., 1951.  Archives Library Information Center, USA

Shin Saimdang, the Renaissance Woman of Joseon 

Shin Saimdang, Grapes, Ink on Silk, 31.5×21.7cm, Collection of Gansong Art Museum

In the Joseon Dynasty, there was a renowned Confucian scholar named Yi I (Yi Yulgok, 1536-1584), who was nicknamed “Shindong” (child prodigy) for his exceptional talent in reading and writing at the age of three. He imitated the writings and paintings of his mother, Shin Saimdang (1504-1551), who was considered a Renaissance woman of her time.

Shin Saimdang was the second daughter among five daughters of a noble family and received an education in the Four Books and Five Classics from her father. At the age of seven, she imitated a painting by the artist An Gyeon. She was known for her profound knowledge in Neo-Confucianism, Taoism, classical literature, history, as well as her skills in painting, calligraphy, poetry, embroidery, and fabric making. In addition to being a scholar, Shin Saimdang was also a skilled painter. There is a well-known anecdote that she drew a picture of a grapevine on a lady’s skirt to cover a stain after spilling soup during a banquet.

In 2009, Shin Saimdang’s portrait was chosen for the 50,000 won bill in South Korea. The front of the bill features a portrait of Shin Saimdang along with her ink-wash painting of grapes on silk and a drawing of insects and plants in a folding screen from her painting “Chochungdo.” Her son, Yi I, is featured on the 5,000 won bill issued in 1972, and the back of that bill displays two insects, a mantis, and a watermelon. The 10 panel folding screen, now a cultural asset of Gangwon Province (No. 11), is housed in the Yulgok Memorial Hall in Gangneung City.

Shin Saimdang’s 50,000 won note and his son Yi I’s picture on the back of the 5,000 won note are also Shin Saimdang’s work (left)/ Han Seok-bong’s Thousand Character Font.

Another famous figure from the Joseon Dynasty was the calligrapher Han Seok-bong (1543-1605), also known as Han Ho. Born into a noble family in Gaeseong, his mother, Baek In-dang, recommended him to become a student of the scholar Seo Gyeong-deok after her husband passed away. Baek In-dang and her son Han Seok-bong moved to Yeongam in Jeollanam-do, where they earned a living by selling rice cakes. Han Seok-bong promised his mother that he would study calligraphy for ten years at a temple on Wolchulsan Mountain, Youngam.

However, he returned home from the temple three years after leaving because of his longing for his mother. In response, Baek Indang extinguished her lamp and confronted her son, Seok-bong, in a competition involving cutting rice cakes and writing calligraphy. Upon observing Seok-bong's untidy handwriting, his mother scolded him sternly and sent him back to the mountains. Consequently, Seok-bong returned after spending an additional seven years at the temple. At the age of twenty-five, having successfully passed the first-place examination, he gained fame as a master calligrapher.

This legend of the calligraphy competition was recorded in the 19th-century book “Dongya Hwiji” by Yi Won-myeong, and later included in elementary school textbooks starting in 1945, justifying the concept of “love through punishment.” Han Seok-bong’s calligraphy style, known for its firmness and stability, became the standard for Joseon’s Cheonjamun (Thousand Character Text). 

Jeju Haenyeo: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Haenyeo, an exhibition of Jeju haenyeo by photographer Hyung S. Kim, held at the Korean Cultural Center in New York in 2015. Photo: Sukie Park/NYCultureBeat

The Jeju Haenyeo, female divers of Jeju Island, have captivated the world with their remarkable way of life. Unlike the Confucian culture prevalent in Korea, they are a testament to the power of matriarchy, often referred to as “Asia’s Amazons.”  Braving the deep sea without any breathing equipment, these courageous women dive to collect abalone or sea urchins for up to seven hours, facing the threshold of death in extreme conditions. The Haenyeo of Jeju, the southern island of the Korean peninsula, represent the semi-maternal family structure of the island with their independent spirit, strong will and determination.

Their folk songs contain lyrics like “travelling between this world and the afterlife.” There is a saying that “a Haenyeo is a person who earns money in the underworld and spends it in this world.” Jeju, known as a volcanic island with infertile soil unsuitable for farming, compelled the Haenyeo to venture into the sea to make a living. Through the village community and Haenyeo associations, they elevated the status of women in their society. 

Jeju Haenyeos (UNESCO)/ The Haenyeos' Songbook "Iyeo Iyeo Iyeodo Sana" Published by Haenyeo Museum.

During their diving rituals, the Haenyeos perform a traditional shamanistic ceremony to pray for safety and abundant catches, honoring the sea goddess Yongwang Halmoni (Dragon King Grandmother). They also sing folk songs like “Seoujet Sori” to express their feelings, singing instead of sighing while enduring harsh and challenging lives in the rough sea and a weary marriage. The labor songs of Haenyeo are Jeju Island’s intangible cultural asset No. 1, and in 2010, a collection of 150 songs by Haenyeo, “Iyeo Iyeo Iyeodo Sana” (Let’s go to Ieo Island) was published by the Haenyeo Museum.

Dahlia Gustenhaber, an Israeli filmmaker who fell in love with Jeju Haenyeo.

In the meantime, Jeju’s Haenyeo have been known to the world through National Geographic and Magnum Photos (David Alan Harvey)’s black and white photos. Numerous documentaries have also been made about their extraordinary lives. Dahlia Gerstenhaber, a children’s film director from Israel, was deeply fascinated by a picture of a 70-year-old Haenyeo she saw in a diving magazine after receiving a wetsuit as a gift from her husband on her 48th birthday. Since then, she visited Jeju three times, spending nine months living with and documenting the Haenyeo in her documentary “Hae-Nyo, Women of the Sea” (2009).

“Our Mother Stands Alone, the World I Live In With Her

Just because I’m a woman, just because I’m a woman,

Am I incapable of doing men’s work?

Piggybacking loads on my worn-out back, let’s go, hurry!

To the fields where the sun rises, let’s go, hurry!

Let’s go to plow the fields.”

-Choi Jeongja (singer), Virgin Farmer, 1968-

Poster of documentaries, animations, feature films, and short films based on Jeju Haenyeo.

There are other movies centered around Jeju Haenyeo such as “Breathing Underwater” (2016) directed by Ko Hee-yeong, “Diving Women of Jeju-do” (2007) by Barbara Hammer, "Haenyeo: Women of the Sea" (2013) co-directed by Éloïc Gimenez, Alex Igidbashian, and Jeong Daye, as well as the animated film “Grandma Ocean” (2013) by Kang Hee-jin and Han Areum.

Jeju Island has received three designations from UNESCO, including Biosphere Reserve (2002), World Natural Heritage (2007), and Global Geopark (2010). Moreover, Jeju Haenyeo culture was inscribed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2016.

*UNESCO, Culture of Jeju Haenyeo (women divers) <YouTube>

Great Women in American History

In March 2020, the History Channel in the United States selected “11 Bold Women Who Changed the World” to commemorate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day (March 8). This list includes 

1. Sybil Ludington: The Female Paul Revere, 

2. Claudette Colvin: Teenaged Civil Rights Activist, 

3. Jane Addams: Pioneer for Social Change, 

4. Hedy Lamarr: Invented Tech Behind Wi-Fi, 

5. Rosalind Franklin: Revealed DNA’s Structure, 

6. Babe Didrikson Zaharias: First Female Sports Star, 

7. Sojourner Truth: A Voice that Changed a Nation, 

8. Jeannette Rankin: Broke Barriers Before Women Could Vote, 

9. Chien-Shiung Wu: Disproved a 30-year Old Law of Nature, 

10. Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rae Rivera: LGBTQ Activists Who Dared to be Themselves.

https://www.history.com/news/bold-women-who-changed-the-world

Dear fellow Americans,

How many remarkable women do you recognize? Honestly, I can think of just one – the Austrian-born Hollywood star, Hedy Lamarr. Perhaps it's because the United States, in its relatively short history, hasn't produced as many prominent women or female role models as Korea has.

In Korea, role models often emerge from the pages of the country's rich myths and tumultuous history, as well as from the tapestry of everyday life. Conversely, great American women tend to be those highlighted on channels like the History Channel or those who have held the esteemed position of First Lady, such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The spiritual lessons they can offer as role models for everyday American women may be somewhat limited.

Let's celebrate the diversity of female role models and draw inspiration from their achievements, no matter where they come from.

Sukie Park 

A native Korean, Sukie Park studied journalism and film & theater in Seoul. She worked as a reporter with several Korean pop, cinema, photography and video magazines, as a writer at Korean radio (KBS-2FM 영화음악실) and television (MBC-TV 출발 비디오 여행) stations, and as a copywriter at a video company(대우 비디오). Since she moved to New York City, Sukie covered culture and travel for The Korea Daily of New York(뉴욕중앙일보) as a journalist. In 2012 she founded www.NYCultureBeat.com, a Korean language website about cultural events, food, wine, shopping, sightseeing, travel and people. She is also the author of the book recently-published in Korea, "한류를 이해하는 33가지 코드: 방탄소년단(BTS), '기생충' 그리고 '오징어 게임'을 넘어서 (33 Keys to Decoding the Korean Wave: Beyond BTS, Parasite, and Squid Game)."