)
| Jeong Cheol | |
| Hangul | 정철 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 鄭澈 |
| Revised Romanization | Jeong Cheol |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chŏng Ch'ŏl |
Jeong Cheol (정철, 1536–1593) was a Korean statesman and poet. He used the pen-names Gyeham (계함) and Songgang(송강), and studied under Kim Yunjae at Hwanbyeokdang. He was expelled by the Easterners.
Literary works
He is prominent in the gasa and the sijo, which are forms of classical Korean poetry.
The following two poems are an exchange between Jeong Cheol and the gisaeng Jinok. Jeong is playing on Jinok's name, which means Genuine Gem. First he calls her a gem (ok; 玉), then suggests she is an imitation (beon-ok; 燔玉) and finally finds her to be genuine (jin-ok; 眞玉).
Jinok replies by playing on the name of Jeong Cheol (鄭澈), first calling him iron (cheol; 鐵), then suggesting he might be false iron (seop-cheol; 攝鐵) and finally discovering he is genuine iron (jeong cheol; 正鐵). Unquestionably bawdy, this exchange is one of the finest examples of satire in sijo — a poetic form that placed high value on wit, double entendre and word play.
Other Works:
- Gwandong Byeolgok (The Song of the Sceneries of the Gwandong).
- Samiingok (Mindful of My Seemly Lord).
- Songgang Gasa (Songgang's Prose Poetry Book).
Popular culture
- Portrayed by Joo Jin-mo in the 2014 KBS2 TV series The King's Face.
- Portrayed by Sun Dong-Hyuk in the 2015 KBS2 TV series The Jingbirok: A Memoir of Imjin War.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- Korean literature
- List of Koreans
- Joseon Dynasty
References
- ^ a b David Bannon, “Sijo Poetry of Korean Kisaeng,” Hangul Herald, Fall 2008: 10-13. Excerpted and used with permission.