The Chosǒn society was a patriarchal and hierarchical society. Marriage as a rule was to continue the family line and it was a wives duty to produce a heir. Values like chastity, calmness, and...Show moreThe Chosǒn society was a patriarchal and hierarchical society. Marriage as a rule was to continue the family line and it was a wives duty to produce a heir. Values like chastity, calmness, and women as ‘good wives and wise mothers’ were important. Interestingly, these rules apparently did not apply in the same manner to kisaeng, courtesans of Korea. Though being of the lowest status in the Chosǒn society, they were trained in arts and trained to uphold conversations with high ranking men. Kisaeng were not celebrated as mothers, they were known and appreciated for their sensual beauty and talent. Over the course of time, the way kisaeng were perceived changed considerably. Where kisaeng were once seen as talented and beautiful distractions for the Yangban, from the colonial period onwards, they became known as elite prostitutes. Considering the change in the perception of kisaeng, how are they represented in contemporary South-Korea? Sageuk are contemporary korean films set in a historical background, that sometimes portray kisaeng. A kisaeng often portrayed in such films is Hwang Chin’i. One of the most famous kisaeng during the Chosǒn period and still well-known to this day, even though not many historical records of Hwang Chin’i remain. Two films portraying Hwang Chin’i are analyzed namely,‘Hwang Chin’i’ directed by Bae Ch’angho from the year 1986 and ‘Hwang Chin’i’ by directed Chang Yun-hyǒn from 2007, to answer the question: What are the different ways of depicting the kisaeng Hwang Chin’i in Korean films from two different periods?Show less
