Collection
Rereading the Spirit of Seonbi, scholars of the Goryeo and Joseon periods
A women seonbi?
A woman seonbi is a term that is still unfamiliar to us. The same goes with the term a woman of virtue. The concept itself is not clear. Some people argue that we need to use the term seonbi or gunja , facing the era of gender equality. The argument is correct. There were queens like Seondeok, Jindeok, and Jinseong during the Silla period and women leaders such as Empress Cheonchu of Koryeo, a granddaughter of King Wang Geon, who proclaimed the country of emperor. However, as it entered into the Joseon period, gender discrimination had become exacerbated. It is not entirely the Confucian culture's fault as Confucianism was introduced during the period of the three kingdoms. More likely explanation can be that Joseon was a men-centered country based on Neo-Confucianism.
What did the women seonbis and women of virtue who had lived in a male-oriented era feel? We are going to shed light on their lives who dared to face prejudice and conventions to prove their existence while expressing their artistic spirit and inTELigence.