Kim Manjung
Encyclopedia
Kim Man-jung (1637–1692) was Korean novelist and politician of the mid-Joseon
period. A member of the yangban
class, Kim passed the state civil service examination and rose through the official ranks to become a royal academic counselor and minister during the reign of King Sukjeong. He was exiled twice for involvement in the political factionalism of the time As a man of letters his most renowned works were the novels Sassi Namjeonggi ("Record of Lady Sa's Trip to the South" 謝氏南征記) and the Guunmong ("Dream of Nine Clouds" 九雲夢). The former is a novel about family affairs set in China, but it is also a satirical depiction of the political reality of his day, and in particular a rebuke of King Sukjeong's affairs with women. The latter is one of the most prominent novels of traditional Korea. It is said that Kim wrote the Guunmong during his second exile from political life. It is an ideal novel dealing with the affairs of life and is centered on the travails of the hero Seong-jin. It has a highly Buddhist overtone, with an emphasis on the transience of worldly glory and pleasure.
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
period. A member of the yangban
Yangban
The yangban were part of the traditional ruling class or nobles of dynastic Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The yangban were either landed or unlanded aristocracy who comprised the Korean Confucian idea of a "scholarly official." In reality, they were basically administrators and bureaucrats who...
class, Kim passed the state civil service examination and rose through the official ranks to become a royal academic counselor and minister during the reign of King Sukjeong. He was exiled twice for involvement in the political factionalism of the time As a man of letters his most renowned works were the novels Sassi Namjeonggi ("Record of Lady Sa's Trip to the South" 謝氏南征記) and the Guunmong ("Dream of Nine Clouds" 九雲夢). The former is a novel about family affairs set in China, but it is also a satirical depiction of the political reality of his day, and in particular a rebuke of King Sukjeong's affairs with women. The latter is one of the most prominent novels of traditional Korea. It is said that Kim wrote the Guunmong during his second exile from political life. It is an ideal novel dealing with the affairs of life and is centered on the travails of the hero Seong-jin. It has a highly Buddhist overtone, with an emphasis on the transience of worldly glory and pleasure.