Kim Si-seup
Encyclopedia
Kim Si-seup was a Korea
n scholar and author
.
, Gangwon-do
, but Kim himself was born in Seoul
.
Throughout his life, Kim maintained a special bond with the Gangwon area and compiled a book of poetry called Tangyugwandongnok which was based on family history and experiences he had in the area. Kim was an extremely gifted child and had picked up reading ability at eight months of age. At five years of age, he was able to read and comphrehend The Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean
. Kim was a devout Buddhist and at twenty-one years of age he decided to skip government service and become a priest.
in Korea
, titled Geumosinhwa (금오신화; 金鰲新話), as well as other books such as Siphyeondamyohae, Tangyugwanseorok, and Tangyuhonamnok. Geumosinhwa (New stories from Mount Geumo) was likely composed at Yongjang Temple during the reign of King Sejong and became an instant classic. Although Geumosinhwa was influenced by a Chinese novel titled Jiandeng xinhua (New stories for trimming the lampwick) by Qu You
, it would become nativized and later have considerable influence on Japanese novels
.
Another characteristic lies in his own writing. He did not prefer only Confucianism and tried to deal with Buddhism. It appeared in several books of his that the king and subjects should respect the whole nation regardless of a person's status and origin. It was believed his thought was much advanced compared to the era in which he lived and remained one of the earliest ideas concerning democracy
on the Korean peninsula.
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n scholar and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
.
Background
Kim Si-seup's ancestors originally came from GangneungGangneung
Gangneung is a city in Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 229,869 . Gangneung is the economic centre of the Yeongdong region of eastern Gangwon Province. Gangneung has many tourist attractions, like Jeongdongjin, one of the most famous towns in Korea...
, Gangwon-do
Gangwon (historical)
Gangwon Province or Gangwon-do was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The province was formed in 1395, and derived its name from the names of the principal cities of Gangneung and the provincial capital Wonju .In 1895, Gangwon-do was replaced by the Districts of...
, but Kim himself was born in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
.
Throughout his life, Kim maintained a special bond with the Gangwon area and compiled a book of poetry called Tangyugwandongnok which was based on family history and experiences he had in the area. Kim was an extremely gifted child and had picked up reading ability at eight months of age. At five years of age, he was able to read and comphrehend The Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean
Doctrine of the Mean
The Doctrine of the Mean , is both a concept and one of the books of Confucian teachings. The composition of the text is attributed to Zisi the only grandson of Confucius, and it came from a chapter in the Classic of Rites...
. Kim was a devout Buddhist and at twenty-one years of age he decided to skip government service and become a priest.
Works
Kim wrote the first novel in Classical chineseClassical Chinese
Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese is a traditional style of written Chinese based on the grammar and vocabulary of ancient Chinese, making it different from any modern spoken form of Chinese...
in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, titled Geumosinhwa (금오신화; 金鰲新話), as well as other books such as Siphyeondamyohae, Tangyugwanseorok, and Tangyuhonamnok. Geumosinhwa (New stories from Mount Geumo) was likely composed at Yongjang Temple during the reign of King Sejong and became an instant classic. Although Geumosinhwa was influenced by a Chinese novel titled Jiandeng xinhua (New stories for trimming the lampwick) by Qu You
Qu You
Qu You , courtesy name Zongji and self-nicknamed Cunzhai , was a Chinese novelist who lived in the Ming Dynasty, and whose works inspired a new genre fantasy works with political subtext of the Qing Dynasty....
, it would become nativized and later have considerable influence on Japanese novels
Japanese literature
Early works of Japanese literature were heavily influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature, often written in Classical Chinese. Indian literature also had an influence through the diffusion of Buddhism in Japan...
.
Another characteristic lies in his own writing. He did not prefer only Confucianism and tried to deal with Buddhism. It appeared in several books of his that the king and subjects should respect the whole nation regardless of a person's status and origin. It was believed his thought was much advanced compared to the era in which he lived and remained one of the earliest ideas concerning democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
on the Korean peninsula.