It’s all in the numbers

Arabic numbers carry special meaning to people across the world.

The number three is particularly significant with the Korean people. Since time immemorial, three has been considered a “perfect” figure signifying new life and revival. Our ancestors believed that the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar was particularly special, as it contains the number three twice. In the old days, Koreans thought that if they cut a baby’s hair on this day and then buried the clippings, the tot would grow a nice healthy mane in no time.

If you wanted a son, you prayed for one on this day as well.

The number three also symbolized sacred animals. Three-legged crows, which appear often on relics from the Goguryeo era, and three-legged dogs depicted in old tales serve as examples. Three is also present in the history of Korea’s funeral traditions. On the table for the angel of death sat three bowls of rice, three dried pollack and three pairs of straw shoes. And then of course there’s the tradition of observing a three-year mourning period or holding a three-day funeral.

In the Bible, the number signifies perfection and completion, too. Look no further than the Trinity, the three gifts the three Magi laid before Jesus, the three temptations, the three crosses at Calvary and the number of days from the death of Christ until his resurrection.

No one compares to the Chinese when it comes to adherence to lucky numbers. Their preference for the number eight is almost fanatical. When pronounced in Chinese, the number sounds similar to another term that means “making a lot of money.” It is said that the Chinese buy things tagged with prices that end in eight, even if it’s not a bargain. In 2003, the telephone number 8888-8888 was put up for auction in Sichuan Province. A bidder offered to pay $280,000.

King Carlos IV of Spain attempted to incorporate the number four into his daily life as much as possible. He dined four times a day. The meal consisted of four courses and was accompanied by four kinds of drinks. All his clothes were in four colors.

In Korea, numbers are playing a significant role once again among candidates campaigning for education superintendent in the June 2 elections.

Some of those running are using the numbers attached to their names on the ballot in their campaigns. The candidate in the first spot on the ballot is promoting “a one-round victory,” while the one in the second spot is urging voters to “vote on two this time.”

Putting education policy on the back burner, they are concentrating on publicizing the numbers that signify where they appear on the ballot to win votes.

I sincerely hope we will not have the same problem four years from now.

*The writer is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo. By Kim Nam-joong

숫자 전쟁


숫자(數字)는 단순히 수를 나타내는 글자만은 아니다. 동서양을 막론하고 사람들은 숫자에 특별한 의미를 부여한다. 한 나라, 한 민족의 문화를 담는 그릇이기도 하다.

숫자 3은 우리 민족과 뗄 수 없는 관계다. 예부터 3은 생명의 탄생을 뜻하는 완전한 수로 여겨졌다. 음력 3월 3일 삼짇날은 3이 두 번이나 들어 있어 만물이 살아나는 특별한 날로 믿었다. 삼짇날 머리카락을 잘라 땅에 묻으면 머리카락이 쑥쑥 자란다고 생각했고, 아들을 낳고 싶은 사람은 소원을 빌었다. 신성한 동물은 3으로 상징됐다. 고구려 문화 유물에 많이 보이는 삼족오(三足烏)가 그렇고, 옛 이야기에 자주 등장하는 삼족구(三足拘)가 그렇다. 장례 문화에도 3이 배어 있다. 저승사자를 위한 사자상(使者床) 위엔 밥 세 그릇, 북어 세 마리, 짚신 세 켤레가 놓였다. 삼년상(三年喪)이나 삼일장(三日葬)도 3에 바탕을 둔 풍속이다.

성서에서도 숫자 3은 완성과 완전함을 의미한다. 삼위일체, 세 명의 동방박사가 예수에게 바치는 세 가지 선물, 예수가 받은 세 차례의 유혹, 골고다 언덕의 세 개의 십자가, 예수가 죽음에서 부활하기까지의 날수 등이 그런 예다.

숫자에 집착하기로는 중국인만 한 민족이 없다. 숫자 8 선호 현상은 가히 광적이다. ‘8(八)’의 발음이 ‘돈을 많이 번다’는 뜻을 가진 ‘파차이(發財)’의 ‘발(發)’자와 발음이 비슷해서다. 88위안, 888위안 등 8로 끝나는 가격표가 붙은 물건은 깎지 않고 그냥 사간다고 한다. 2003년 쓰촨(四川)성 청두(成都)전화국이 경매에 부친 전화번호 ‘8888-8888’은 우리 돈 3억3000만원에 낙찰됐을 정도다. 독일 신성로마제국 황제 카를 4세는 자신의 이름에 4가 들어 있다고 해서 4로 일관된 삶을 살았다고 한다. 하루에 네 번씩 식사를 했는데, 언제나 네 코스에 네 가지 술이 준비됐다. 왕관에는 네 개의 뿔이 있었고 의복은 모두 네 가지 색이었다.

6·2 교육감 선거에 뛰어든 후보 간 때아닌 ‘숫자 전쟁’이 한창이다. 투표용지에 적힐 이름 순번(順番)을 알리려는 억지춘향 격 숫자가 난무한다. ‘한(1)판승’ ‘이(2)번엔’ ‘사(4)교육 철폐’ ‘럭키 세븐(7)’에 심지어 ‘6월(6)의 사나이’란 구호까지 등장했다. 교육 공약은 뒷전이고 졸지에 득표의 관건이 된 순번 알리기에 목을 매는 형국이다. 이 딱한 노릇을 4년 뒤 또 겪을까 봐 벌써부터 걱정이다.
김남중 논설위원

Did You Know?

As we age, our fantasies change. Young people tend to fantasize about the future. However, older people trnd to fantasize aboth past. When we are younger, our priority is to establish ourselves as we wonder what the future holds for us. As we become more settled, we enjoy reliving memories of our youth.

 

Beauty Tips for Spring: Part I

The weather is beautiful these days and I’m sure many of our fashion-conscious listeners out there are looking for ways to create a new and exciting look this season. Today I’m going to introduce the hottest beauty tips for spring to help you stay chic in the warmer days.








1. Wear sunscreen

To protect your skin from the hot sun, always wear good quality sunscreen with a SPF rating of 30 or higher. Even when you are not out in the sun all day, or on rainy or cloudy days, it’s important to remember to wear sunscreen as the harmful UV rays are known to still penetrate through the clouds. Sunscreen should go on after moisturizer and before makeup, and wear it not only on the face but also on your neck and hands to better protect yourself from sun exposure. It’s also a good idea to use a lipbalm with SPF in it to protect your lips to avoid sun damage.

(NANO C+E's UV Cut Essence : 70,000 won (U.S. 65$)

2. Moisturize and Exfoliate Properly

The newest trend seems to be all about beautiful skin, as the look of fresh, dewy skin ruled the 2010 Spring/Summer runways. To achieve a glowing skin, one of the most important tips to remember is to follow a daily skincare routine. Cleanse, tone, and moisturize every morning and night, and instead of using oil-based or emollient rich creams that are generally more suitable for colder weather, go for lightweight, water-based moisturizers this spring to lock in enough moisture in the skin. Remember, dead skin cells tend to build up when the temperature increases, so don’t forget to exfoliate at least three times a week. Use a gentle, foamy exfoliator before you wash your face and follow with a moisturizer; but remember not to scrub your skin too hard as it can cause irritation.

          1.NANO C+E's Make Off : 60,000 won (U.S. 55$)

2.NANO C+E's Mild Clear Form : 60,000 won (U.S. 55$)

3.NANO C+E's Pure Essence : 160,000 won (U.S. 148$)

4.NANO C+E's Moisture Lotion : 100,000 won (U.S. 92$)

3. Get a Facial at Home

Consistently removing the layer of dead cells and moisturizing properly help to restore your skin’s supple texture. On top of that, getting a facial regularly is another secret to a beautiful skin. Did you know that you can get facials at home and still look as if you had visited a beauty salon? Consider getting home facials this season; make a homemade face pack using honey, avocado, egg white, and a teaspoon of mayonnaise and apply on the face once or twice a week. Before you apply the mask, use a facial steamer or heated wet towel as a substitute and leave on the face for a few minutes to deep cleanse and open the clogged pores.

Follow these tips to get glowing, youthful skin! We will continue our discussion on spring beauty tips next week.

Did You Know?

If you hold a party or special event, uninvited guests will probably come. Experts say you have three choices, First, you can ignore these people.
Second, you can pretend to be happy to see them.
Finally, you can ask them to leave.
But you should always be prepared by having enough food for a few uninvited guests.

An Uninvited Guest in Garden of Eden

Why Do Women with Younger Husbands Die Younger?

Women hoping for a long life would be wise to marry a man of a similar age, according to a recent study. It doesn't matter whether a woman marries a younger or an older man -- if the age gap is significant, she is likely to die younger than women who marry men of a similar age.

The study was done by Sven Drefahl of Germany's Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research on the marriage and death records of two million Danish couples, Britain's Daily Mail reported on Friday. According to Drefahl, a woman whose husband is seven years younger is 20 percent more likely to die earlier than a woman whose husband is of a similar age. It is likewise for a woman whose husband is older by a large gap.

What’s the explanation? Drefahl said women with older or younger husbands must deal with social pressures caused by the atypical relationship, and the stress generated from such pressure may have detrimental effects on their health.

Ironically, the study suggests that it benefits men to marry younger women. Men who marry women seven years their junior are 11 percent less likely to die before their time than men whose wives are the same age.

[Korean Traditional Food] Bibimbap

Main Ingredients :

(Serves 1)
Main Ingredients: 150 g cooked rice (or 1 bowl of cooked rice), 100 g summer squash, 20 g carrots, 10 g bracken, 10 g bellflower root, 1 brown oak mushroom, 20 g bean sprouts, 1 egg, 20 g rump beef

Spices :
Spices for Seasoning Beef: 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, Seasoned Red Pepper Paste: 1 tbsp water, 2 tsp red pepper paste, 1 tsp honey, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 30 g ground beef, 1 tsp sesame oil

Food Story
Koreans usually have a bowl of cooked rice, soup and side dishes for their regular meals. Bibimbap is cooked rice mixed with all the side dishes. It’s generally said that the origin of the dish lies in the old custom of mixing cooked rice with cooked vegetables for ancestral memorial services after the ritual. All the separate dishes are mixed in a huge bowl and it’s seasoned with a drop of sesame oil and seasoned sauces including soy sauce. In some regions, bibimbap is also dubbed the “ancestral memorial service dish.” During the Joseon Dynasty, bibimbap was called goldongban. Goldong means antiques and other various goods. So, the dish was called goldongban as various ingredients are mixed with cooked rice. Locals also used to enjoy the dish on the New Year’s Eve.


Direction

1. Cut the summer squash into 5 cm-long pieces then peel the flesh thinly while turning. Cut all the ingredients – summer squash, carrot, brown oak mushroom, and bracken – into 5 cm-long matchstick-like strips. Stir-fry all the sliced ingredients separately by each vegetable with cooking oil in a frying pan.

2. Blanch bean sprouts and bellflower roots in slightly salted boiling water. Drain and shred the bellflower roots into 5 cm-long strips.

3. Stir-fry the seasoned 5 cm-long strips of beef.

4. Fry an egg slightly so that it’s half-cooked and the shape is retained.

5. Mix all the ingredients for seasoned red pepper paste and stir-fry in a frying pan with oil until it becomes glazy.

6. Put cooked rice in a large bowl and top it neatly with the stir-fried vegetables in order. Add a spoonful of seasoned red pepper paste in the center and finally top it with the fried egg.





Tip
☑ To prevent the stinky smell of bean sprouts when blanching, either put the lid on or uncover the pot throughout the cooking process.
☑ Season the meat before stir-frying to enrich the flavor of the meat and to make the bibimbap more delicious.
☑ Cooking beef for a long time will toughen it, so stir-fry it quickly on high heat, while vegetables should be cooked on medium high heat for about one minute.
☑ Mix bibimbap with chopsticks.
☑ If you can’t get summer squash, use zucchini; green bean sprouts can replace bean sprouts; and various mushrooms can be used instead of brackens or bellflower roots.
☑ Soy sauce can season bibimbap if red pepper paste is not available.

[Korea's Traditions] Hats offer glimpse of Joseon culture

                                    “Gat” was worn with everyday clothes. / Courtesy of Coreana Cosmetics Museum


The late Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) was called the ``Nation of Hats'' by foreigners. American astronomer and author Percival Lowell (1855-1916), who visited the Joseon Kingdom, particularly noted that its hats were the most impressive among others for their diversity, originality and practicality in his book ``Choson (Joseon), the Land of the Morning Calm'' in 1885.

The hats in the late Joseon period were diverse and creative in function and purpose, compared to Western hats used to complement clothing. To show off this Korean headgear, the Coreana Cosmetics Museum is holding an exhibition of a collection of some 100 Joseon hats and photos.

The hats served a variety of purposes ― protection from cold and heat, decoration and fashion and a means to represent social status and formality. Especially, in Joseon, a country of ``yangban,'' or noblemen, they were widely used to denote social status. ``The dresses and ornaments, including hats, particularly thrived in the Joseon Kingdom. Confucianism was attributed to diverse development of the hats as they represented the wearers' social status and rank,'' said Lee Ji-sun, a curator of the museum. She also said that men's headdresses were more diverse than women's, which means the state philosophy restricted women's outdoor activities. ``Through the hats, visitors can better grasp Joseon's social culture,'' she added.

The exhibition is comprised of six parts ― indoor, outdoor, practical, ritual, women's and court headwear. The indoor section shows yangban culture as they thought showing their bare topknot-hairstyle was indecent and thus they had hats such as ``geon'' and ``gwan'' as part of their everyday wardrobe at home.

The curator said that the indoor hats were similar to outdoor ones as men had to adhere to basic formality even indoors. The indoor hats are divided into geon that simply covers the head and gwan that indicates rank. Originally, gwan were derived from geon, but the former became more structured and decorated.

Horsehair was a favored material for the headwear in late Josen. Woven from horsehair, ``tanggeon'' took on an incomplete conical shape. Men wore it indoors by itself or under their ``gat,'' or official hat.  Men wore a horsehair woven headband, called ``manggeon,'' around their foreheads after tying their hair up into a topknot. Confucian scholars preferred ``bokgeon,'' or soft cone-shaped hoods made of black cloth, and ``yugeon,'' folded rectangular-shaped hats made of black hemp or horsehair. With the attached strips on each side tied at the back, the basic shape of the ``bokgeon'' was a long narrow cloth folded in half.

Gwan were usually made from horsehair and could be folded for easier storage. ``Jeongjawan'' made of horsehair, was one of the indoor hats worn for everyday attire and usually consisted of double or triple layers.

The outdoor headdress section features various ``gat'' that refers to any hat with a brim. ``Gat'' are divided into the two shapes ― ``paeraengi'' with a crown and a brim, and ``satgat'' a conical-shaped hat with a hexagonal frame. The characteristic hat for a noblemen, ``heungnip,'' was worn with everyday clothes. ``Jurip'' painted with red lacquer was worn with ``yungbok,'' or attire officials wore when accompanying the king or confronting serious issues such as war. ``Bangnip'' was worn for state funerals.

Exclusively worn by noblemen, heungnip had no practical functions such as protection from the sun or rain until 1895, when the lower class was allowed to wear ``gat.''

To endure the long and harsh winter, various types of winter caps such as ``nambawi,'' ``pungcha,'' and ``hwihang'' were widely worn. The chief characteristic of the Korean traditional winter cap is the opening of the crown. Worn both by women and men, pungcha and nambawi have a longer back piece that falls to the nape of the neck.

For rainy days, ``galmo,'' made of pleated oil-paper, was worn over a gat. A conical shape when spread out, it looked like a fan when folded and was convenient to carry. As for ritual hats, the bangnip for state funerals was the same shape as ``heungnip'' but covered with white linen. Also, ``gulle'' adorned with flamboyant embroidery and strings for both decorative and practical purposes was worn by children aged under 5.

In the Joseon period, women usually wore ``sseugae'' or a skirt-shaped veil to conceal their faces from men. Woman had to cover their faces when going outside. ``Jangot,'' a cloak-shaped veil was one of the face-covering headdresses that the Joseon women wore. In the early period, noble women wore ``neoul,'' or a black sheer silk veil that covered from the head to waist. Since the noble ladies preferred to travel by palanquin rather than by horse or donkey, they favored the sseugae and jangot which were more convenient to remove, carry and store. The noble women wore neoul, while the lower-class women sported jangot and ``gisaeng'' (female entertainers) wore ``jeonmo,'' an umbrella-shaped oiled hat that revealed the face. Veiling the face and body was not convenient for women in the working place, but fitted to noblewomen who didn't work. Thus, wearing sseugae was one of the things that made lower-class women envious.

At the royal court, the kings wore ``myeollyugwan,'' a square, flat crown with dangling strings of small precious stones with formal attire in the major rituals of the coronations and wedding ceremonies. Also, ``ikseongwan'' was worn when the kings worked at court for state affairs.

The exhibition will continue through Oct. 30 on the sixth floor of the museum located in southern Seoul. Admission is 3,000 won. For more information, call (02) 547-9177

Old in years but not out of steam

On Nov. 19, 1702, the citizens of Jeju Island threw a party for the elderly among them. There were 183 people in their 80s, 23 in their 90s and three that had reached the 100-year-old milestone. This is a passage found in a book on the people and geography of Jeju Island written by its governor, Lee Hyeong-sang, in 1704. It is also the first official record on the island’s centenarians that was written in a systematic way.

In another book, “Tamragyerokcho,” Governor Lee celebrated centenarians when he said: “In this country, a septuagenarian is already rare to find. And people say that octogenarians and nonagenarians bring blessings and fortune to the country. No doubt, the centenarian is very special.” This shows the author considered centenarians to be marvelous people who had reached the limit of the human lifespan.

As a matter of fact, there is no difference between the East and the West in that both East and West once used 100 years of age to symbolize “the limit of human life.” In the Book of Isaiah, there is a passage that says that those who die after reaching 100 will be children and those who die before then are doomed. And the “Myeongsim Bogam,” a book written to teach ethics to children in the 14th-century Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), says: “Although there is no one who can live over 100 years of age, there are still people who draw up millenary plans,” implying that humans cannot live more than 100 years.

I think this passage should be revised because we are now living in a world where people worry about a “centenarian phenomenon.” Thanks to the development of medical science and improvements in our diet, the number of centenarians is increasing rapidly. According to the census carried out by the National Statistical Office in 2005, the number of centenarians in Korea was 961, an increase of 3 percent over that in 2000. Peter Schwartz, a futurist, predicts that the human lifespan will one day extend to 140.

A while back, a centenarian oriental-medicine doctor, whose medical license was canceled while he was managing a medical clinic in Seoul, won a court case that saw his license renewed, overturning the lower court’s earlier decision to suspend his practice of oriental medicine in Seoul. It is really amazing that he not only continued to work until such a late age, but that he also had the energy to go through a legal battle to defend his medical license. Human beings who are middle-aged and in the prime of their lives, and feel discouraged about their impending retirement, should brace themselves and try to follow the lead of the energetic oriental-medicine doctor who has beat the odds and lived beyond 100 years of age.

The writer is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo. By Kim Nam-joong

백세인


조선 숙종 때인 1702년 11월 19일 제주목(濟州牧)에서 양로잔치가 열렸다. 80세 이상 남녀 노인 183명과 90세 이상 남녀 노인 23명 외에 100세 이상 남녀 노인 3명도 참석했다. 당시 제주 목사였던 이형상(李衡祥)이 1704년에 저술한 제주도 인문지리지 ‘남환박물지(南宦博物志)’에 남겨진 내용이다. 제주도 백세인(百歲人)에 관해 체계적으로 작성된 최초의 공식 기록이다.

이형상 목사는 ‘탐라계록초(耽羅啓錄抄)’란 저술에 사람 나이 ‘백세(百歲)’에 대한 소회를 남기기도 했다. “세상에서 70세 이상이면 이미 드문 나이다. 80, 90세 이상은 사람들이 나라에 복되고 길한 일이라고 일컫는다. 하물며 100세 이상이야 어찌 지극히 귀한 나이가 아니겠는가.” 백세인이 그야말로 인간 수명의 최대 한계까지 도달한 경이로운 존재였음을 보여주는 대목이다.

100세란 나이가 과거 인류에게 ‘인간 삶의 한계’의 상징으로 비유된 건 동서(東西)가 다르지 않다. 구약성서는 ‘영원한 생명’을 빗대는 말로 ‘백세’를 거론한다. 이사야서의 ‘백세에 죽는 자가 아이겠고, 백세가 못 되어 죽는 자는 저주받은 것이리라’는 구절에 보인다. 명심보감(明心寶鑑)에도 백세가 언급된다. ‘인무백세인 왕작천년계(人無百歲人 枉作千年計)’란 대목이다. ‘백세를 사는 사람이 없건만 사람들이 헛되이 천년 계획을 세운다’는 뜻으로 사람이 100년을 살지 못함을 전제로 지은 말이다.

이 구절은 이제 고쳐 써야 할 듯싶다. ‘백세인 현상(centenarian phenomenon)’ 운운하는 세상이 됐기 때문이다. 의학의 발달과 식생활 개선으로 백세인 인구가 급증하는 추세다. 통계청의 2005년 인구주택총조사 결과 국내의 만 100세 이상 인구도 961명으로 5년 전에 비해 3%가 늘었다. 미래학자 피터 슈워츠는 인간의 수명을 140세까지 내다보고 있다. 과거 인류가 상상하지 못했던 ‘초장수(超長壽) 시대’가 도래한 것이다.

서울에서 한의원을 운영하다가 지난해 면허정지 처분을 받았던 만 100세의 한의사가 그제 법원의 처분 취소 판결을 받아냈다. 그 나이가 되도록 일을 놓지 않았다는 사실도 놀랍거니와 계속 일하기 위한 자격증을 지키겠다며 송사(訟事)도 마다하지 않은 노익장(老益壯)이 감탄스럽다. 은퇴 후 삶이 막막해 주눅들어 있는 중장년층이라면 이 ‘100세 직업인’을 보며 다시금 마음을 다잡을 일이다.


김남중 논설위원

Did You Know?

Jealousy is normally considered bad. However, experts say we can use jealousy to take control and change what we don't like about ourselves. Instead of envying a friend's job, they suggest using this energy to negotiate a pay raise or find a job that's better suited to your ambitions.

Jealousy can motivate me to .......
Examples 1. ...start dieting again.
               2. ....get a whole new life.

[Korea's Natural Heritage] Gwangneung Forest Likely to Be Named UNESCO Bioreserve

Gwangneung Forest is expected to be listed as a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO.

The 25,000-hectare forest which stretches over three major cities in Gyeonggi Province has been preserved by the government for many years.

Once registered, Gwangneung will be protected through UNESCO's integrated management system and its ecosystem will be closely monitored by the organization.

The official announcement is set to be made during a meeting in Paris in June.

Gwangneung (光陵 광릉)

It is the royal tomb of the 7th King Sejo (世祖, 세조 1417-1468) of the Joseon Dynasty and Queen Jeonghui (貞熹王后, 정희왕후 1418-1483) from the Yun family. The Gwangneung was well protected during the entire Joseon Dynasty by prohibiting even the removal of a mere tuft of grass. Today, it is a paradise for animals and plants and a natural museum of the habitat. King Sejo was the second son of King Sejong and was installed as Prince Suyang in 1415. Having great ambition for power, King Sejo raised a revolt, the Gyeyujeongnan (癸酉靖難, 계유정난) in 1452 after the enthronement of King Danjong. With this revolt, he seized power and King Danjong relinquished the throne in 1455.

Even though King Sejo usurped the throne, he was responsible for many brilliant achievements by improving the entire national system: externally, he strengthened national power and made two conquests of the northern tribe, Jurchen. Internally, he compiled the Gyeonggukdaejeon (經國大典, 경국대전, Grand Code for State Administration).

Queen Jeonghui was the mother of King Deokjong (德宗, 덕종) and King Yejong (睿宗, 예종). When King Deokjong died young and King Yejong ascended the throne at the young age of 14, Queen Jeonghui ruled as regent for the first time in the history of the Joseon Dynasty. When King Yejong passed away after just one year of his reign, she raised Prince Jasan (King Seongjong), the son of King Deokjong, to the throne. As King Seongjong also ascended the throne at the tender age of 13, Queen Jeonghui ruled as regent again for seven years. She was a woman of strong character, as seen from the episode of encouraging King Sejo during the Gyeyujeongnan and her two regencies.


Hwigyeongwon (徽慶園, 휘경원)

This is the tomb of the royal concubine Subin (綬嬪, 수빈 1770-1822) from the Bak family. She was a royal concubine of the 22nd King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty. Subin, from the Bak family, delivered Prince Sunjo in 1790. She was gentle, well-behaved and courteous. She was also usually taciturn and lived simply. As a result, she was greatly admired as “a benevolent wife (賢嬪, 현빈)”. In 1855 (the 6th year of King Cheoljong), when the Illeung, the royal tomb of King Sunjo, was moved to another location, the hwigyeongwon was moved to the Sungangwon. In the 14th year of King Cheoljong, it was moved again to the current place because the location of the Sungangwon was reportedly not good, according to the Feng Shui. The ancestral tablet is enshrined in the Chilgung (the place where ancestral tablets of seven royal concubines are enshrined. All of them were birth mothers of kings of the Joseon Dynasty or those who received the posthumous title of king). She received a posthumous title of Subi (綏妃, 수비) in the 5th year of the Gwangmu (1901).


Yeongbinmyo (寧嬪墓)

This is the tomb of the royal concubine Yeongbin (寧嬪, 영빈 1669-1735) from the Gim family. She was a royal concubine of the 19th King Sukjong of the Joseon Dynasty. When Queen Inhyeon was dethroned by Janghuibin (concubine from the Jang family), Yeongbin was also evicted to her maiden home. When Queen Inhyeon was restored, she returned to the palace with the queen. Around the tomb of Yeongbin, several stone figures can be seen standing to show her sincere respect. On the gravestone standing in front of the mound, a history of Yeongbin’s life is carved in detail.