[Reading Science] Is "A Handful" a Measure of Area, Not Quantity?

A handful of rice would be even less than this amount, right? Originally, 'jum' was a unit used to measure area.
[Photo by YouTube screen capture]

[Asia Economy, reporter Kim Jonghwa] Recently, a member of the National Assembly drew attention with the remark, "With the opposition party's power not even amounting to a handful... they managed to block reform." The upcoming election will serve as the public's evaluation of this lawmaker's statement. What is interesting here is the unit 'a handful.' How much is 'a handful' that prompted the phrase "not even a handful"?

We typically use the unit 'a handful' to indicate a very small amount. The dictionary definition is "a small quantity that can be grasped in one fist." It is used as a unit to count the amount that fits in your hand when you make a fist, and it has the same meaning as the word 'umkeum' (a fistful). Common expressions include "a handful of rice," "a handful of soil," or "a fistful of rice."

However, 'jum' (handful) was originally a unit used to measure area. Why did a unit that once indicated area come to represent quantity? Korea's traditional area units included myeok (gyeol), jim (bu), dan (sok), and jum (pa). This system is called the 'Gyeol-Bu-Pa-Sok System.'

These indigenous units, which had been used since the Dangun Joseon era, were officially adopted during the 12th year of King Sejong's reign (1430) when the standards of measurement were reformed. The units of one myeok, one jim, one dan, and one jum were formally established under this system. After a further revision in the 26th year of King Sejong's reign (1444), the system continued to be used for over 400 years until the reign of Emperor Gojong.

King Sejong, who developed the sundial to measure time and the rain gauge to measure precipitation, recognized that standardizing weights and measures was urgently needed for the proper functioning of the national economy, and thus implemented the Gyeol-Bu-Pa-Sok System.

The smallest unit, 'jum,' was defined at the time as the area of one ja in width and one ja in length. During King Sejong's era, one ja measured 38.86 centimeters. Therefore, one jum equaled 38.86 cm × 38.86 cm, which is about 0.15 square meters today. In other words, 'jum' was used as the smallest unit of area.

The next unit above 'jum' was 'dan.' One dan equaled ten jum, and the next unit, 'jim,' was ten times a dan. 'Myeok' was defined as one hundred times a jim. Thus, one dan was ten jum or 1.5 square meters, one jim was one hundred jum or 15 square meters, and one myeok was ten thousand jum or 1,500 square meters. King Sejong even distributed land to the poor in units of one myeok.

The expression "a handful of rice" refers to the amount of grain produced from a small plot of land about 38 centimeters by 38 centimeters in size, which is indeed a very small amount-barely enough to fill a fist. To put it another way, it is "the amount of rice produced from a jum of land," and in reality, it is only about a handful. As the phrase "a handful of rice" became commonly used, 'jum' came to be known as a unit indicating quantity.

A handful represents a small amount that can be grasped with one fist, but originally it was a unit used to indicate area.
[Photo by YouTube screenshot]

The phrase "carrying a jim" is also commonly used, and since one jim equals one hundred jum, it represents a fairly substantial amount. The amount of grain produced from an area measuring 3.886 meters by 3.886 meters, or 15 square meters, is one hundred times greater than a jum. While 'jim' can refer to the amount that fits in a bag or bundle, it also means carrying a large quantity of grain.

By today's grain yields, one jim is estimated to be about 80 kilograms. Units of length or weight can differ by country, ethnicity, or era. However, Korea abandoned the units it had used for 4,000 years and adopted the metric system. This is to adhere to the International System of Units (SI), which was created to avoid inconvenience when units differ between countries.

Not only Korea, but also other East Asian countries such as China, have abandoned the 'Cheokgwanbeop' (traditional Chinese system of measurement) that they used for thousands of years and now use the metric system, which is the international standard. However, countries like the United States and the United Kingdom still have not given up the yard-pound system. Isn't it time for a change?