[K-Women Talk] Gisaeng Gon-saeng Who Crossed the Sea for Her Daughters

In the late Joseon Dynasty, a woman named Gon-saeng from Jeju Island boarded a boat heading to the mainland. She embarked on the perilous sea journey to file a complaint against the nobleman, the Jeju magistrate.

Originally, she had three daughters named Gyejeong, Chajeong, and Samjeong. Born as daughters of a gisaeng, they too became gisaeng and were government-employed courtesans affiliated with the Jeju local government office. However, tragedy began for this family when Lee Hee-tae (李喜泰) was appointed as the Jeju magistrate. When Lee Hee-tae arrived in Jeju, he brought with him a concubine and a nephew from Seoul, but this nephew was actually the son of the concubine. Lee Hee-tae, embarrassed by this fact, tried to hide it, but as with all secrets, rumors eventually spread throughout the village. Lee Hee-tae believed that Gon-saeng’s daughters were the ones who spread the rumors, and he unjustly punished the three daughters by beating them to death.

One might be angry, but how could someone be killed over such a matter? Surprisingly, Lee Hee-tae did exactly that. Even as they were dying, Gon-saeng’s daughters cried out their innocence, and other officials involved in the investigation felt uneasy and refused to sign the documents. Nevertheless, Lee Hee-tae fabricated false documents claiming the daughters were guilty and reported this to his superiors.

Thus, the voices of the deceased were silenced, and Lee Hee-tae completed his term as Jeju magistrate peacefully before returning to Seoul. However, there was one person who could never forget, even if the whole world did?their mother, Gon-saeng. She crossed the rough waves to Jeolla Province, beating a drum to plead for justice for her three unjustly killed daughters.

Fortunately, Seo Mun-yu, the governor of Jeonju, recorded Gon-saeng’s plea and reported it to Seoul. But the opponent was a high-ranking government official, Lee Hee-tae. When Gon-saeng’s story reached the king, the then Chief State Councillor Lee Yu and other high officials sided with Lee Hee-tae. How dare a foolish islander accuse a government official? Some even argued that Gon-saeng should be punished instead. However, Gon-saeng’s story, having crossed the sea for her daughters, moved the king’s heart, and he ordered a thorough investigation. Song Jeong-gyu, the succeeding Jeju magistrate, conducted a detailed inquiry and uncovered evidence that Lee Hee-tae had brutally killed Gon-saeng’s daughters.

In 1705, the 31st year of King Sukjong’s reign, Lee Hee-tae, who harmed Gon-saeng’s daughters, was finally imprisoned. Despite having beaten the daughters so severely, he seemed unaccustomed to such punishment himself and, after several interrogations filled with rambling, quickly admitted that he had killed Gon-saeng’s daughters out of frustration. King Sukjong lamented the cruelty of the case and criticized the officials who sided with Lee Hee-tae simply because he was a nobleman. Lee Hee-tae was exiled to a remote border region. If one asks whether this punishment was too lenient, it was because Lee Hee-tae was a nobleman and Gon-saeng’s daughters were commoners. Justice was never fully served. A few years later, Lee Hee-tae’s name appeared on a list of magistrates who were “extremely poor at governance,” indicating that he was not only released from exile but also reinstated to office.

A humble gisaeng from Jeju Island managed to imprison a former magistrate nobleman and hold him accountable. Of course, even if revenge was taken, it would not bring back her three beloved daughters. How could a person live bearing the grief of losing three precious children so unjustly? As expressed in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, “The grievances of a commoner were somewhat alleviated.” And for that alone, Gon-saeng’s courageous journey was worthwhile.

Writer Lee Han