Finding the Secret of the 4th Army 6th Division in a Simple Meal [The Driving Force is Story②]

Korea Content Awards 'Joseon-ui Pumgyeok' by Writer Cheon Yeongmi
Highlighting Chef Lee Gyo Who Welcomed Ming Envoys
'Joseon-ui Kkopchu Jeongwonsa' That Won the Grand Prize Published
"I Want to Write Precious Stories That Understand People's Hearts"

King Sejong of Joseon conquered the Jurchen tribes and established the Four Garrisons and Six Fortresses. He relocated southern people to settle there. This pioneering effort became an opportunity to set the Amnok River and Tuman River basins as our national borders. Writer Cheon Young-mi points to a humble dining table rather than overwhelming military power as the driving force. She focused on a record from the Annals of King Sejong dated August 24, 16th year of Sejong’s reign. It mentions that Sejong called his uncle Lee Gyo, who served as the military commander of Chungcheong Province, to Hanyang to serve as a royal cook welcoming Ming dynasty envoys. Connecting this to Sejong’s northern policy, she wrote a story titled “The Dignity of Joseon.” This year, she won the grand prize in the Story category at the Korea Creative Content Agency’s Korea Content Awards.

Cheon also stood on the podium in 2020, winning the Excellence Award for “Joseon’s Hunchback Gardener.” This work is also set during Sejong’s reign. It is not about the widely covered topics like Hangul or science in many dramas and films. Instead, it highlights Heo Eun-su, a spinally disabled person who cultivates crooked pine trees. He becomes the gardener tending Sejong’s hidden greenhouse and pursues the great task of freeing the people from subsistence living. Cheon said, “I wanted to convey an unexpected side of Sejong in an interesting way rather than focusing on his numerous achievements.”

- I’m curious why you have consecutively dealt with Sejong’s reign.

“If you ask who the exemplary king of the Joseon era is, everyone would unanimously say Sejong. I was more interested in the unexpected traits of a small country’s king than his astonishing achievements. That is his boldness. While seemingly bowing to the Ming dynasty, he continuously created things unique to Joseon. Based on that, he aimed to build a strong nation that even a great power could not ignore. That aspect was very appealing to me.”

- Heo Eun-su is inspired by Heo Jo (1369?1440), a prime minister, and Lee Gyo was a real historical figure. What prompted you to highlight these figures?

“Heo Jo was born with a curved spine and faced various humiliations but was summoned by the king due to his outstanding abilities. Although less known than Hwang Hui or Maeng Sa-seong, he is indispensable when discussing Sejong’s reign. Lee Gyo was the fifth son of Lee Hwa (Prince Uian), the half-brother of Yi Seong-gye. According to the Annals of King Sejong, it is hard to say he inherited the blood of a warrior family. He was gentle, unambitious, and skilled at cooking. The records only mention that when Ming envoys came, he was called before the king to cook. He was probably treated as a black sheep in his family. However, shortly after Lee Gyo cooked, there is a record of Sejong’s conquest of the Jurchen tribes. That made me think?could Lee Gyo’s unique talent have opened the way for the establishment of the Four Garrisons and Six Fortresses? Both figures were born into the mainstream but instead allied with marginalized people. Their efforts to create such a beautiful world deeply moved me.”

- It must not have been easy to create fiction on top of historical facts.

“I taught students at university. After many years of writing research papers, I never thought I could write novels, which are at the pinnacle of fiction. But when I reorganize stories based on real historical content, it seems possible. Many readers are surprised and ask if the historical records are accurate. I find subtle gaps and reconstruct the story with moderate content. This is the most difficult but also the part I put the most effort into when writing novels.”

- Adaptations for films or dramas require further rewriting. Do you plan to be involved directly?

“That’s a question I’ve often received from production company representatives. If requested, I’m willing to learn and try. However, I tend to trust experts more. Just as a hairstylist is best for beautiful hair and a baker for delicious bread, I believe there are more talented people than me for adaptation.”

- You debuted as a writer and even won the grand prize at the Korea Content Awards.

“‘Joseon’s Hunchback Gardener’ was written during the pandemic when the world was at a standstill, and I felt time was slipping away uselessly. I never expected to win an award. If that was a miracle in life, the grand prize I received for ‘The Dignity of Joseon’ feels like ‘conviction.’ It feels like a signal that it’s okay to continue on the path of a writer. I want to live a life that repays the gift I received. Maybe I just need to keep writing precious stories that understand people’s hearts.”