[K-Women Talk] Lady Lee of Gwangju, the Jongbu Who Responded to Financial Disputes by Leaving Home

Lady Lee of Gwangju, Who Managed the Haenam Yoon Family's Wealth
Clashed With Uncles-in-Law Over Financial Control, Even Leaving Home
Remained Victorious by Exercising Her Right to Choose the Main Heir

These days, being the head wife (jongbu) of a noble family carries honor, but it is also a difficult position with heavy responsibilities. This was not much different during the Joseon Dynasty. Long ago, there was a strong-willed woman who, as jongbu, overcame opposition from her own family members?she was Lady Lee of Gwangju, the eighth jongbu of the Haenam Yoon clan. The Haenam Yoon family, her husband's household, was a prestigious and wealthy clan in the Haenam region. By the reign of King Myeongjong, it was said that there was hardly any land in Haenam, Jindo, Jangheung, or Gangjin that did not belong to them. The family later produced notable figures such as Yoon Seondo and Yoon Dusu. Lady Lee of Gwangju married Yoon Kwangho, the eighth heir of the Haenam Yoon clan, but only 50 days after their marriage, her husband died at the age of 16.

In her later years, Lady Lee of Gwangju said, "I can no longer even remember my husband's face," reflecting on her brief marriage, after which only the heavy responsibilities of jongbu remained. After her husband's death, her father-in-law Yoon Jongkyung also passed away. Only her mother-in-law, Lady Heo of Yangcheon, and the young daughter-in-law, Lady Lee of Gwangju, were left in the main household of the Haenam Yoon clan. Several uncles-in-law looked down on the jongbus, and even the household slaves did the same. The slaves only heated the rooms of the uncles-in-law, so her mother-in-law shivered through the cold winter. Despite such mistreatment, Lady Lee of Gwangju remained faithful to her duties as jongbu. What are the duties of a jongbu? While many think of performing ancestral rites, managing the family's assets was also an important responsibility.

The Haenam Yoon family's wealth was immense, spanning not only Jeollanam-do but also Jindo, Bogildo, Maenggoldo, and several other islands, from which they collected large amounts of tenant rents every year. The profits from collecting not only grains but also seaweed, clams, and other seafood were enormous, but managing and collecting these one by one was a huge task. Thus, being a jongbu was not just about performing ancestral rites; it was like being the CEO of an enterprise?gathering and measuring the harvest and specialty products from lands scattered across various regions, allocating and distributing resources as needed, and managing the household's operations. Lady Lee of Gwangju described this work as "extremely difficult," so it must have been a tremendous struggle for a young bride to grow into a seasoned manager. Nevertheless, she continued to be ignored by her uncles-in-law and the slaves, and she suffered as even the grains for food, household goods, ritual vessels, and clothes were all stolen away.

However, Lady Lee of Gwangju prepared her counterattack by using her authority. As the wife of the main heir and mistress of the household, the jongbu had the right to choose the next heir. Lady Lee of Gwangju chose not the children of the uncles-in-law who had mistreated her and her mother-in-law, but rather Yoon Juhong, her husband's eleventh cousin who lived in Seocheon, Chungcheong-do, and adopted him as the new heir. Naturally, the uncles-in-law were not pleased and found every possible fault with her decision.

Eventually, the conflict between Lady Lee of Gwangju and her uncles-in-law escalated into a major confrontation over control of the family finances. The uncles-in-law demanded that Lady Lee of Gwangju hand over the account books recording the harvests from the family's assets. While they called them account books, in reality, they were demanding control over the family's wealth. In response, Lady Lee of Gwangju took the drastic step of leaving for her natal home with her adopted son. She wrote a letter in the Korean script, detailing the hardships she had endured, the misdeeds of her uncles-in-law, and her willingness to die there.

But the decision of the jongbu could not be overturned. She had endured and waited patiently for this very moment. Lady Lee of Gwangju demanded that she be given control over the family finances and that funds be provided to raise her adopted son until he reached adulthood. At the same time, she tried to persuade the uncles-in-law by asking them to help raise the adopted heir well. While the reply to her letter has not survived, the genealogy of the Haenam Yoon clan reveals the outcome of this struggle: Lady Lee of Gwangju's adopted son became the ninth heir of the Haenam Yoon clan.

Lee Han, historical writer