KOREA FOUNDATION

When I learned that I was selected for the Korea Foundation’s Field Research Fellowship, I was thrilled and excited. I had studied women’s literature for quite some time, presenting papers on the subject. In 2017, I also published a book on gyubang gasa, or Korean poetry that originated from women’s quarters, as part of my research on women’s literature during the Joseon Dynasty, titled Obras de mujeres en la Dinastía Chosŏn: Kasa de alcob (Works of Women in the Joseon Dynasty: Gasa from Women’s Quarters). The Spanish-speaking world, however, lacked basic information on gasa literature, let alone gasa poems by Jeong Cheol, the leading figure of the genre. Thus, I felt a pressing need to present the basic theory of gasa literature and write and publish accurate, easy-to-understand educational materials on the subject, something that became the purpose of my visit as a KF fellow.

Entering Korea in February 2021, I experienced many difficulties because of the COVID-19 pandemic. First, there were two weeks of quarantine after arrival, then came precautions when attending discussions and meetings amid social distancing measures. Yet thanks to cooperation from Korea University’s (KU) Department of Korean Language and Literature and Research Institute of Korean Studies, I moved into an on-campus faculty dormitory, got free access to the vast volume of materials in the library, and perused through research papers. Collecting and filing major materials on gasa literature, I discovered that my fellowship was a precious opportunity to list my bibliography and offer it to my students. I took a major step forward in my study of the origin of such literature, something that would not have been possible had I been limited to general primers. A major result of my research as a KF fellow was studies on the theory that in addition to the generally known origin of the genre related to gyeonggichega poetry of the nobility, gasa literature originated as a teaching method that combined traditional folk rhythm with hwacheong, or secular Buddhist chants used at rituals. It was a truly satisfactory and grateful time for me because I also found sufficient materials and advice to delve deeply into gasa poems that express longing for the king and the emotions of exiles.

Thanks to the KF fellowship, I was appointed as an adviser to the International Research Center for Korean Language and Culture at KU, and this eventually led to an agreement on cooperation and exchange between the University of Salamanca in Spain and KU. Finally, I extend my sincere appreciation to everyone at the Korea Foundation who provided maximum convenience, understanding, and support for researchers even amid the difficult time of the pandemic.

Kim Hye-jeoungProfessorSpainUniversity of SalamancaField Research Fellowshipwomen’s literature