Jeong Cheol

Jeong Cheol

Jeong Cheol
Hangul	정철
Hanja	鄭澈
Revised Romanization	Jeong Cheol
McCune–Reischauer	Chŏng Ch'ŏl

Template:Korean name Jeong Cheol (정철, 1536–1593) was a Korean statesman and poet. He used the pen-names Gyeham (계함) and Songgang(송강), and studied under Kim Yunjae at Hwanbyeokdang. He was expelled by the Easterners.

Literary works

He is prominent in the gasa and the sijo, which are forms of classical Korean poetry.

The following two poems are an exchange between Jeong Cheol and the gisaeng Jinok. Jeong is playing on Jinok's name, which means Genuine Gem. First he calls her a gem (ok; 玉), then suggests she is an imitation (beon-ok; 燔玉) and finally finds her to be genuine (jin-ok; 眞玉).

옥(玉)이 옥(玉)이라 커늘 번옥(燔玉)으로 여겼더니
이제야 보아하니 진옥(眞玉)일시 분명하다
나에게 살 송곳 있으니 뚫어볼까 하노라

Gem, oh, they talk of a gem
  but I thought it an imitation.
  Now I know for certain
  it is a genuine gem.
My thrusting gimlet
  will carry you with me.
- Jeong Cheol to Jinok

Jinok replies by playing on the name of Jeong Cheol (鄭澈), first calling him iron (cheol; 鐵), then suggesting he might be false iron (seop-cheol; 攝鐵) and finally discovering he is genuine iron (jeong cheol; 正鐵). Unquestionably bawdy, this exchange is one of the finest examples of satire in sijo — a poetic form that placed high value on wit, double entendre and word play.

철(鐵)이 철(鐵)이라커늘 섭철(攝鐵)로만 여겼더니
이제야 보아하니 정철(正鐵)일시 분명하다
나에게 골풀무 있으니 녹여볼까 하노라

Iron, oh, they talk of iron
  but I thought it false.
  Now I know for certain
  it is true iron.
My pair of bellows
  will smelt it.
- Jinok to Jeong Cheol

Other Works:

• Gwandong Byeolgok (The Song of the Sceneries of the Gwandong).
• Samiingok (Mindful of My Seemly Lord).
• Songgang Gasa (Songgang's Prose Poetry Book).

Popular culture

• Portrayed by Joo Jin-mo in the 2014 KBS2 TV series The King's Face.
• Portrayed by Sun Dong-Hyuk in the 2015 KBS2 TV series The Jingbirok: A Memoir of Imjin War.

See also

• List of Korea-related topics
• Korean literature
• List of Koreans
• Joseon Dynasty