What happened in Korean history that day!
A mystery Korean history more interesting than a novel and more exciting than a movie.

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It is said that history provides important wisdom and insight not only for remembering the past, but also for understanding the present and preparing for the future.
That's why I'm saying you have to know history.
However, such normative statements tend to distance us from history.
This is because 'history' itself is difficult because it already requires a lot of information to remember, interpretation is complex, and understanding the unfamiliar world of the past is necessary.


At times like these, you should read an engaging history book.
This is a history book that allows you to approach difficult and rigid history in an interesting and vivid way.
I think 『Strange Korean History』 would be appropriate.
It deals with 'non-mainstream' stories such as bizarre incidents, peculiar characters, and strange customs, so it can be read as enjoyably as a novel or movie.
Furthermore, history can be understood in a three-dimensional and humanistic way.
That's how you can foster interest in history.
If so, one cannot help but wonder whether the bizarre story of Korean history can have contemporary value beyond mere interest and charm. The author is convinced that it does not stop at the past but connects to the present reality, the future of the time.
For example, the stories of Chusa Kim Jeong-hui's "Sehando," the Gwanggaeto Stele, the mountain pine trees of the Papyeong Yun clan and the Cheongsong Sim clan, Woo Beom-seon's son Woo Jang-chun, and General Hong Beom-do strangely continue to this day, transcending vast time and space.
Strange historical stories not only allow us to take a step further into history, but also serve as an excellent bridge between the past and the present.

In 1944, Son Jae-hyeong, Joseon's greatest calligrapher and then 42 years old, decided to find Chusa Kim Jeong-hui's "Sehando."
Son Jae-hyeong is credited with coining the term “calligraphy” and was a man who had such a fondness for our cultural heritage that he even owned Jeong Seon’s “Inwangjesaekdo.”
'It makes no sense that Master Chusa's "Sehando" is in Japan.
I will do whatever it takes to bring back the “Sehando.” Son Jae-hyung, who had gone to Japan, stayed near Fujitsuka’s house and visited his house frequently.
“As much money as you want! I’ll give you whatever you want.
“Please give me back at least the Sehando.” Fujitsuka vehemently rejected Son Jae-hyung’s proposal.
However, as he saw the passion and sincerity he had for Chusa in his youth in Son Jae-hyung, who sought him out every day, his heart began to open.
--- p.21

If you were to name the three most beloved historical figures among Koreans, you would probably name King Gwanggaeto the Great, along with Admiral Yi Sun-sin and King Sejong the Great.
However, not many people know that the Gwanggaeto Stele, the pride of our people, was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site by China in 2004 and is used as data to support the Imna Nihonfu theory, which states that Japan ruled Silla and Baekje around the 4th century.
The king who built the largest territory of our people is about to rise from his grave.
What on earth happened to the Gwanggaeto Stele?
--- p.47

The incident began with the disappearance of the tomb of General Yun Gwan, a prime minister and famous general during the Goryeo Dynasty.
General Yun Gwan is a historical figure who created the Byeolmuban to subdue the Jurchen and developed the nine provinces of the northeast.
During the reign of King Yeongjo of Joseon, the Yun family was desperate to find the lost tomb of their ancestor, General Yun Gwan.
“It is a shame for our family that we do not even know where the tomb of General Yun Gwan (died 1111), who represents our family, is located.
“We must find the general’s grave and raise the family’s honor.”
--- p.63

The new king's first exercise of his power was also over the tomb.
The new king (Yejong) carried out the burial of his grandfather, King Sejong.
It was the wish of the dead king, the instinct of the eldest son to protect the royal family, and the first step to let his subjects know that he was king.
It was the moment when the moving of the graves of the dead became the politics of the living.
The king ordered his official, An Hyo-rye, to search the 100-ri area around Hanyang to find a new tomb for his grandfather.
An Hyo-rye was one of the best geomancers of the Joseon Dynasty, having served as a geomancer during the reigns of six kings, from Sejong to Seongjong.
As he was deeply involved in the selection of King Sejo's tomb, it was natural that he would also participate in the selection of King Sejong's tomb.
--- p.98

The sailor said goodbye to his wife and young son and left home with an excited heart, saying that he would have a drink at his brother's house from Joseon for the first time in a long time.
The sailor quickly became drunk after drinking with a good person who spoke the same language.
As I got drunk, the events of that day came back to me.
I asked Younggeun out of curiosity about his thoughts.
Yunmyeong showed his anger, and Yeonggeun couldn't hide his emotions either.
Sensing the anger of his opponent, Beomseon drank cold water repeatedly to sober up.
When I concentrated, every coincidence felt like inevitability.
He blamed himself for his foolishness and pity.
The moment of death, which I had always been wary of, was shorter than expected.
It was too late to do anything, and I was intoxicated with relief.

--- p.121

In January 1949, Choi Rin was arrested.
As he entered the special courtroom, the room was in an uproar.
“How did that guy end up here?” “People who fight and win by any means necessary are prone to change their minds when they decide they have no chance of winning!” “Even so, that’s true! Isn’t that guy one of the 33?” Behind the courtroom where pro-Japanese Choi Rin had entered, there was a “Declaration of Independence” hanging, and the names of the 33 people, including Choi Rin, were clearly written on it.
Choi Rin was almost the only one of the pro-Japanese collaborators who were summoned one after another, including Park Heung-sik, to admit his guilt.
“Don’t waste time judging me here. Take me to Gwanghwamun intersection and kill me by tearing my limbs apart with four bulls.”
--- p.138

The royal physician had no choice but to bend his will in the face of the king's harsh orders.
When King Gyeongjong's eyes became calm and his nose became warm after eating ginseng and buja, and he showed signs of recovery, Prince Yeoning said.
“Look! Although I don’t know much about medicine, I know that ginseng is especially effective for those who have lost their energy.” The next morning at 3:00, King Gyeongjong died the day after taking ginseng, despite the royal physician’s objections, five days after eating dried persimmons and pickled crab.
Was it a clever poisoning, an accident caused by ignorance, or was it a fate given to King Gyeongjong regardless of the crab or ginseng?
From the year he ascended to the throne, Yeongjo was plagued by numerous rumors, including being accused of being behind the poisoning of King Gyeongjong.

--- p.178

The bloody wind of the Gichuk Oksa that had continued for three years finally stopped, but the smell of blood did not easily disappear.
And the ancestors issue an order that breaks everyone's expectations regarding the victims of the Gichuk Oksa.
Starting with the posthumous promotion of Choi Yeong-gyeong, who had been driven out by Gilsambong, to the position of Chief Inspector General of the Office of the Inspector General, most of the victims, except Jeong Yeo-rip, were restored to their original status.
As a result of the Gichuk Oksa incident, the government passed from the Dong-in to the Seo-in, and the king restored the honor of the deceased, but only Jeong Cheol, the last of the ancestors, was recorded in the Annals as a cruel and evil person.

--- p.194

The number of court ladies may have varied from period to period, but we can roughly estimate the number of court ladies in the Joseon Dynasty. We can confirm that the 3,000 court ladies of Baekje, which was smaller than Joseon, is closer to a legend.
Many professional court ladies were forced to live their entire lives as potential wives of the king, and could only leave the palace when they were dead or about to die.
They cried over the tragedy of the times, but the palace was also a place where people lived, so various life stories unfolded for them as well.

--- p.216

King Seonjo praised nineteen of the envoys who resolved the Jonggye Byeonmu issue, and Hong Sun-eon was recognized as the second most meritorious person, ahead of Jeong Cheol and Ryu Seung-ryong.
And he was appointed as the second-rank Urimwijang, a position that no commoner could attain.
Even just bestowing an official position was met with strong opposition from the nobility, but King Seonjo went one step further and even bestowed the military title of Dangneung-gun on Hong Sun-eon.
It was the highest honor a subject could receive.
When our ancestors said, “The country has been reborn,” they were not exaggerating, but sincere.

--- p.281