Hwang Jini
| Hwang Jini | |
| Hangul | 황진이 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 黃眞伊 |
| Revised Romanization | Hwang Jini |
| McCune–Reischauer | Hwang Chini |
| Gisaeng name | |
| Hangul | 명월 |
| Hanja | 明月 |
| Revised Romanization | Myeong-wol |
| McCune–Reischauer | Myŏngwŏl |
Hwang Jini (Hangul: 황진이; c. 1506 – c. 1560), also known by her gisaeng name Myeongwol ("bright moon", 명월), was one of the most famous gisaeng of the Joseon Dynasty. She lived during the reign of King Jungjong. She was noted for her exceptional beauty, charming quick wit, extraordinary intellect, and her assertive and independent nature. She has become an almost myth-like figure in modern Korea, inspiring novels, operas, films, and television series.
Works
Only a handful of sijo (Korean verse form) and geomungo pieces exist today. They show skilled craftsmanship of words and of musical arrangement. Hwang's sijo often describe the beauty and sites of Gaeseong (such as the palace of Manwoldae and the Pakyon Falls), the personal tragedy of her lost loves and responses to famous classic Chinese poems and literature (the majority of them reflecting on lost love).
In popular culture
In the late 20th century, Hwang Jini's story began to attract attention from both sides of the Korean divide and feature in a variety of novels, operas, films and television series. Novelizations of her life include a 2002 treatment by North Korean writer Hong Sok-jung (which became the first North Korean novel to win a literary award, the Manhae Prize, in the South) and a 2004 bestseller by South Korean writer Jeon Gyeong-rin. In late 2006, KBS released a TV series entitled Hwang Jini starring Ha Ji-won in the title role. A film starring Song Hye-kyo was released on June 6, 2007.