동아시아 宋伯姬의 전설과 烈女

The Virtuous Woman and the Legend of Song Bao-ji in East Asia

Chosun was a Confucian kingdom in a sense that Confucianism was the dominant ideology of the State. The book entitled as “Samganghaengsildo” (Tableaux of Behaviours According to the Three Fundamental Morals) played very important role of guide book of this ideology. It was a book originally written in Chinese. Chosun government wanted to make the book popular among women of the litterati class. And the book was translated in Korean. Song Bao-ji was the most celebrated woman in the Korean language version of this book. The Chosun State had intention to make role model of virtuous women from her case. The case of Song Bao-ji had the effect of receiving her as ideal of virtuous woman among Korean women. From then on, death became most precious virtue of women. And the virtuous woman meant a someone who would suicide or risk her life in any case when woman’s chastity was related. Chosun became a country which constructed the ladder of promotion through the sacrifices of women.