Searching for K-Sappho: LGBTQ+ people in Korean history
Greek poet Sappho can be seen in this 1904 painting. Courtesy of John William Godward
By Kim Young-moo
“I tell you / Someone will remember us / even in another time.”
This three-line fragment of a poem is attributed to Sappho of Lesbos, a poet well-known for her wistful yet romantic musings on love.
She is also the etymological origin of the term “sapphic,” and the more widely known “lesbian.”
Sappho is a rare case of a historical figure that is widely agreed to have been part of the LGBTQ+ community. Historical figures, unless their sexualities are explicitly voiced, are often viewed through a lens of heteronormativity.
Even considering shifting societal attitudes toward sexual orientation and gender expression, history yields proof that people have always been more complex than the comfortable binaries many believe in.
Though not widely known or referenced, Korean history too features its own half-forgotten Sapphos, often mentioned only in passing but with enough consistent presence that they cannot be entirely overwritten — and when better than now to remember them?
Warrior-poets of Silla
An artist's rendition of Hwarang in action. Courtesy of Gyeongsangbuk-do Tourism Association
Surviving records of Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935) showcase a different set of norms in gender and sexual expression than today.
Discussions about the nature of "hwarang," an all-male cadre of young adults renowned for their beauty and trained in both military and the arts, sit at the forefront of Silla's ideas of proper male relationships.
Due to the communal nature of hwarang life, many members were said to have developed close bonds with one another — best observed in "hyangga," the lyric poems that constitute some of the oldest surviving Korean-language verse.
Documented in “Samguk Yusa”, the famed poem "Mojukjiranga" was written by a hwarang named Deuko, lamenting the death of a fellow hwarang named Jukji: “As spring passes by / All can't but weep / To see your beauty / Wane with the years.”
Another story mentions Kim Sadaham and Mu-gwan, who swear an oath to maintain their bond after death. After Mu-gwan died, Sadaham is said to have wept and passed himself a mere seven days later.
This close warrior-poet bond is reminiscent of certain interpretations of Achilles and Patroclus, or Alexander and Hephaestion — fiercely loyal and achingly intimate.
Loyal aides of Goryeo
Actor Lee Pung-un plays Mokjong's lover Yoo Haeng-gan in the KBS historical drama 'Korea-Khitan War'. Xportsnews
Even up to the 918-1392 Goryeo Dynasty, homosexuality was generally uncommented on and unpunished, except in cases of sexual assault or royal matters which necessitated a legitimate heir.
Kings such as Mokjong (980-1009) and Chungseon (1275-1325) are said to have taken male lovers, which only resulted in a brief mention in the "Goryeosa," a history of the dynasty. King Chungseon’s lover Won Chung was the son of an aristocratic family and was praised for his diligence and his loyalty to the throne.
While King Gongmin (1330-1374) is also described as having created a harem of pretty, aristocratic boys following the death of his beloved wife, the veracity of surviving records is disputed. Later Joseon historians are accused of exaggerating certain elements to portray the Goryeo dynasty as weak and illegitimate.
This highlights an important limitation of reading gender and sexuality through history — even though reading between the lines shows that non-heteronormativity was accepted to various degrees in the past, it is difficult to determine where a historical record ends and a political agenda begins. Our interpretations of the past are always filtered through the lenses of our own historical moment and orientations.
Love endures in face of oppression in Joseon and beyond
Yeo Min-joo plays Crown Princess Sun in the KBS historical drama 'The Great King, Sejong'. Courtesy of KBS
With the advent of neo-Confucianism, which demanded strict conformity in social roles, non-heteronormative behavior was seen to be an unacceptable and antisocial deviation.
As such, records of non-heteronormative behavior were actively suppressed and the behaviors themselves punished, especially for higher-status citizens. Palace maids, for example, were forbidden to take lovers but sometimes engaged in a practice called "daesik," meaning "eating together" — an offense that was punished with 70-100 strikes with a cudgel and expulsion from the royal palace, if they survived the potentially lethal beating.
However, the fear of punishment could not deter everyone from seeking love. The deposed Crown Princess Sun of the Bong clan is a well-known example.
Crown Princess Sun was married to King Munjong (1414-52), son of King Sejong (1397-1450) before she was deposed in 1436 for behavior unbefitting a crown princess, namely an amorous relationship with a palace maid.
“Sejong Sillok” mentions King Sejong's explanation of her dismissal, saying that he “hears of Sun's love for a palace maid named So-ssang, where she cannot bring herself to leave her presence.”
While an emphasis on heteronormativity would last throughout Joseon Dynasty and into the modern period, LGBTQ+ relationships continued to exist between the lines, mentioned, if obliquely and in passing, in official texts.
"Namsadang," or all-male travelling theatre troupes, saw widespread fame in the last years of the Joseon period. They were known for emotional and physical intimacy between members and audiences both accepted and applauded their socially transgressive self-expression in performances.
Similarly, "Yeoseong Gukgeuk," an all-female musical theatre style that remained popular into the 1950s, similarly provides evidence of same-sex relationships between the performers and acceptance of the gender-bending performances by audiences.
This illustration by Youtuber Edball III depicts lesbian lovers. Captured from Youtube
Queer readings of Korean history are very rarely publicized, in part due to the lack of awareness and fears about publicly straying from heteronormativity. There are also issues due to the perspective from which such records were written.
Many existing historical records center the actions of the king, for whom a heterosexual union to sire an heir was vitally important. A king taking a male lover was seen both as poor governance and a threat to the legitimacy of the royal bloodline.
Additionally, records of the lives of common folk — for whom the expectations of heterosexual conformity would have been less strict — are sparse at best.
Yet rare as they are, historical records still show consistent examples of individuals whose love refused to bend, even in oppressive environments — hoping, perhaps, that someone would remember them.
Kim Young-moo is a Korea Times intern.