This paper reports to the academy the existence of Gyulhoe(橘會), the literature circle of exiles to Jeju. During the Choson period, Jeju Island was a place to which exiles were sent from the mainland as a compromised means of extreme punishment. It...
This paper reports to the academy the existence of Gyulhoe(橘會), the literature circle of exiles to Jeju. During the Choson period, Jeju Island was a place to which exiles were sent from the mainland as a compromised means of extreme punishment. It can be considered unique and interesting that the exiles to Jeju gathered together and enjoyed the exchange of poems by forming a circle. we can point out three things that are instrumental on the surface to form a circle of Gyulhoe: first, Jeju attracted a lot more numbers of exiles than ever before in those days; second, those exiled were acquainted to each other in Hanyang(the name referring to the capital city during the Choson period) before transmittal to Jeju as a punished convict; third, released from prisons in Jeju, they formed a residential place nearby to each other and their psychological conformity driven by their being charged to the same place at the same period enabled them to form a circle. Lastly, admirations among Jeju Islanders for intellectuals contributed to the formation of the circle. For another factors that enable the circling, we can consider three factors. First, government officials sent from the central government in Hanyang allowed more or less the activities of the circle. Second, the well established experience of exiles during the Choson period is also an important factor. Third, the appearance of engined boats made it possible for trips from the mainland to Jeju Island to be easy. Kim Yun-Shik(金允植), Lee Yong-Ho(李容鎬), and Jeong Byoung-Jo(鄭 丙朝) were the major figures who led the circle. Their circle passed through three different stages. In the first stage, Lee Yong-Ho was the key figure; and later in the second and third stage, Kim Yun-Shik led the circle. The death of Lee Seung-Oh who were exiled and moved to Jeju with Kim Yun-Shik was the defining event by which the second and the third stages were divided. The circle led by the central figure Lee Yong- Ho was strongly supported by Lee Byoung-Hui, the governor of Jeju at that time. As Lee Byoung Hui was exempted from his post taking a responsibility for the Uprising of Bang Seong-Chil, the leadership of the circle was transferred to Kim Yun-Shik. Kim Yun-Shik renewed a circle with the name of Gulwonajip(橘園雅集) under which exiles from the mainland and Jeju native literature practitioners gathered together. It is a meaningful turn in that it covers the members from the circle led by Lee Yong-Ho. The Kim Yun-Shik leading circle saw the end when exiles turned out to be involved in the Uprising of Lee Jae-Soo and this resulted in dissolutions in the networks of exiles in Jeju.