- Heo Nanseolheon's poetry becomes the first Korean Wave in China! Poet Oh Myeongje came to Joseon with the Ming Dynasty's volunteer soldiers during the Imjin War. He was collecting Joseon poetry and writing. Heo Gyun, who welcomed him, gave him his sister's poems that he had been keeping.... Nanseolheon's poetry that went to China through Oh Myeongje. After that, Heo Nanseolheon's poetry was included in several books, including the Joseon Poetry Collection in China, and became the first Korean Wave in China! - An eight-year-old female prodigy grows up in the Heo family! At the time, Joseon society did not teach any language other than Hangul, even to royal princesses. How did Heo Nanseolheon become a genius poet in such a time? Heo Nanseolheon grew up in an unconventional education that women at the time could not receive. Her father, Heo Yeop, did not differentiate between sons and daughters in education. Heo Nanseolheon studied with her older brother Heo Bong and younger brother Heo Gyun. Heo Nanseolheon grew up cultivating her talent as a genius poet thanks to her special education. And at the age of eight, she wrote [Baekokru Sangryangmun], which sang about the world of the immortals. China, which read this poem, praised her for her outstanding talent and called her a goddess. - Born as a genius and living as a 'woman of Joseon' What was Heo Nanseolheon's life like after marriage? At the time, Joseon was a society where the man lived in the bride's house after marriage, which was called 'namguiyeogahon'. However, after the 16th century, the custom changed to one where the bride moved into her in-laws' house right after marriage. Heo Nanseolheon had to leave her beloved parents' house and live in her in-laws' house. As soon as she got married, an unfamiliar life awaited her. The life of a maid who had to take charge of all kinds of ancestral rites and family events and live while taking care of her in-laws. Her life as a so-called 'woman of Joseon' began to confine her talent. - Heo Nanseolheon, lost to the world at the young age of twenty-seven! Heo Nanseolheon's husband, who repeatedly failed the civil service exam, felt inferior to his wife who had more talent than him, and her mother-in-law did not like her daughter-in-law who wrote poetry. With nothing to rely on, she lived with her two children and poetry as her comfort. But bad things kept happening to her. Her father, Heo Yeop, died at Sangju Guesthouse; her two children passed away one after another from illness; and her older brother, who had been her spiritual pillar, even died near Gimhwa... Amidst the misfortunes that kept befalling her, she wrote a poem predicting her own death. And just like the prophecy, she closed her eyes at the age of twenty-seven. 碧海浸瑤海; The blue sea wets the jade-beaded sea; 靑鸞倚彩鸞; The blue orchid mingles with the five-colored orchid; 芙蓉三九朶; Twenty-seven beautiful rose blossoms; 紅墮月霜寒; The red falling frost moon is cold [Dream Journey to Gwangsangsan Poem] - A poem of a sister who was brought back to life by her younger brother Heo Gyun Heo Nanseolheon, who passed away at the age of twenty-seven. Before she died, she asked that all of her poems be burned. Her younger brother Heo Gyun, who felt sorry for her, began to collect her sister's poems that remained at her parents' house. And thanks to Heo Gyun's efforts, her poems were passed down to future generations. However, Joseon scholars who were immersed in Neo-Confucianism left only harsh evaluations of her poems.... Just as a hidden gem will one day shine, her poems transcended time and borders. And her unfinished life continues to this day with her poems. Korean Dictionary, Vol. 23 - Why Was I Born as a Woman in Joseon, Heo Nanseolheon (December 8, 2007) http://history.kbs.co.kr/