On the third week, Jenna also helped me recognized different coins and cash in Korea. She also taught me the background information of those people on the paper bills. I think it is really meaningful to understand who they are because they must be really important in Korean history.
#1: ₩1,000 (won) is blue.
Front: 퇴계이황 Toegye Yi Hwang (1501 – 1570): Yi Hwang was a famous Confucian scholar from the Joseon Dynasty (That’s the 500 year Confucian dynasty in Korea!) who was big into calligraphy and poetry. If you’re wondering who Toegye is, great question! That was his pen name. Yi Hwang was a busy guy.
Back: 계상정거도 Gyesangjeonggeodo: In addition to being an impressively long name for a painting, the back side of the 1,000 won bill also represents a painting of Yi Hwang in Dosan Seowon (area of Korea).
#2: ₩5,000 (won) is orange.
Front: 율곡이이 Yulgok Yi I (1536 – 1584): Like Yi Hwang, Yi I (pronounced “yee-ee”) was also a mover and a shaker back in the 1500s. He attained fame as a Confucian scholar, and also flew under the radar with his pen name Yulgok.
Back: 초충도 Chochungdo: On the back side of the 5,000 won note, you’ll see a painting by Shin Saimdang (Yi I’s mother) called “Insects and Plants” ( “Chochungdo” is the name of the painting).
#3: ₩10,000 (won) is green.
Front: 세종대왕 Sejong the Great (1397 – 1450): If you haven’t heard this 4th king of the Joseon Dynasty, then consider this the first of many times that you will! He is the one responsible for introducing Hangeul into Korean society. Hangeul is really important to Korean society, it even has its own holiday!
Back: 혼천시계 Honcheonsigye: Since “sigye” means “clock” in Korean, we can call the picture on the back of this note the “Hocheon Clock”. 혼천시계 (honcheonsigye) is an astronomical clock that was made in 1669 and is still in existence today!
#4: ₩50,000 (won) is yellow.
Front: 신사임당 Shin Saimdang (1504 – 1551)Shin Saimdang was mother of Yi I, as well as a writer, artist, calligraphist, and a poet. Her artwork captured beautiful and delicate images of insects, flowers, fish, and landscapes. People liked her because she was a model of Confucian ideals.
Back: 월매도 Wolmaedo: Fairly simple; this is a painting of a bamboo and a plum tree.
For the coins, the stories are shorter.
#1: 10won is 다보탑(Dabotap Pagoda) which is the famous temple in Gyeongju.
#2: 50won is stalk of rice
#3: 100won is 이순신 (Yi Sun-sin) who is Korea's favorite navy admiral. I have heard of him because of Korean drama.
#4: 500won is 두루미 (Red-crowned crane) which is a beautiful crane you can find in Korea.
In this class, I am able to know a bit more about famous faces in Korea and their cultural significance, as well as some bonus vocabulary words. I would like to learn more about the history of Korea.
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