Volta
Person1569 – 1618

Heo Gyun

Also called: Gyosan

Writer traditionally credited with the Korean-script novel Hong Gil-dong jeon; his Homillon spoke of the power of the people, and he was executed for treason

The son of Heo Yeop and younger brother of the poet Heo Nanseolheon, he rose to Minister of Punishments under Gwanghaegun but was executed in 1618 on a charge of plotting treason. Hong Gil-dong jeon tells of a concubine's son who defies discrimination, leads the Hwalbindang band and founds the land of Yuldo, criticising such injustices as discrimination against secondary sons. He left the collected works Seongso bubugo and compiled his sister's poems in the Nanseolheon jip.

Show on the map

Where they went

Open the full map

OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors

2 related events

  1. 1
    1603Gangneung Danoje Festivalrelated figure

    A Gangneung town festival honouring the gods of Daegwallyeong at Dano, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. Heo Gyun recorded seeing it in 1603; it became Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2005.

  2. 2
    1700 – 1863Rise of Commoner Cultureauthor

    As commoners grew wealthier in late Joseon, pansori, mask dance, Hangul novels and narrative sijo flourished, along with the genre paintings of Kim Hong-do and Sin Yun-bok and anonymous folk painting.

People who appear alongside

  • Kim Hong-do (Danwon)1745

    Court painter who portrayed King Jeongjo and is best known for genre scenes of commoners such as The Village School and Ssireum; he died around 1806

  • Sin Yun-bok (Hyewon)1758

    Painter of the leisure and romance of urban aristocrats and women in fine line and colour, as in Dano pungjeong and Portrait of a Beauty; year of death unknown

Themes this person appears in

  • Ming, Qing and Edo Japan1500 – 1800

    The age when the Ming, shaken by northern raiders, southern pirates and the silver economy, fell to Li Zicheng’s rebels, and the Manchu Qing reached its greatest extent and prosperity under Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong — as Japan was unified out of the Warring States into the Edo shogunate’s bakuhan order and closed country, and Joseon, after two great wars, met its neighbours through embassies to Edo and the Northern Learning

  • Intangible and World Heritage2000 BC – 1850

    From the dolmens to Namhansanseong on the World Heritage List, from Jongmyo ritual music to ssireum on the Intangible Heritage lists — where each came from and when it was inscribed