This week in Jeju: A to Z, Todd Thacker takes a brief look at the Jeju Chusa Memorial Hall. This site at Anseong-ri, Daejeong-eup recognizes the artistic and cultural contributions of a famous Joseon scholar and artist Kim Jeong-hui (김정희), who was exiled to the island from 1840 to 1849.

Though a very popular holiday destination today, Jeju Island in centuries past was inhospitable and remote. For this reason, historically it was used as a place of exile.

One such individual in exile, or “yubaeja” in Korean, was scholar Kim Jeong-hui, who is known by the pen name Chusa.

[Slug CG] Scholar Chusa Kim Jeong-hui, exiled to Jeju 1840-1849

After being falsely charged with instigating a government power struggle, he was exiled here from 1840 to 1849. He was one of 200 or so individuals who over the course of 500 years or so were banished to the island by the Joseon Royal Court.

Chusa was greatly influenced by Jeju Island and examples of his paintings, poetry, and calligraphy are now on display at Chusa Memorial Hall, built near the site of his home-in-exile in Anseong-ri, Daejeong-eup.

[Slug CG] Hall design based on Chusa’s ‘Sehando’ painting (1844)

Interestingly, the Memorial Hall is itself modeled after one of Chusa’s masterpieces, a painting from 1844 called “Sehando,” or “A Winter Scene.” This work is very dear to Koreans and itself is designated National Treasure No. 180.

Chusa was moved by images of Jeju’s black basalt stones, its volcanic cones, and the ever-changing views of the ocean. You can see this in his paintings, wood carvings and letters.

[Slug CG] Chusa developed his own style of calligraphy, ‘Chusache’

On display are beautiful examples of his calligraphy in a style he developed himself called Chusache (추사체).

There is also a replica of the house Chusa lived in and three walking trails that follow the routes on which he took daily strolls.

So, if you’d like to get a sense of Jeju’s past, embodied in the experience of a truly great Korean scholar, then this historical site and museum comes highly recommended.

Todd Thacker KCTV