Book VIII 521morning and evening and never touching foods such as salt, soybean paste,
vegetables, and fruits to express his sorrow and respect for his mother.
Kim Kyedong, former subcolonel, was also a resident of Suwŏn. He was
by nature so filial and reverent that he looked after his mother all the time.
After her death he built a shrine for her and offered sacrifices twice a month
all year long without fail.
The people mentioned above are all filial sons and grandsons. Lady Hong,
the wife of Ch’oe Tŭngnim, a resident of Hamnyŏl^17 and former executive
captain, was captured by the Japanese in the Muo year (1378). As the
Japanese tried to sexually assault her, she fiercely resisted, reproaching the
enemy, until she was stabbed to death.
Lady No, the wife of Chŏn Obok, a resident of Yangsŏng^18 and former
director, built a thatched cottage right below the grave of her husband after
he died in the Chŏngmyo year and has lived there for nine years until now
and never failed to perform memorial rituals for her husband.
Lady Yi, the mother of Cho Anp’yŏng, district magistrate of Nangch’ŏn in
Ch’unju,^19 lo s t he r hu sb a nd e a rly i n he r m a r r i a ge a nd l ive d a s w id ow, r e m a i n i ng
faithful to her deceased husband and educating her son to become an official.
Lady Cho, the wife of Yi Che, former deputy general of Kyodong, was
taken away to Japan by the Japanese invaders and chose to die at the age of
nineteen to maintain her honor. These women were all loyal wives.
The king gave orders that their houses be exempt from statutory labor
and their children be provided relief. If anyone among their children wants
to serve in the government, he should be provided with a horse for his travel
to Seoul, and the people who are old and poor or women should be provided
with rice in accordance with their situation, and, lastly, the gate of honor
should be built at the entrance of their villages and the record of their good
conduct published so that they can be known throughout the whole country.
17th Day (Musin)
The government requisitioned 1,200 people from Ch’unch’ŏng Province
and Left and Right P’unghae Provinces and sent them to Kanghwa Island to
bake limestone.- Located near Iksan, North Chŏlla Province.
- A district near Ansŏng, Kyŏnggi Province.
- Modern Ch’unch’ŏn in Kangwŏn Province.