ABSTRACT
First Published in 2004. Translated into English from the Korean script (han'gul), the memoir of Lady Hong (1735-1815) of Hyegyong Palace is an autobiographical memoir. Known as Hanjung nok and dated 1796, it was prepared over a period of about eleven years, in the twilight years of Lady Hong's life as a vivid account of her personal life and its great tragedy. It is a compelling story, told in retrospect, of a young girl's introduction to court life , of her selection as a royal consort at the early age of ten, and the happy and sad times throughout her life. Lady Hong tells of her early fears on entering the court and how she came to terms with the deprivations which existed within the palace walls. It is a tale of quiet courage, aimed not at self-preservation and well-being, but at the safety of those close to her, whom she loved dearly. The memoir carries a main vein of woman's subservience to male rulers who were moulded by Confucian ideology, although Lady Hong 's fortitude and resolution come through strongly in trying to prevent, or at least delay , her husband's inevitable demise.
