Lee Bingheogak

Yi Bingheogak (24 February 1759 – 3 March 1824) was a Korean female scholar who wrote "Gyuhapchongseo" (Women's Encyclopedia), "CheongGyuBakMulGi" (Women's Encyclopedia), and "Bingheogakgo" (A Collection of Poems Translated into Korean) in the late Joseon Dynasty.

Early life
Yi Bingheogak was born in Seoul, whose family clan was Jeonju Yi clan. The family was descended from Prince Yeonghae, King Sejong's 17th son. Her father, Yi Chang-su, was Yijopanseo(A High-Ranking Official in Joseon. Similar to the current Minister of Public Administration and Security), Ye Mun-gwan Jehak, and Hong Mun-gwan Jehak (Office of Special Advisors). Her mother was Lady Ryu of the Jinju Ryu clan, aunt of writer Ryu Hui who was known for his work Muntong (文通).

Yi Chang-su married again with Lady Ryu when his first wife died early without children, and Bingheogak was the youngest daughter born between them.

The political faction of the family was Soron. Yi Eon-gang, her great-grandfather, was famous as a scholar and served as a bookkeeper for Yejo and Hyeongjo. Her uncle Yi Chang-ui also rose to Wooui-jeong. Bingheogak had an older brother, Yi Byeong-jeong who was also the son-in-law of Jo Jae-ho, who was well-known at the time, and served as Yijopanseo and Hong Mun-gwan Jehak. As such, the Yi family was a prestigious family who served in high-ranking government posts, including her father Yi Chang-su, her uncle Yi Chang-ui, and brother Yi Byeong-jeong.

Ryu Han-gyu, the older brother of Bingheogak's mother, married Yi Chang-sik's daughter for the fourth time after losing his third wife. This was Yi Sajudang, who wrote Taegyoshingi. Therefore, Yi Sajudang become an aunt to Bingheogak. Although it is not reported now, Bingheogak wrote "The Beginning of TaegyoSingi," and "Gyuhapchongseo" also contains information on prenatal education, suggesting that Bingheogak was influenced by Yi Sajudang.

Bingheogak is said to have been intelligent from an early age. When her father put her on his lap and read Si-kyung or So-hak, she immediately realized the meaning. Bingheogak had a good memory even when she grew up and liked to study, so she read various books. She also wrote poems and various kinds of writings well, and was also called a female classical scholar (女士) by people around her.

Married Life
Bingheogak married Seo Yu-bon at the age of 15 in 1782. The two families were married because they had a long acquaintance and were 'Soron' with the same political orientation. Seo Yu-bon was born in Dalseong, and was a descendant of Seo Gyeong-ju, a son-in-law of the King Seonjo. His father is Seo Ho-Su, and his younger brother is Seo Yu-gu, the author of "Imwon Economic Journal". Seo Yu-bon's grandfather, Seo Myeong-eung, maintained a close relationship with 'Noron' while actively cooperating with King Yeongjo's TangPyeong policy. Seo Myeong-eung's younger brother Seo Myeong-seon contributed to the expulsion of Hong In-han and Hong Kook-young, reaching Yeong-ui-jeong Pavilion.

The Seo family was very interested in the studies that were beneficial to daily life and enriched life, and had a relationship with Park Ji-won, Park Je-ga, and Lee Deok-mu. Academic traditions was excellent in the study of specialties that explored objective objects such as gold stones, water, fire, stars, moons, the sun, vegetation, and animals. As part of that, remarkable research results were presented in agriculture. The "Bomanjae General Book" (A Collection of Poems and Prose) written by Seo Myeong-eung, the grandfather of Seo Yu-bon, contains the "Gosa Sinseo" (1771), an agricultural economy book. Seo Ho-Su also wrote Haedong Nongseo (1799), an agricultural research book. Seo Yu-bon's younger brother Seo Yu-gu also published a vast agricultural research book called "Imwon Economic Journal." Judging from these facts, it is presumed that the study of Seo Yu-bon was similar to the school style of the family.

Bingheogak was influenced by the academic traditions of her in-laws after marriage. Her father-in-law Seo Ho-Su owned a rare book that was rarely found in China, and so did her husband Seo Yu-bon. Lee Kyu-kyung, the author of 'OhJuYeon MunjangJeonSanGo', said that when he lived in Mapo, Seoul, he borrowed the precious book "Myeongbonseok"(A Precious Book of The Time) from Seo Yu-bon and saw it. Therefore, Bingheogak must have had no difficulty in accessing various books. Among Bingheogak's books, the 'CheongGyuBakMulGi', which contains information on animals and plants, speaks well of this point, and it can be understood in this context that the book cited in the 'Gyuhapchongseo' contains 'Haedong Nongseo' by her father-in-law.

Her husband, Seo Yu-bon, had little connection with gwageo or government posts. After passing Saengwon-si(A Type of Gwageo) at the age of 22, he applied for liberal arts, but continued to fail. Moreover, in 1806, his uncle Seo Hyung-soo was involved in administration of the major criminal cases such as murder and high treason and went to exile, and the family collapsed at once. At that time, his younger brother Seo Yu-gu, who was a vice-president of Hongmungwan, was also imprisoned in Hyang-ri. At this time, Bingheogak was 47 years old.

Bingheogak moved her residence to a place called Mapo Administration today as her husband's family collapsed and the family's property tilted. Seo Yu-gu, his brother-in-law, was also involved in Oksa(Imprisonment for Involvement in A Felony) and was unable to serve in the government until 1823 (the 23rd year of King Sunjo's reign) and moved to his residence six times, so he could not afford to help his brother's house. Therefore, 'Gyuhapchongseo', completed by Bingheogak in 1809 at the age of fifty, is not irrelevant to this life.

Seo Yu-bon usually concentrated on reading without going out of the house. So he naturally spent a lot of time with Bingheogak, discussing his studies and exchanging poems. Bingheogak wrote in the preface of the 'Gyuhapchongseo' about this time, "I went out to love with my husband in Samho(The Current Location is Mapo) administration and did housework to find all the writings that were needed in daily life and buried in the mountains." Seo Yu-bon's life at the time was unfortunate for himself, but it became a support for Bingheogak to expand his studies. Her husband also named the book "Gyuhapchongseo." Bingheogak had four sons and seven daughters, but eight died early with only one son and two daughters who survived to adulthood.

Works
Gyuhapchongseo

This book had been handed down in manuscripts or woodcuts without knowing when and who wrote it. Then, it turned out to be the first part of the 'Bingheogakjeonseo ' (A Book Consisting of Three Parts: A Comprehensive Collection of Gyuhapchongseo, CheongGyuBakMulGi, and Bingheogakgo) discovered in 1939. Currently, one woodblock book, a manuscript in which two books are tied into one book, etc, a total of 68 National Library books, and a collection of six manuscripts by Jeong Yang-wan are  handed down.

The Gyuhapchongseo is a collection of the wisdom of a useful life in daily life, as the author states in the preface, "It is truly indispensable for daily life because it is a cure for all first and governance of the family." The contents of the 'Gyuhapchongseo' are divided into Jusaui (酒食議), Bongimcheuk (縫紝則), Sangarak (山家樂), Cheongnanggyeol (靑囊訣), and Sulsuryak (術數略).

The 'Jusaui' of Gyuhapchongseo contains making fermented sauce, making alcohol, and making rice, rice cake, fruit juice, and side dishes. 'Bongimcheuk' contains all kinds of miscellaneous goods such as how to make clothes, how to dye them, embroidery, silkworm rearing, how to fix dishes, and turn on lights. 'Sangarak' contains everything necessary for farm life, from how to cultivate fields to how to raise horses, cows, and chickens. 'Cheongnanggyeol' contains tips on prenatal education and raising babies, as well as first aid and prohibited emergency medicine. In 'Sulsuryak', there is a description of how to clean up the house and how to chase away the devil with amulets and sorcery.

Gyuhapchongseo not only described the contents in detail and clearly, but also wrote the name of the book cited in small letters on each matter. In addition, she added her opinion and called it a  'Sinjeung', and at the end of each item, the results of her own implementation were revealed in small letters. So it allows people to read and practice. This book is the most read of the kind of cookery handed down in manuscripts. It had a huge impact on our family life.

CheongGyuBakMulGi

It is a women's encyclopedia written by Lee Bingheogak, the wife of Seo Yu-bon, a practical scholar during the reign of King Yeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty. It is believed to have been written between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It consists of four volumes.

When Bingheogakjeonseo (憑虛閣全書) was discovered in 1939, it was found along with Gyuhapchongseo (閨閤叢書), but it was lost and only its name was handed down. Meanwhile, in early 2004, a team led by Professor Kwon Doo-hwan of Seoul National University found all four books at the Okura Bookstore of Tokyo University in Japan, and the contents of the book that had been veiled became known.

The first volume contains astronomy and geography, the second volume also contains time and vegetation, the third volume contains a brute and insect, fish and the fourth volume contains contents related to clothing and food. In addition, various materials such as the sun and moon, the sea, tide, alcohol, and calligraphy are recorded in Korean.

Family

 * Father - Yi Chang-su
 * Mother - Lady Ryu of the Jinju Ryu clan
 * Uncle - Ryu Han-gyu
 * Aunt - Yi Sajudang, Lady Yi of the Jeonju Yi clan
 * Cousin - Ryu Hui (1773–1837)
 * Siblings
 * Older brother - Yi Byeong-jeong (1742–1804)
 * Husband - Seo Yu-bon (6 January 1762 – 26 August 1822)
 * Father-in-law - Seo Ho-su (29 October 1736 – 14 February 1799)
 * Mother-in-law - Lady Yi of the Hansan Yi clan (7 November 1736 – 13 November 1813); daughter of Yi Yi-jang
 * Brother-in-law - Seo Yu-gu (1764–1845)
 * Issue
 * Son - Seo Min-bo (30 October 1783–?)
 * Daughter - Lady Seo of the Daegu Seo clan (1785–?)
 * Son-in-law - Yun Chi-dae
 * Daughter - Lady Seo of the Daegu Seo clan (1787–?)