Black Corporation: Joseon

As July arrived, a significant change occurred in Hanseong.

The housing complex for officials who had been without homes was finally completed.

This housing complex for homeless officials was constructed outside the city walls of Hanseong, between Sungnyemun (崇禮門, South Gate) and Donuimun (敦義門, West Gate).

Building this housing complex took a considerable amount of time.

One of the reasons it consumed so much time was the installation of railway tracks for the officials residing in this complex.

***

Since passing through the existing Sungnyemun would interfere with regular traffic, the court had to reconstruct the southern wall of Hanseong.

Two railway tracks were laid through an arch-shaped hole made in the wall.

Of course, since a large hole was made in the intact wall, measures were taken to reinforce the compromised defense.

First, sliding iron doors were installed on both sides of the hole. If enemies were to reach Hanseong, these iron doors would be closed, and thick, heavy steel bars would be put in place.

Additionally, on the inside of the wall’s iron door, a locomotive without passenger cars would be tightly placed as an additional measure.

***

With these railway tracks in place, it became more convenient for officials living in the housing complex to commute to and from work.

The second reason for the delay in the housing complex’s construction was the time taken to build a proper water and sewage system throughout the complex.

To be precise, it was a process that consumed both time and resources significantly.

“Is this work absolutely necessary?” Kim Jeom, the Minister of Finance, asked with eyes full of doubt.

Hyang immediately nodded. “It is absolutely necessary.”

“Ah… The cost…”

“Your Excellency, think about it. Which would cost more? The expenses incurred if all the officials fall ill from drinking contaminated water, or the costs we’re facing now?”

At Hyang’s question, Kim Jeom stamped his seal on the approval document without further argument.

Thus, a proper water and sewage system was established in this housing complex.

To properly utilize this newly constructed water and sewage system, the first standing kitchens in Joseon were built in the houses of this complex. Next to the sink was a small pump-style water pump.

Now, women doing kitchen work in these houses could use water comfortably regardless of weather or season.

As soon as these infrastructure facilities were completed, the construction of houses began.

These newly constructed houses were equipped with ondol heating systems using the newly popularized ongul method.

***

“The ondol is good, but…”

Hyang was lost in thought over the heating method to be applied to the housing complex.

Winters on the Korean peninsula were cold in both the 15th and 21st centuries. Unlike the 21st century, where various insulation materials and thermal insulators were abundant, the 15th century Joseon winters were even colder, with cotton wool being the only insulation material available. Not only that, but the much cleaner air in Joseon compared to the 21st century made winters even colder.

“Dammit, without that fine dust insulation…”

Having experienced the harsh cold of winter, Hyang wanted to advocate for the widespread use of ondol, but for a while, he couldn’t make that argument.

It was because of the fuel problem.

Before coal was properly supplied, wood was the only fuel for heating and cooking for both the palace and the people.

Because the Joseon court strictly enforced laws to prevent excessive logging for fuel, even the palace had to rely mostly on braziers for heating.

Of course, there were places that used gudel (floor heating). These were the places where the Queen and royal concubines of the Inner Court resided, and where court ladies lived. Naturally, the gudel installed in the court ladies’ quarters was unofficial.

The fuel problem in Hanseong and Joseon was resolved when coal began to be mined in earnest.

Even after the fuel problem was solved, Hyang hesitated to promote ondol.

“Ongul[1] is better than jjokgudel, but it’s not easy to solve the biggest obstacle of this ongul.”

The problem with ondol that tied Hyang’s hands was carbon monoxide poisoning, commonly known as ‘briquette gas poisoning’.

“A boiler would be best to block the gas, but…”

However, with Joseon’s current technology, the hot water pipes passing through the floor stones were the biggest problem. Because there was no synthetic resin, the pipes had to be made of iron or copper, and these materials had corrosion issues.

“It’s like using the CPU cooler method in reverse, but…”

Finally, after racking his brains, Hyang created a large iron heat conduction network similar to a giant grill.

This network was laid on the floor, and the thick iron rods connected to the iron network were wrapped around a large container placed on the firebox.

Then, after filling this container with water and lighting a fire underneath, the heat was transferred to the floor through the iron container.

This method prevented burns or fires caused by overheating of the iron network, and allowed for ample hot water use even in the dead of winter. Also, even after removing the fire, the heated water continued to supply heat for a considerable time.

After renovating the rooms where the Crown Princess, Yangwon, and Yangje resided in the Eastern Palace in this way, Hyang reported to King Sejong.

After inspecting the warm room and the firebox, Sejong’s expression became troubled.

“It certainly looks useful, but the cost is the problem. Iron is not something that common people can afford cheaply, is it?”

“That is true, Your Majesty.”

“Let’s think about it a bit more.”

“Yes, Father.”

Having been rejected like this, Hyang gritted his teeth and muttered.

“Ah! I miss plastic!”

***

However, to prevent excessive deforestation and maintain health during winter, the spread of ondol was essential.

Hyang gathered ondol craftsmen from all over the country to research economical methods of installing ondol.

It wasn’t just ondol research.

He also focused on developing affordable fuel for the people based on coal available in Joseon – all types of coal from Gangwon-do, Hamgyeong-do, Daeseol-do, and other regions.

“Of course, the answer to this part is already set…”

The answer Hyang had in mind was briquettes.

As the development of briquettes progressed smoothly, Hyang began developing combustion chambers to maximize the performance of the briquettes.

To develop combustion chambers that allowed smooth inflow of outside air and induced complete combustion by reflecting the heat generated during combustion back to the briquettes, Hyang gathered not only blacksmiths but also potters and worked up a sweat.

And the result was being applied to this newly built housing complex.

***

As the housing complex was completed, houses were assigned to the officials who were determined to move in.

The smallest house had 3 rooms, and the average had 5 rooms.

“One is the main room, one is the guest room, two are for male and female servants. The last one is for children or elders…”

Hyang shook his head slightly as he counted the room names on his fingers.

“Compared to the 21st century, these are all high-class houses now. Basically five rooms… And even with maid rooms…”

It was a brief farce created by differences in lifestyle and social culture.

***

The criteria for assigning these houses in the newly built complex were not based solely on rank.

The number of family members living together – excluding servants – was also one of the criteria. Officials with many children or living with parents or grandparents were assigned larger houses regardless of their rank.

Therefore, there were often cases where officials of different ranks were assigned houses of the same grade, or even larger houses.

Another criterion was to ensure that those working in the same department never became neighbors. This was to prevent superiors from privately employing their subordinates.

***

On the day of housing assignment, officials who had escaped from rented houses shouted “Long live the King!” towards Geunjeongjeon Hall.

“Long live His Majesty! Long live!”

“Long live!”

And then the officials worked like mad.

“No matter what anyone says, I’m definitely resting on the next day off!”

“Of course! I have to go see my house!”

“It’s my house. It’s my house. It’s my house…”

There was even a hint of madness in the eyes of the frantically working officials.

Seeing the dazzlingly rising work efficiency, Kim Jeom stroked his chin beard and pondered.

“It seems we need to expand the housing complex?”

***

While housing complexes for homeless officials were being built in Hanseong, similar complexes were being constructed in major provincial cities.

As a result, around the same time as in Hanseong, homeless officials in the provinces were also able to move into official residences with their families.

This brought about several positive effects, one of which was a reduction in misconduct among officials.

With officials living together in one area, surveillance became easier, and the families of officials themselves began to be more cautious in their behavior, mindful of the eyes around them.

***

As autumn began, the Commoner’s School reopened for a new semester.

Especially since Hunminjeongeum, which had been in preparation until now, was becoming an official part of the curriculum from this semester, King Sejong and the court were showing extraordinary interest.

The Hunminjeongeum education that started this way began to show immediate effects.

“The speed at which children are learning Hunminjeongeum is very fast, Your Majesty!”

“The response to the Hunminjeongeum special lectures for adults is also very positive, Your Majesty!”

Satisfied with the positive reports coming from the Education Department and the General Affairs Department, Sejong asked Choi Man-ri, who had rushed in upon being summoned:

“How far has the vernacular translation of the law books progressed?”

“The translation of the law books has recently been completed, and we are now working on translating case precedents, Your Majesty.”

“Good. Listen, Ministers of General Affairs and Justice.”

“We await your command, Your Majesty.”

Nodding slightly, Sejong gave orders to the Ministers of General Affairs and Justice.

“Order the printing office immediately to print large quantities of the translated law books. And have the printed vernacular versions sent to courthouses nationwide for the judges to review.”

“By review, do you mean…?”

“Although those working in the Office of Correct Sounds are highly learned, they are not experts in law, so there may be errors in the translation. Therefore, have them compare with the original Chinese characters to find any errors.”

The two ministers bowed their heads at Sejong’s order.

“We will carry out your orders!”

“And the head of the Office of Correct Sounds, listen.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Besides translating case precedents, there is much more to be translated, so you must not show even a hint of laziness. Keep this in mind.”

“I will engrave it in my bones and mind, Your Majesty.”

“Remember that the names of those who undertake the translation and those who review it will remain forever. Make sure to convey this.”

“We will carry out your orders, Your Majesty.”

After settling the matters related to Hunminjeongeum, Sejong moved on to the next agenda.

“The state examination will be held soon. Are the preparations going well?”

“Yes, they are progressing smoothly, Your Majesty.”

“I’ll say it again, there must absolutely be no cheating. Make sure to thoroughly instruct the supervisors being dispatched to examination halls across the country about this.”

“We will carry out your orders!”

After ordering to do their best to prevent cheating in the examination halls, Sejong did not forget to add an admonition.

“Joseon has finally entered a period of stability. But remember that this is precisely the time for proper maintenance. Keep in mind that the next few years could determine the course of the next few hundred years.”

The ministers responded in unison to Sejong’s admonition.

“We will engrave it in our bones and minds, Your Majesty!”

A type of insulation[↵]