Cultural Study of Natural Environment Exploitation: Eating Culture of the Joseon People through the Novel “Thousand-Year Kingdom”

Abstract

The novel “Thousand-Year Kingdom” by Kim Kyung-uk is based on a true story from history when three Dutch sailors drifted into Joseon in the 17th century. Through the narrative of Jan Jansz Weltevree - the first Westerner to set foot in Joseon-the life, society, and people of Joseon are perceived and described in a fresh and unfamiliar way, different from the evaluations of Koreans or Easterners. This study focuses on investigating the cultural utilization of the natural environment by the Joseon people in this unique literary work to understand the uniqueness of their eating culture