Gim Su-yeon

Gim Su-yeon (1241 - 1265) was a Jeongmian writer during the Kim dynasty who wrote The Tale of Heuksamdo.

The Tale of Heuksamdo
In 1263, Gim Su-yeon wrote "The Tale of Heuksamdo," an early novel describing a society run by women on the island of Heuksamdo in North Jeongmi. Gim herself had never been to Heuksamdo, but several tales exist in Jeongmi regarding women and the island (how there are more women then men due to many men losing their lives at sea, as well as women having more power than on the mainland due to greater participation in daily life and work as the island is not well-suited for agriculture).

Unlike most stories written at the time, particularly by men, the novel is written entirely in Jeonggeul and in the Jeongmian language. There was heavy backlash against the book and most copies were eventually burned. It was believed that all copies of the novel were destroyed until the discovery of a copy in 1839 in an old private residence.

Death
In 1265, Gim caught a severe cold and died.