Tragic Life of a lady painter Na Hyea Seok and Inn Soo Deok!

24/10/2017

At the weekend I had visited one of the most famous temple in Korea.
Buddhism in Korea is unique in the way of cultivating in mind.
There are many ways in Zen.
I heard that there is very specific way of doing Zen.
The way of korean style of doing Zen was originated from this temple Soo Deok Sa temple which is located in Choongcheong Namdo.

I’d like to visit this temple for long time ago.
But what attracted me most was not a history of temple but a story of a tragic life of a female painter who had stayed in the inn near the temple.

She was Na Hyea Seok.

It was early 20 century when she had lived her life actively.
It was rare for women to study abroad at that time, because Korea was very conservative and closed society.
Education for women was accepted worthless.

But she’d been sent to Japan and had studied in Painting in Tokyo for several years.
So it is believed she was the first women western style painter in Korea.

After returning to home, she got married and painted actively.
But the society in korea at that time was too closed for women.
So she want more freedom for women.
She refused to be confined in any barriers including marriage.

She had an affair with very famous gentleman in Paris. But he was married.

Her behavior was unforgivable at that time in Korea, especially as a married woman.

So she was ousted from family and lost every thing she had.

Finally she made up her mind to be a nun in Soo Deok Sa.
She had stayed in small inn for 3 years to be a nun.
But the chief of the priest didn’t permit her enter into the temple.
No body knows the reason why.

Anyway in this small and humble inn she had prayed for 3 years to be accepted as a nun.

When I visited there, there was not a trace of Na Hyea Seok.

All I could see was an another story of a painter Lee Weong Joon who was a victim of political intrigue. He was also very famous painter who had painted in France. One day he was arrested by secret police of Korea for the suspicion of spying for North Korea.

He just met his son who was dismissed during Korean War, his son was living in North Korea at that time. So secret police arrested him.

Finally he was set free with the help of French government.
Before leaving Korea, he had lived in this inn.

Anyway Inn Soo Deok had sad stories.

It was so sorry there was not an explanation about Na Hyea Seok.
Her last was miserable.
It was told that she could not eat properly and fall down in the street.
Finally she died as a charity patient.
There was nobody with her when she died.
She was very talented, she was not only a painter but also a writer.
She wrote several novels and essays.
But Korean Society couldn't embrace her talent and free spirit.

Her photo and works