JIRO Local, Now

​ Hello, this is Jiro. Have you ever heard of Hendrick Hamel? He was a Dutch sailor who, during the Joseon Dynasty, was shipwrecked while sailing in East Asia and eventually arrived in Korea. Through the record he later wrote—known today as Hamel’s Journal—Joseon Korea was introduced to the Western world for the first time. Today, I’d like to explore the story of Gangjin County in Jeollanam-do, where Hamel spent nearly seven years of his life.

​Hello, this is Jiro. Today, I’d like to introduce the story of Gangjin, a county in Jeollanam-do, South Korea, once known as a place of exile during the Joseon Dynasty. One of Korea’s most influential scholars, Jeong Yak-yong—better known by his pen name Dasan—was sent into exile here. Yet rather than fading into silence, his years in Gangjin became a period of profound intellectual growth. Let’s take a closer look.