Yun Sŏndo

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Yun Sŏndo (1587–1671) was a Korean philosopher, poet, and politician in the Joseon era. Born in Hanseong (now Seoul), he studied Neo-Confucianism and rose to government service. His blunt honesty cost him his job, and he was banished for criticizing powerful people. After 13 years he returned to serve as a tutor to the royal princes, but he was banished again. He spent most of his life at his country home, thinking about life, teaching, and writing poetry. He was also known by the art names Kosan and Haeong, and his courtesy name was Yaki.

Yun is considered the greatest master of sijo, a Korean poetic form. His best-known work is The Fisherman’s Calendar (어부사시사), published in 1651. It is a cycle of forty sijo about the four seasons, blending poetry with ideas about nature and a simple life. In art, the fisherman is often shown in four-season watercolor sets. The Fisherman’s Calendar is the longest and most ambitious sijo cycle from his era and shows a fisherman who lives wisely and plainly.