[KS] Re: Public awareness of homosexuality in South Korea

[Hermes1]

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Kushibo wrote:

>
> And that leads to my primary question: does anyone know of some relevant
> resources on homosexuality in Korea, either currently or historically?

On a related note:

I remember reading in the Ppuri kip'Un namu magazine (published by
Britanica Korea)a long time ago, a series of articles entitled the "SumO
sanUn oet'olbagi [Loners Living in Seclusion]" (later published as a
book under the same title), one of which was an interview article on the
last surviving members of Namsadang, a traditional itinerant group of
performers. According to the interview, the entertainers in Namsadang
practiced homosexuality as a part of their group regulation.  Since Nam-
(male-) sadang, as opposed to YO- (female-) sadang, did not allow any
female member, it was more of an initiation and a forced life style, not
by one's free will.  Namsadang was a group of entertainers who performed
puppetry (Kkoktu kakshi norUm) and other circus-style shows (tightrope
feat, plate spinning, etc.), whereas YOsadang was a group of itinerant
prostitutes who sold alcohol, along with singing, dancing, and sex.  The
Namsadang interviewee in the article described how he was "initiated" by
one of his senior members when he was young.  Such homosexual activity
was called 'namsaek [male
lust],' in contrast to 'yOsaek [female lust],' a general term for
heterosexual desire/activity of men.  The party that assumed the role of
a male (usually a senior) was called 'sut-tongmo [male companion],' the
other party was called 'amdongmo [female companion].'  (I hope this is
not too graphic.)

Namsadang had been discontinued during the colonization, and revived by
the descendents of the former members. (Somehow, some members got
married, but I don't know the detail.)  Their Kkoktu kakshi norUm
(puppetry) was acknowledged by the government as 'Intangible Cultural
Treasure.'  Namsaek, of course, is no longer in practice today, and they
also have female members.


Young Kyun Oh
Instructor of Korean
Arizona State University
youngoh at asu.edu
http://www.learnkorean.com
http://www.asu.edu/clas/dll/kor/korean.html