Hekusando

Heuksando, the Black Mountain islands off southwestern Korea, became a place of exile under the Joseon monarchy. In 1801 the scholar Jeong Yak-jeon was banished there following the persecution of Catholics. He taught children at a small school and turned his attention to the sea around his place of exile, gathering information from island residents as well as examining marine creatures himself.

The resulting Jasan eobo, probably completed in 1814, recorded fish, shellfish and other marine life. Its descriptions included local names, appearance, habits, taste, capture and practical uses. A resident named Jang Deok-sun helped Jeong investigate and classify the creatures, making island knowledge part of the work. The surviving copies divide their contents among scaled creatures, scaleless creatures, shell-bearing animals and miscellaneous marine life. Jeong remained in exile until his death in 1816 on Uido, within the wider Heuksan island setting. His work preserves a detailed encounter between a displaced scholar and the livelihoods and knowledge of the islanders.