KBS 한국사전 – 새로운 조선을 꿈꾸다, 소현세자빈 강씨 / KBS 2007.9.1 방송

Kang Bin, daughter-in-law of King Injo and wife of Crown Prince Sohyeon, was taken hostage to the Qing Dynasty after the defeat of Joseon in the Manchu Invasion of Korea. However, she developed trade with Joseon's superior products and ran a farm by freeing Joseon prisoners. Kang Bin, the female CEO who brought hope to countless Joseon people, she dreamed of a new Joseon. However... with the deaths of her husband and a series of stillbirths, Kang Bin's final moments approached... Kang Bin's turbulent life unfolds in Korean History. Crown Princess Kang Becomes a Female CEO in the Qing Dynasty After the defeat of Joseon in the Manchu Invasion of Korea in 1636, 192 Joseon people, including Kang Bin and Crown Prince Sohyeon, began a difficult life as hostages in Shenyang, China. The Qing Dynasty, a nomadic people with a strong military but a lack of cultural sophistication, came to need Joseon's goods. Even the Qing royal family, the Eight Princes, requested the smuggling of cotton, otter skin, and white porcelain! Gangbin began active trade with the Qing, and Shenyangguan later became the Joseon trade representative office in the Qing Dynasty. Since Crown Prince Sohyeon was often absent from Shenyangguan due to his duties as a Qing emperor, Gangbin took over the crown prince's duties and personally oversaw the dispatch of reports to Joseon, becoming the de facto manager and CEO of Shenyangguan. Gangbin Creates a Korean Schindler's List Shenyangguan amassed considerable wealth through trade with the Qing. However, an unexpected crisis arose. The Qing demanded that Shenyangguan cut off food supplies and instead farm directly to support itself. Despite strong opposition from Joseon officials, concerned that their captivity would be prolonged, Gangbin accepted this offer. Gangbin repatriated Koreans taken to the Qing and put them to work on farms, introducing an incentive system to increase productivity. Joseon's excellent agricultural technology yielded bountiful harvests year after year, and Shenyanggwan accumulated more than three times the annual grain requirement. Using Shenyanggwan's wealth, Kangbin liberated hundreds of Korean prisoners of war, creating a Korean version of Schindler's List. Learning Catholicism and Science and Technology When the Qing overthrew the Ming Dynasty and moved its capital to Beijing, Kangbin and Crown Prince Sohyeon also moved to Beijing. At the Nandang (南堂) near the Forbidden City, the Crown Prince developed a deep friendship with Adam Schall, a Jesuit Catholic priest and astronomer. Schall introduced the Crown Prince and Kangbin to Catholic doctrine, astronomy, and the latest Western science and technology, gifting them books on astronomy, science and technology, and the study of the Christian religion, as well as a terrestrial globe and a statue of the Virgin Mary. Crown Prince Sohyeon and Kangbin, delighted that these Western books and objects would greatly contribute to Joseon's development, returned to Joseon with a group of Chinese Catholics. A Sin Ahead of Their Time: The End of Crown Prince Sohyeon and Kangbin In 1645, after eight years of being held hostage, Kangbin and Crown Prince Sohyeon returned. However, King Injo's response was cold. He sensed a rivalry, suggesting that they were attempting to exploit the Qing's power to usurp the throne. Ultimately, just two months after their return, Crown Prince Sohyeon died suddenly. It was a suspicious death, suspected of being poisoned. However, King Injo suppressed an investigation into his son's death and, in violation of national law, passed the throne to Prince Bongrim (Crown Prince Sohyeon's younger brother) rather than to his eldest son (the son of Crown Prince Sohyeon and Kangbin). Afterwards, Injo turned his attention to Kangbin. He accused her of treason, citing her for her meddling in external affairs as a woman, her attempt to poison the king, and her use of the title "Naejeon," meaning "queen." Ultimately, Kangbin was imprisoned in the royal villa. Kangbin, who was pregnant at the time, gave birth to a stillborn baby and was expelled from the palace. Despite the fierce opposition of his officials, King Injo administered poison to Kangbin. This was the death of a pioneering female leader and a tragic event in Joseon history. Korean Dictionary, Vol. 11 – Dreaming of a New Joseon, Crown Princess Sohyeon (September 1, 2007) http://history.kbs.co.kr/