Black Corporation: Joseon

Whether he was entrusted with the mission by Sejong or whether he was tricked into it was ambiguous, but Hyang gave it his best effort.

The first thing Hyang did was establish an institution called the “Hanyang Fire Damage Recovery Temporary Headquarters” in Area 51.

In Hyang’s Area 51, there were several craftsmen with architectural expertise, as continuous construction related to research had occurred.

Hyang conducted a meeting in the Area 51 conference hall, with senior officers like Jeong-cho and Jeong Inji in the front row, and middle-ranking officers in the back row.

“First, let’s confirm the exact extent of the damage.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

At Hyang’s command, Lee Chun, with the title of “Deputy Director,” came forward.

Lee Chun’s soldiers hung a large map of Hanyang on the wall, and Lee Chun explained the situation with a long pointer.

“First, let’s check the damage to the buildings. First, 106 sections in the north of Eastern Palace Office were completely burned, along with 1630 civilian houses in the center, 150 in the east, 90 in the south, 8 sections of Jeonokseo (Royal Prison), and 200 houses around Jongno and nearby civilian areas. In total, 2,070 civilian houses have been destroyed. This number excludes the buildings in the palace and court that were destroyed.”

“9 men and 23 women were rescued but died. Furthermore, 23 elderly, 15 children, 46 men, and 89 women were identified by comparing with the household register.”

“The damage is extensive.”

Jeong-cho shook his head gravely at Lee Chun’s report.

* * *

However, the actual historical damage was even greater.

[TL/N: Based on annals, the bandits were responsible for burning some 2000+ houses in the city, and some other 2170 houses near main administrative district. Ref: Ji-Hee et. al. (2013). Fires and fire prevention measures in Korea from 1392 to 1910.]]

Over 2,400 civilian houses were destroyed, and the record of the dead was as follows:

– Excluding the elderly and children, 9 men and 23 women died. Those who burned to death in their homes could not even be identified.

However, the efforts of administering vaccinations, the revision of the household register, and re-organization of the land registry helped in estimating the death toll more accurately.

Area 51 also contributed to reducing the damage.

Area 51, occupying most of the southern region of Hanyang (central Seoul in the 21st century), reduced the number of civilian houses in the vicinity due to its handling of various explosives and dangerous materials.

“A single mistake can lead to a major accident!”

Hyang, who was almost neurotic about it, rigorously conducted emergency response and disaster prevention drills.

It wasn’t just for the internal area of Area 51.

Training was also meticulous for situations where an internal accident spreads outside or an external anomaly spreads inside.

Thanks to this, the southern region suffered surprisingly little damage in this fire.

As the fire began to spread, those staying in Area 51 responded immediately.

“Extinguish all unnecessary flames now! Fire prevention teams, move to your positions immediately! Even resting soldiers, return to your positions! Watchtowers, keep an eye on the situation!”

“Yes!”

Under Lee Chun’s command, who was in charge of operating Area 51, they moved swiftly and efficiently.

The quick response ensured that the inside of Area 51 was safe.

“The fire is spreading!”

“Move according to plan 2!”

“Yes!”

The gates of Area 51 opened, and carts equipped with water barrels and pumps rushed out.

To stop the fire spreading from the south, those dispatched from Area 51 did their utmost.

The houses they were protecting from the flames were where their families lived.

Through such desperate efforts, they were able to reduce the number of houses destroyed in the southern region of Hanyang from 350 in the original history to just 90.

* * *

There was one place that Jeong-cho and others intentionally did not mention during the assessment of the damage, but Hyang pointed it out.

“In the west, I understand, but how come Bukchon¹ suffered almost no damage?”

“That is….”

When Lee Chun hesitated, Hyang added, “I already know. I just wanted you to say it.”

“I apologize.”

What Hyang pointed out was Bukchon’s wealthy area.

Bukchon, a luxury residential area where the major courtiers and influential nobles lived, was virtually unscathed in this fire.

Unlike the thatched roofs that would burn immediately, most were tiled roofs, and houses had high walls and spacious yards, reducing the chance of fire spreading.

Lastly, each house had many slaves, so even if a fire started, it could be extinguished immediately.

During the process of stopping this fire, the landlords of Bukchon gave these excuses and were reluctant to lend their slaves.

“We must prevent the fire from spreading!”

At this, Sejong was grinding his teeth.

“Watch and see!”

* * *

Having confirmed the damage, Hyang got up from his seat and went forward.

Hyang, who had taken the podium, opened his mouth looking at the people gathered in the conference room.

“As you can see from the signboard, we have been assigned the task of rebuilding the area damaged by this fire.”

“By rebuilding, do you mean restoring even the houses that burned down?”

Hyang shook his head at Jeong Inji’s question. “We lack the resources for that. Our goal is to change the structure of Hanyang to prevent such a fire from recurring. The starting point is the area lost in this fire, and the end point is all of Hanyang. The estimated duration is 5 years.”

The eyes of those gathered sparkled at Hyang’s words.

Nearly a generation had passed since Yi Seong-gye’s relocation to Hanyang. It was a time when various discomforts began to appear in slow-changing Joseon.

“Move the map to the table.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

At Hyang’s command, the soldiers removed the large map hanging on the wall and spread it on the large table in the center of the conference room.

Hyang opened his mouth, pointing at the map with a pointer.

“First of all, the beginning of all the work starts with the refurbishment of Cheonggyecheon²….”

* * *

“…Therefore, we will connect Cheonggyecheon and the major streams flowing inside Hanyang with canals, collect the sewage in a waterway, and discharge it in a sewer. The benefits we get from this are easy sewage treatment in Hanyang, a clear partition between rooms and buildings, and quick response to not only fires like this one but also floods.”

The royal study room.

Hyang explained the ‘Hanyang Reconstruction Plan’ to Sejong and the ministers.

Sejong stroked his beard after hearing Hyang’s explanation.

“It’s bigger than expected.”

“I expect a period of 5 years. First, the focus is on rebuilding the area lost in this fire, and then gradually expanding the area.”

“Hmm, I see… But what is a paved road?”

“It literally means paving the road. If you look at the roads in Hanyang now, they turn into a muddy puddle when it rains, making it hard for both horses and people. This will pave it so that people and horses can travel without inconvenience even when it rains.”

“That’s good….”

As Sejong nodded his head, Hwang Hui asked a question.

“Does paving the road mean laying stone slabs? Wouldn’t that cost too much?”

The other ministers nodded at Hwang Hui’s point.

In the situation where the funds to support those who lost their homes and property in the fire were secured, the officials of the Ministry of Taxation even gave up going home.

Thanks to this, Sejong had given a special meal twice for the overworked officials of the Ministry of Taxation.

Hyang nodded at Hwang Hui’s point.

“That’s right. Laying stone slabs would cost a lot. So, we won’t use stone slabs. To be precise, we’ll make stone slabs.”

“Make stone slabs?”

Hyang’s answer made the eyes of Sejong and the ministers flash terrifyingly.

“How will you make them?”

“With lime.”

“Lime?”

In Joseon, lime was not a strange thing.

It was a common mineral, and it was used a lot in construction. There was a record in Sejong Sillok’s Geography:

-In Ganghwa Island’s mines, there is turquoise (a type of turkite) and rock, where turquoise is carved into steles, and the rock is cut and roasted for use.

Here, roasting means putting it in a lime kiln and burning it.

“Making roads with lime… Is that possible?”

“It’s possible!” Hyang confidently answered.

With Hyang’s confident answer, Sejong made up his mind.

“Good! Crown Prince, I trust you! Give it a try!”

“Your grace is boundless!”

Although he liked the Crown Prince’s grand plan and supported it, Sejong did not forget reality.

“The roads are important, but the urgent thing is to make shelter for those who lost their homes in this fire. How will you do that?”

Hyang answered without hesitation to Sejong’s question. “You are right. As I just mentioned, the road is important, but it is certain that the first thing to do is to rebuild the area that was lost in the fire. So….”

At Hyang’s gesture, the internal officer handed over a plan.

The next page of the plan showed the anticipated layout after rebuilding the area lost in the fire.

“This is the reconstruction plan for the area lost in the fire. As you can see, regulations have been set to dig one well for every five households to secure water for daily life and fire prevention.”

“Can so many wells be secured?”

Hwang Hui’s question was answered by the Minister of Public Works.

“It’s possible. Contrary to expectations, Hanyang is not a place that lacks water.”

Seoul – particularly the Hanyang region during the Joseon Dynasty – had abundant groundwater.

Among the experiences shared by the fathers and uncles of the 21st century, there was a story that they thought a sewer had burst by the side of the Jongno subway line as water flowed, but it was actually groundwater.

In fact, there was also an article that among the management issues of high-rise buildings located in the Seoul Jongno area, the largest part is groundwater management. (Note 2)

“But why do we need water carriers?”

Hwang Hui’s question was met with a simple answer from the 2nd Minister of Public Works.

“There is the issue of having to dig a bit deep.”

“Oh, goodness… tsk.”

Hwang Hui, who was about to click his tongue, hurriedly stopped. In this court, only two people could click their tongue without punishment.

One was Sejong, who had popularized this hot-tempered habit, and the other was his son, Hyang.

With the support of the 2nd Minister of Public Works, Hyang explained,

“Digging wells is a two-fold plan. It provides work for the refugees who lost their homes to the fire and an opportunity to gather funds to rebuild. That’s one part. The other is the securing of water for daily life and fire prevention.”

“That’s good… But is there a reason to pave the roads everywhere?”

“If you look at Hanyang’s alleys now, they are like a tangled maze. Consider the recent fire. The closely clustered thatched houses caught fire in an instant, and the people trapped in the maze-like alleys were engulfed in flames, resulting in death and injury. Therefore, we need to widen the roads and organize the blocks so that the people can easily escape in an emergency.”

Sejong and his ministers nodded at Hyang’s words.

“And it’s also good for public order. Now, in the maze-like alleys of Hanyang, if the city patrol and stars chase a criminal who hides in these alleys, they can’t easily find him. To solve this, many personnel must be deployed, which then creates a gap elsewhere. However, by organizing the blocks like this, efficiency is increased.”

“That’s good.”

As Sejong was nodding, Hwang Hui, who had been examining the map, pointed to a place.

“According to the map, there are public baths here and there; are they really baths?”

“Yes.”

Hyang’s answer led Hwang Hui to point out a problem.

“Baths will be good for fire prevention as they collect a lot of water. However, as seen in previous times, if men and women gather together and undress to bathe, it becomes a hotbed of corruption.”

“We are well aware. So the new public baths will separate men and women from the entrance, and even the buildings themselves will be separate, and a wall will be built between the two buildings.”

“Is there a need to build baths to that extent?”

At Hwang Hui’s words, Hyang nodded vigorously.

“Of course! Regular bathing can prevent epidemics!”

“Huh?”

* * *

When Sejong and his ministers showed interest, Hyang ordered an aide to submit a medical report.

“This is a medical record for those working in Area 51 and their families.”

“Medical record?”

“Since the area is a place where they handle a lot of dangerous materials, there are many injuries. But setting that aside! If you look at the section on skin conditions and other diseases, you will see that the incidence of skin diseases has greatly reduced after regular bathing. If we sum up the opinions of the physicians who were in charge at that time, not only have skin diseases decreased, but maintaining cleanliness also reduced minor ailments.”

“Hmm…”

Hyang’s words made Sejong and his ministers contemplate between practical reality and Confucian propriety. Seeing their dilemma, Hyang sprinkled some MSG.

“Also, using these baths properly can help with corruption.”

“How?”

Sejong was greatly interested in Hyang’s words.

“Isn’t it a hassle to carry cotton cloth and rice every time you want to bathe³?”

“Ah!”

Funnily enough, this very issue led Sejong and his ministers to support Hyang’s public baths.

—–

Note 1) Song Jong-taek. Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Dankook University. Ceramist. February 2009.

Note 2) Field Tracking 1234. June 10, 1999. KBS.

1. Original wealthy village. Read more on “Bukchon Hanok Village”.[↩]
2. A stream flowing from west to east of current Seoul[↩]
3. In those times, rice was often used as a form of payment or gift to the bathhouse attendants. However it may sometimes be used as a bribe. Also as for carrying cotton, what Hyang meant is since public nudity is considered frowned upon, the public will usually bring a separate garment for them to wear after bathing in streams or near wells, which were a hassle in reality.[↩]