Currency has more value than mere exchange. Currency is a tool for representing its nation, and also reflects the characteristics of that country. Many of the models depicted on currency are celebrities who are regarded as important. As the position of women has been improving steadily, women can often be seen on currency. How about this women’s world? Here are some key words related to such women models. Let’s examine these words and think about Korean women models through them.
The Most
- Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ
Which person is engraved on the most currency? That is the Queen of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth Ⅱ. People can see her portrait on 33 countries’ currency including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. The reason why Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ can be seem on many world currencies is related to the history of Western countries. In the past, many countries were the colonies of the U.K. until the mid-20th century like the aforementioned nations. Most of them are still the British Commonwealth of Nations, and they have regulated their ceremonial figurehead as Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ.
4 Changes in 56 Years
The first time Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ appeared on currency was in 1953, when she succeeded to the throne. She was 27 years old at that time, so her first portrait on the currency was so young and beautiful. However as time went by, she grew older and some people criticized that her portrait was different from her real face. Since then the portrait has been changed 4 times; that is, once every 10 years. Some people have claimed that portrait has to keep the shape which expresses the Queen’s young and authorial power, but the U.K. has maintained the principle that the portrait has to reflect the real face of the person.
The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire, but...
Since the very start of the existence of money, Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ is an unprecedented case in history. What if Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ dies? Although Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ is still healthy, someday the Prince of Wales will succeed to the throne. Following this change, many people expect the currency portrait of the British Commonwealth of Nations will change. However, Australia, one member of the Commonwealth, announced that there is no Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ portrait on their new currency. That also means Australia wants to be independent from the British Commonwealth, and the authority of the United Kingdom is not as strong as in past times.
Job
- Author and Activist
What is the most common job depicted on currency? In the men’s case the most popularly depicted job is king or scientist, but in the women’s case the most popular job is author. (About 25.9 percent) Activists are also commonly shown on currency.
Higuchi Ichiyo (Japan)
Higuchi Ichiyo, a famous Japanese woman writer, is also a model on the Japanese 5,000 Yen banknote. She was born in 1827, in Tokyo. When she was a child, she lived in plenty but her father died when she was 17 years old, and she suffered poverty and anguish until she was 24 years old. Actually she started the life of a writer just to make a living; her friend had been successful in writing. She mainly wrote traditional stories which had been ruined by industrialization, and she has been estimated as a novelist who writes about traditional Japanese society, signs of the changing times, and the Japanese Spirit which was respected from a long time ago.
Higuchi Ichiyo, a famous Japanese woman writer, is also a model on the Japanese 5,000 Yen banknote. She was born in 1827, in Tokyo. When she was a child, she lived in plenty but her father died when she was 17 years old, and she suffered poverty and anguish until she was 24 years old. Actually she started the life of a writer just to make a living; her friend had been successful in writing. She mainly wrote traditional stories which had been ruined by industrialization, and she has been estimated as a novelist who writes about traditional Japanese society, signs of the changing times, and the Japanese Spirit which was respected from a long time ago.
Higuchi Ichiyo, a famous Japanese woman writer, is also a model on the Japanese 5,000 Yen banknote. She was born in 1827, in Tokyo. When she was a child, she lived in plenty but her father died when she was 17 years old, and she suffered poverty and anguish until she was 24 years old. Actually she started the life of a writer just to make a living; her friend had been successful in writing. She mainly wrote traditional stories which had been ruined by industrialization, and she has been estimated as a novelist who writes about traditional Japanese society, signs of the changing times, and the Japanese Spirit which was respected from a long time ago.
Tjut Niak Dhien (Indonesia)
Dhien, who was active in writing and delivering speeches on the beauty of Jihad, was born in 1848 into Achehnese nobility. Having married young (in 1862), to Teuku Ibrahim Lamnga, a son of Uleebalang of Lam Nga XIII, Dien soon realized, as the daughter and the wife of commanders of Army divisions, that she would have to say farewell to them when war broke out against the Dutch. Her two most beloved men left her in 1873 to fight Jihad, and succeeded in expelling the Dutch from Acheh. However, her beloved husband died in the war, so she decided to avenge her husband’s death on the Dutch. She entered into unfriendly relations with the Dutch, so finally she was banished and died on Java Island. Today it is argued that Tjut Njak Dhien did not die in her own land or amongst her own people. She died as "Ibu Perbu," which means "The Queen," a name given to her by the local people in Sumedang, West Java. Korea
(http://www.moneyworld.com)
-From Ordinary Mother to Respected Mother
The first Australian congresswoman, Edith Cowan, is depicted on the Australian dollar, and the famous Italian educator, Maria Montesorri, is on the Italian lira. Following the general trend, Korea also decided to engrave a woman celebrity on Korean currency.
The first Korean woman model of currency is far removed from other countries’ women models. In 1962, the Korean government needed to motivate support for the campaign for the country’s development project, so they engraved a picture of a mother and child who were saving the won on banknotes. This currency disappeared soon. After that in 1985 people said that Ryu Gwan-soon (a famous woman independence activist) was engraved on a commemorative coin for the 30th anniversary of Korean Independence, but the Government engraved the silhouette of a girl which was copied from Ryu Gwan-soon’s portrait. More recently, the Bank of Korea (BOK) announced that it would publish a 50,000 won banknote, and people took notice of who would be the model of this new currency. Then in 2008, one woman was chosen to be depicted on the 50,000 won note: she is no Queen, no revolutionary, and no author, but is another mother.
Does a Wise Mother Represent Koreans?
In October 2008, the BOK made a decision that the woman who would be engraved on the 50,000 won note would be Shin Saimdang. Wang Yong-gi, the chief of the banknote issuance department in the BOK said, "Shin Saimdang will contribute to our society awareness of gender equality and the social participation of women. Also, she was a wise mother and wife, so she will be a role model in our society representing the importance of family values. That is the reason why she was the model for our new currency."
Despite this statement by the BOK, many people have been against the decision of the office. Some women’s unions in particular, having suggested Ryu Gwan-soon be the model for the new Korean currency, said that Shin Saimdang was just a mother so she does not reflect our current society.
IF, the famous feminist journal union, held a petition campaign. They criticized that "Shin Saimdang is a ready-made role model for the Confucian patriarchal society. Modern society wants a celebrity who represents current society. Also the model of currency represents the thoughts of the the nation. These days, people do not want to live like Shin Saimdang. If she is estimated as the model of our currency, the patriarchal system will be stronger then ever."
Like they say, many people do not want Shin Saimdang on their banknotes. However, other feminist unions claimed that people can find the real facts and value of Shin Saimdang related to this decision. The chief of the Women Department in the Liberty Forward Party, Ham Young-Yi, paid attention to Shin Saimdang’s leadership, also added that she hopes that this decision will result in the chance of learning more about her leadership.
She said, "Shin Saimdang who was referred to as a wise mother and good wife is created by patriarchal society. She found her talents as an eminent artist and poetess by herself. She was a good consultant to her husband. Also she taught empowering leadership skills to her children. Finally she was a progressive woman and genius artist in herself, rather than being the good mother to other people."
Gentle Power to Change Korea, Shin Saimdang
As you can see, the model of currency represents a nation. Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ is a model for the United Kingdom, which represents the authoritarian and traditional monarchy. Che Guevara is a model for Cuba which represents the unbreakable revolutionary spirit of that country. People who have been mentioned as possible models for new Korean currency like Ryu Gwan-soon, Chang Young-sil and Kim Koo are all honorable celebrities and represent our nation.
However it cannot be said that Shin Saimdang does not represent Korean identity. Like Ham Young-Yi said, Shin Saimdang is not just a mother but the hidden Korean talent with the power to change the world. People think that only someone who was strong or lived a tough life can be a worthy celebrity, has leadership ability, and can be a model for currency. But the person who has gentle spirit or talent is also worthy of praise, may also have leadership skills, and can be a good model for our currency. Looking at the Japanese case, many of the people depicted on their currency are writers, educators, and bacteriologists. They do not look like strong people but they still command respect from the Japanese. This is certainly because they represent Japanese national identity, including keeping tradition, or helping each other.
Koreans have long considered Shin Saimdang to be an important figure. Her values such as living harmoniously, finding one’s own talent by oneself and subjective living changed her family, created a talent of the Joseon Kingdom (Lee Yi) and are still regarded as important values in modern Korean society. You already know about her gentle power to change many things, so how about welcoming a new celebrity who has the gentle power to change Korea?
Reference
- Bank of Korea Museum (http://museum.bok.or.kr)
