Kim Satgat Historic Site & Literary Museum
A poet's bamboo hat, family disgrace and a mountain grave reveal the tangled story of Joseon's wandering satirist
Satirical Joseon verse, poet biography and grave-site visits
Small literary museum, poet grave, traditional dwelling and statues in a wooded mountain valley
The grave and disputed poetry collections offer a more complicated portrait than the bamboo-hat legend alone
Why he wore the hat
Kim Byeong-yeon, born in 1807, became known as Kim Satgat, the poet in a conical bamboo hat. A popular account says that he condemned a traitor in an examination poem, only to learn the man was his own grandfather. Ashamed, he covered his face and wandered the country
The family disgrace has a historical basis. His grandfather Kim Ik-sun surrendered during Hong Gyeong-nae's rebellion, damaging the family's standing. The dramatic discovery during the examination remains a story told about Kim rather than a securely documented incident
The joke behind the characters
Kim's verses mocked pretension, status and bad hospitality. One poem traditionally attributed to him, Juk-si (Bamboo Poem), plays with the Korean sound of Chinese characters. Apparent references to bamboo become comic expressions when read aloud. A literal English translation struggles to carry the joke
Lee Eung-su's Kim Rip Poetry Collection, first issued in 1939, helped give the wandering poet a modern audience. Later researchers have questioned some attributions within these collected verses. The literary museum shows books and research material connected with a poet whose name grew through both writing and oral tradition
A grave in the valley
Kim travelled across the peninsula and died in Hwasun in 1863. His son eventually brought his remains back to Yeongwol. The memorial valley contains a grave, a dwelling associated with Kim and outdoor statues showing the famous hat
The museum opened in October 2003. Walking from its literary exhibits to the hillside grave adds a physical destination to the tale of a man who spent so much of his life travelling
Before you go
The museum is at 216-22 Gimsatgat-ro, Gimsatgat-myeon, Yeongwol. Admission costs โฉ2,000 for adults, โฉ1,500 for teenagers and โฉ1,000 for children. Opening is 09:00โ18:00, closed Mondays, January 1 and principal Seollal and Chuseok days. Parking, a ramp, an elevator and accessible toilets are provided. Enquiries: +82-33-375-7900
The site lies in a rural valley outside Yeongwol town. A taxi or locally arranged transfer is the safer option, especially for the return trip. Festival shuttles do not run throughout the year
- Hours
- 09:00โ18:00; closed Mondays, January 1 and main Seollal/Chuseok days
- Admission
- Adults โฉ2,000, teenagers โฉ1,500, children โฉ1,000
- Access
- Parking, accessible toilets, ramp and elevator. Phone +82-33-375-7900
- Transit
- Remote Yeongwol valley: taxi or confirmed local transfer rather than an assumed regular shuttle