The Exile of the Elephant, a Monster from the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty

In the 11th year of King Taejong's reign (1411), an exotic animal gifted by the King of Japan, the 'elephant,' first set foot on Joseon soil. At the time, the people of Joseon were amazed by the elephant's massive size, a sight they had never seen before. It was raised in the royal stables, fed two 'mal's of beans daily. However, an incident occurred where the elephant, in a fit of rage, trampled and killed Yi Woo, a former official of the Ministry of Works, who had been taunting it. According to Joseon law, the elephant, having killed a person, was declared a grave offender and exiled to 'Jangdo,' a remote island in the Jeonnam region of Jeolla Province. Confined to the island, the elephant couldn't eat grass and cried mournfully every day. Eventually, it was brought back to the mainland the following year, but it had to wander through various regions, barely clinging to life. From a distinguished guest of the palace to instantly becoming Joseon's first 'animal exile,' the elephant's fate is a rather unexpected yet poignant scene from history.