This paper examines the usage of Chinese names in sijo poems of the Late Chosŏn
period as a case of transcoding (or re-coding). Taking into account such factors as widening of the readers’ audience, the resulting process of genre transformation, and the social situation in the country, the paper will trace the following tendencies: shifts in ideals
represented by Chinese symbols, limitations on the depiction of ideal Chinese figures,
and Chinese symbols as a means of reflecting on contemporary times. With the aim of
capturing a wider readership, sijo authors introduced Chinese symbols into new contexts
and used them to emphasize new ideas and make readers appreciate the past in order to
reflect on the present. Famous figures were given modernized features and thus became
an essential element for a new mode of expression under new circumstances. The recoding of Chinese names as a tradition demonstrates its potential to adapt (and to serve as a
prerequisite for) new literary modes and to inspire new modes and stimulate creativity