Korean Language Blog

Hong Gildong (홍길동) is Korea’s version of Robin Hood. Hong Gildong is a story that was written in the 16^th-17^th century. It’s a story about a man named Hong Gildong that steals from the rich and gives the stolen goods to the poor. The story of Hong Gildong describes the ideal qualities of a leader. For example, Hong Gildong was born an illegitimate child. He was about to be murdered by his father, but the plan fails. When Hong Gildong grows up, he hears about the death of his father. Even though his father tried to get him killed, Hong Gildong dutifully mourns for his father for three years. Like Hong Gildong, the ideal hero is a filial man who respected his parents no matter the circumstances.

The story of Hong Gildong isn’t just about the thief’s exploits; it describes the societal division between the rich and the poor, and the powerful and powerless. In the middle of this entire social message, Hong Gildong is a hero who tries to change the distribution of wealth. Even today, Hong Gildong is a popular theme for contemporary culture. There is a Korean drama by the name of ‘Hong Gildong’, and it stars Kang Ji Hwan, Sung Yuri, and Kang Geun Suk. Although the drama is loosely based on the novel ‘Hong Gildong’, the drama deals with serious issues like class division and living in an unjust society. Here is a clip if you’re interested:

Speaking of Robin Hood, there is also another famous fictional character that also steals from the rich to give to the poor. This character is called Iljimae (일지매), which was a character originally based on a Korean comic. There have been several renditions of the story of Iljimae in Korean dramas, but probably one of the most famous renditions is the one starring Lee Jun Ki as Iljimae. Much like the Hong Gildong character, Iljimae is a wanted man. The drama is an adventure story of Iljiame’s attempts to evade detection and help the helpless, but there is also some serious social commentary about the corruption of nobles. Of course, because this is a drama for entertainment purposes, there is a bit of romance and other fluff, but this drama is a pretty good story in terms of showing what Korean society was like in the Joseon era. Here is a clip of Iljimae:

There are many seowons in Korea. A seowon (서원) was a Confucian school that also served as a shrine to those who followed Confucius ideology. Here are some famous seowons in Korea.

The Dosan Seowon (도산서원) was a famous Confucian academy. The Dosan Seowon was like a boarding school where students studied, ate and slept. A kitchen, dormitory, and a library can be found in this famous school.

Sosu Seowon (소수서원) is considered one of the oldest Confucian academies. The Sosu Seowon was like a private academy where only the sons of the wealthy and elite were accepted.

Yerim Seowon (예림소원) received a royal charter, which meant that the king could not execute Confucius scholars that disagreed with the king. The officials of the court were fearful of this charter and closed the doors of the Yerim Seowon.

Admiral Yi Sun Shin (이순신) is a respected and famous navy hero among the Korean people. There is a monument in Seoul of Admiral Yi. Around the monument is a fancy water display held in honor of Yi’s control over the Korean seas:

Admiral Yi is known for blocking Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s several attempts to invade Korea in the 1590s. Admiral Yi’s most famous legacy is the turtle ship called geobukseon (거북선). Here is a reconstruction of what it may have looked like :

The turtle ship was built with a spiky armor that covered the ship. This armor was inspired by turtles whose shells covered and protected the body of a turtle. The spikes were meant to prevent Japanese soldiers from jumping unto the turtle ship. Since the Japanese were superior in hand-to-hand combt, Admiral Yi wanted to attack from a distance and prevent his soldiers from engaging in close distance combat. Admiral Yi loaded several cannons unto the turtle ships, which prevented Japanese soldiers from coming any nearer.

Even though Admiral Yi was victorious in battle, he was deeply resented in the Korean court. The Korean king was jealous of Admiral Yi’s popularity and paranoid that he would take power once the battle was over. Taking advantage of this internal division in Korea, the Japanese government sent a spy to stir trouble in the Korean court. Admiral Yi was falsely accused of treason and imprisoned. While he was imprisoned, he was tortured and demoted as a regular solider.

The command of the navy went to another admiral and the Japanese took the opportunity to sink several Korean ships. When the news reached the king in Korea, he reinstated Admiral Yi to his former position. Admiral Yi died in the Battle of Noryang (노량대첩). His death was mourned by the entire country. Admiral Yi was a humble and charismatic leader. He captured the hearts of the Korean people at a time when the Korean king was unable to do so.