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.