Folktales & Legends
The Old Man with the Lump: Korean Goblin Tale and Proverb
Discover the classic Korean folktale of the old man with a lump, a tale of kindness, goblins, greed, and the origin of a famous Korean proverb.
Category: Stories
Stories
The Jeju Midwife: A Husband’s Accidental Delivery and Traditional Birthing Customs
Discover traditional Korean birthing customs in Jeju through a dramatic family story of an unexpected home birth, local village midwives, and the cultural rituals of welcoming a newborn.
Seasonal Customs
Hwatu-taryeong: How Korean Villagers Turned Flower Cards into Songs of Resilience
Discover Hwatu-taryeong, a traditional Korean folk song where villagers transformed ordinary flower cards into a humorous twelve-month calendar chant to lighten their heavy holiday labor.
Seasonal Customs
Geunetwigi: Swinging into Dano Tradition with Dungi and Pati
Join young Dungi and Pati as they rig a traditional swing ahead of the Dano festival, exploring the rich history and culture of geunetwigi in Joseon-era Korea.
Seasonal Customs
Hongsumagi: The Korean Lunar New Year Ritual to Ward Off Misfortune
Discover Hongsumagi, a traditional Korean folk ritual performed from New Year's Day to Daeboreum to preemptively ward off misfortune throughout the year.
Seasonal Customs
Barley Root Divination: Divining the Year’s Harvest on Ipchun
Discover boripgeumjeom, a traditional Korean agricultural custom practiced on Ipchun where farmers dig up barley sprouts to divine the coming year's harvest.
Folktales & Legends
The Short-Lived Boy Who Defied Fate: A Korean Folktale of Wisdom and Resilience
Discover a traditional Korean folktale about a boy fated to die young who escapes his destiny through courage, the help of a kind mother-daughter pair, and the power of the I Ching.
Stories
Soji: The Traditional Korean Ritual of Burning Paper Prayers
Discover soji, the traditional Korean folk ritual of burning hanji paper to cleanse impurity and carry earnest wishes straight to the gods.
Seasonal Customs
Gwangju Chilseok Gosaumnori: The Roaring Giant Knot Battle of Korea
Discover the origins and thrilling traditions of Gwangju Chilseok Gosaumnori, a colossal Korean knot-fighting play rooted in village legends and seasonal customs.
Folktales & Legends
The Tiger’s Eyebrow: A Korean Folktale of True Natures and Destiny
Discover the traditional Korean folktale of a magical tiger's eyebrow that reveals people's true forms, leading to an unexpected journey of compatibility and new beginnings.