Folktales & Legends
The Couple’s Rice Cake Quarrel: A Korean Folktale on Greed
An elderly Korean couple lets a single leftover rice cake spark a silent contest, leading to unexpected disaster when a thief loots their home.
Tag: Korean Folktales
Folktales & Legends
The Legend of Jumong: The Epic Birth and Flight of Goguryeo’s Founder
Discover the epic founding myth of Goguryeo, following Jumong from his divine lineage of Haemosu and Yuhwa to his daring escape and the crossing of the Eomche-su.
Folktales & Legends
The Wise Boy Magistrate: The Legend of Yi Won-ik and the Brass Coin
Discover the legendary tale of Yi Won-ik, a thirteen-year-old magistrate whose wisdom and refusal to waste public funds humbled corrupt clerks in Joseon Korea.
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.
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.
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.
Seasonal Customs
Jang-gwi-taryeong: The Tragic Tale of the Pheasant and the Red Bean
Discover the tragic and satirical Korean folktale of a male and female pheasant arguing over a red bean in the snow, exploring the history of Jang-gwi-taryeong.