Hong Gildong
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- This is a Korean name; the family name is Hong.
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 Opening page of The Story of Hong Gil-dong. |
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Hong Gildong is a fictitious character in an old Korean novel, The story of Hong Gildong (Hangul: 홍길동전; Hanja: 洪吉童傳; Revised Romanization: Hong Gil-dong-jeon), written in the Joseon Dynasty. The story was authored by Heo Gyun and is believed to have been written in late 16th or early 17th century. Hong Gildong is famous for his robbing the rich to feed the poor, much like the English folk hero Robin Hood.
The author of the novel, Huh Gyun (허균), is usually known in Korea as the writer of the first Korean novel, but was also a radical intellectual. He was born in a studious scholar family, as Korea at the time was a Confucianist state. His half-brother Huh Sung was at that time a famous poet, and his sister Huh Nanseolheon one of Korea's few famous female poets and artists. He had long dreamed to change Korea into a fair society with no pressures within a hierarchy.
Hong Gil-dong is also a common placeholder name, similar to John Doe in the United States.[1]
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[edit] The Story of Hong Gildong
Due to the strict Confucian laws of the Joseon Dynasty, Hur expressed his ideas in this novel, where Hong, born an illegitimate child, is not accepted by his father and family. His father, after hearing from a shaman that his son is cursed, attempts to kill him but fails. Shocked and appalled at his father's actions, he goes out into the world, where he becomes a bandit leader. He becomes a bandit for the people, and steals from the rich only to give to the poor. His popularity within the peasant society soars, and many view him as a hero. Because of this, he is wanted by the government under Yeonsangun and is marked as a national traitor. With the order from the King, the government forces try to capture him many times, only to capture three hundred of his manifestations. Eventually, to control him, the government offers him the job of War Minister in which he accepts. For a while, he is satisfied with his occupation, but later, he realizes that the people still suffer. To find out the truth, he departs for Nanking to seek truth there. On his way, by chance he discovers the nation of Yul-do, which was oppressed by demons. He defeats the demons, and is elected the king of Yul-do. However, he hears the news of his father’s death, and hurries back to Joseon to serve his father’s funeral for three years, according to tradition. After his service, he returns to Yul-do, where he lives happily as a king and hero.
Interestingly, Hong is shown as returning to serve his father's funeral for three years, whereas his father attempted to murder him years ago. This reveals Hong's heroic state of mind furnished by Heo Gyun.
[edit] Adaptations
The story was adapted into a South Korean animated feature film of the same name in 1967. [1] A North Korean martial arts film, Hong Kil Dong, was released in 1986. Hong gil dong character also adapted in Shin Agyo Onshi manga as female bandit leader.
A South Korean TV series based on the same story, entitled Hong Gil-Dong, The Hero (a.k.a Hong Gil Dong), began airing on January 2, 2008 on KBS2.
[edit] Notes
- ^ DBDic.com (디비딕닷컴) (2001). 너 그거 아니? (Neo geugeo ani, Did you know that). ISBN 89-7075-229-3. Retrieved September 22, 2006 from Naver Books.
[edit] See also
