Korean Folklore

and Myths
 01
What is Korean
Mythology?
 Korean mythology or myths are folk tales or legends from different
areas of North Korea and South Korea that have become part of
the Korean culture. It’s a combination of local myths and influences
from It’s a combination of local myths and influences from religions
like Korean Shamanism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

The earliest written records of these myths were formed in the 12th
century. But of course, these folktales have existed in an oral form
for much longer than that.

Some of the mythological stories seem to be well-grounded and quite

factual, while others have supernatural flares in them. And just like
in other Asian countries, the elements of Buddhism, Taoism, and
Hinduism have strongly influenced these myths as well. Each story
still remained even when Confucianism became the main religion in
Korea.
 02
The Korean Goblin
 도깨비 (Dokkaebi)
Thanks to a fairly recent Korean drama starring actor Gong Yoo,
the goblin has probably become the most famous mythological
creature in Korea. However, the real legend of a goblin is actually
quite different from the drama’s story! The real legend goes as
follows. Goblins are formed from objects which have been
discarded when they are stained with human blood. They bear no
similarity to human appearance. in fact, each Korean Dokkaebi may
look different from another, but each of them is supposed to look
fearsome, as well as to simultaneously strike awe in those who’d
look at them. Supposedly, they only have one leg on the right side.
Goblins are quite mischievous and will play jokes and riddles on
travelers passing by and might even challenge them to wrestling
matches. They could also carry magical objects.
03
Ghosts
 귀신 Gwisin

Korean ghosts are fairly similar to ghosts in other

countries. They are also see-through and float in
the air without legs to be seen. However, they are
almost always females, with long black hair, white
funeral clothes donned, and a creepy stare stuck on
their faces. There are other kinds of ghosts as well,
but this is the most common one.
 귀신 Gwisin
One type of this kind of ghost is often gets referred to as the virgin
ghost (처녀귀신 | cheonyeo gwisin). This legend may have been
created to strongly encourage young women to get married.
Another type of ghost that often appears in a similar
appearance is the water ghost (물귀신 | mulgwisin). These
ghosts were people who died a lonely death by drowning in
large bodies of water, such as Han River. Now they haunt living
beings, trying to get them to join them underwater.
Just like in other cultures, ghosts in Korea are typically present
because of some unfinished business, such as to get revenge.
They hang out in abandoned places and graveyards and may
make the air go chilly or fling objects around when they want to
get someone’s attention.
 04
Nine-Tailed Fox
 구미호 Gumiho
Also featured in several Korean dramas, the Nine-tailed fox
is a popular creature in Korean myth even in the present
day. Its portrayal in Korean dramas is usually of a
beautiful girl cursed to become this creature, one that is
unable to find love without entrapment.
The K-dramas starred by actress Shin Min Ah and actor Lee
Dong Wook respectively, are some of the most popular
Korean dramas featuring a gumiho.
The real legend is even sadder and more horrifying. The
creature is more fox-like but retains the ability to
transform into a beautiful girl so that it could lure men
close enough to eat their livers. However, if the creature
is able to stay away from eating human flesh for a
thousand days, it can stay human.
 05
Dragons
 용/룡 (미르) Yong/Ryong/Mireu

These creatures were largely influenced by Chinese dragons,

hence why their appearance is also similar. Unlike the
Chinese dragons, Korean dragons sport a long beard and
carry an orb, which in Korean is called 여의주 (yeouiju). A
Korean dragon is seen as a good-natured creature related
to farming and especially water. If you visit Seoul, you will
often see this too.
 용/룡 (미르) Yong/Ryong/Mireu
Another creature under this category is the gyeryong
(계룡), also known as the Korean cockatrice or
chicken dragon. They are chariot-pulling beasts for
important legendary figures in Korea or for the
parents of legendary heroes. One of these legends
was the founding of one of the three kingdoms of
Korea, the Kingdom of Silla. It was said that the
princess had been born from a large egg of a
cockatrice. It was even said that dragons were the
summoners of Korea’s rainy season. Korean dragons
are also referred to as 이무기 (imugi), so technically
speaking, they can also be seen more as sea
serpents than dragons if they are not holding the
orb.
 06
Lion creature
 해태 Haetae
As this is the official symbol of Seoul even in the present day,
you’ll easily find statues of this creature outside numerous
buildings. The creature has the body and head of a lion,
with curled horns on its head. Its entire body is also
covered in armor-like scales.

It is believed to be a guardian that keeps evil omens at bay

and also upholds justice. It also serves as a guardian that
wards off natural disasters. This creature is sometimes
also called Haechi. Thus, already in the times of the Joseon
Dynasty, many officials were keen to have this creature
embroidered onto their official gowns.
 07
Moon rabbit
 달토끼 Daltokki

Also known as the jade rabbit, this is another

mythical creature that was adopted into Korean
folklore from Chinese myth. The legend goes this
particular rabbit was found by looking at the
formations of the moon’s craters. Now it is an
important symbol of Chuseok, supposedly
pounding its pestle to get rice cake.
 08
Korean Grim Reaper
 저승사자 Jeosung Saja
저승사자 (jeosung saja) is the Korean grim reaper.
They’re meant to guide those who have just passed
away into the afterlife. Traditionally, they wore a
black hanbok coupled with a black hat. But today,
they are portrayed more often as wearing a long
black coat with a fedora, especially after the
portrayal of Lee Dong Wook in Goblin. Because a
grim reaper is usually met upon death and is
considered a bad omen, the Jeosung Saja is a feared
figure among Koreans. Of course, you wouldn’t want
to cross paths with one!
 09
Fire dogs
 불 개 Bulgae
Legend says that these dogs originated from the kingdom of
darkness. Its Korean term is Gamangnara (가망나라). The
folklore tells us that bulgae are the reason behind the moon’s
eclipses. In the legend, the Ganamngnara’s king had so many
concerns over the kingdom’s darkness, so he sent out these
fire dogs to capture the moon and the sun.
Sadly, each moon and sun proved to be too hot or too cold for
these dogs to handle. Thus, they would burn or freeze when
they tried to carry them over to the kingdom. The king,
however, would not give up and kept sending more dogs to
retrieve these things. Therefore, a lunar or solar eclipse occurs
each time a dog tries to retrieve the moon or the sun for its
master.
 10
Three-legged crow
 삼족오 Samjoko
This creature was the primary symbol of the times of
Goguryeo Dynasty. According to beliefs, the
three-legged crow lives in the Sun. Thus, they
were seen to be sun gods, and they actually had
mightier powers than dragons. In addition to
these Korean mythological creatures, Korean
mythology also entails numerous different kinds
of gods, as well as notable human beings. Many
of these creatures also appear in more than just
one particular Korean folklore.
 11
Founding Myth of
Gojoseon
 Founding Myth of Gojoseon
The last one on the list does not focus on a single creature, but
this is one of the popular founding myths in Korea. It’s about
a god called Hwanung, the Heavenly Emperor Hwanin’s third
son. He told his father that he would like to rule the humans
on earth, as he is worried for their sake. The Heavenly
Emperor agrees to the plan, and so the god descends from
heaven onto the mortal realm and begins his reign. He was
equipped with Three Heavenly Seals (천부사민,
cheonbusamin), three thousand servants, and also the Three
Lords: cloud, rain, and wind when he arrived on earth, at the
top of Mount Taebaek. Here, he establishes the City of the
Gods, Shinshi. He took care of 360 different human affairs in
a variety of different life aspects, from agriculture to justice.
The End
감사합니다 여러분
*please excuse the pronunciations of the
folklore creatures*