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2. Korean
Literature

3. Korean literature is the body of literature produced by
Koreans, mostly in the Korean language and
sometimes in Classical Chinese. For much of Korea's
1,500 years of literary history, it was written in Hanja.
It is commonly divided into classical and modern
periods, although this distinction is sometimes unclear.
Korea is home to the world's first metal and copper
type, the world's earliest known printed document and
the world's first featural script.
Introduction

4. Korean
Language

5. Korean (South Korean: 한국어, hangugeo; North Korean: 조선말, chosŏnmal) is the native
language for about 80 million people, mostly of Korean descent. It is
the official and national language of both North Korea and South
Korea (geographically Korea), but over the past 75 years of political division, the two
Koreas have developed some noticeable vocabulary differences. Beyond Korea, the
language is recognized as a minority language in parts of China, namely Jilin Province,
and specifically Yanbian Prefecture and Changbai County. It is also spoken by Sakhalin
Koreans in parts of Sakhalin, the Russian island just north of Japan, and by the Koryo-
saram in parts of Central Asia. The language has a few extinct relatives which—along with
the Jeju language (Jejuan) of Jeju Island and Korean itself—form the compact Koreanic
language family. Even so, Jejuan and Korean are not mutually intelligible with each other.
The linguistic homeland of Korea is suggested to be somewhere in
contemporary Northeast China. The hierarchy of the society from which the language
originates deeply influences the language, leading to a system of speech
levels and honorifics indicative of the formality of any given situation.
Language

6. Literature

7. Classical Korean literature has its roots in traditional folk beliefs and folk tales of
the Korean peninsula. There are four major traditional poetic forms: hyangga
("native songs"); byeolgok ("special songs"), or changga ("long poems"); sijo
("current melodies"); and gasa ("verses"). Other poetic forms that flourished briefly
include the kyonggi-style, in the 14th and 15th centuries, and the bak chang
("words for songs") in the 15th century. The most representative bak chang is
Yongbi och'on ka (1445–47; Songs of Flying Dragons), a cycle compiled in praise of
the founding of the Yi dynasty. Korean poetry originally was meant to be sung,
and its forms and styles reflect its melodic origins. The basis of its prosody is a line
of alternating groups of three or four syllables, which is probably the most natural
rhythm to the language.
One famous earliest poetry or lyric song was the Gonghuin (Konghu-in) by Yeo-
ok during Gojoseon.
Korean Literature

8. Hyangga
Hyangga (hangul: 향가, hanja: 鄕 歌) was written in
Korean using modified hanja in a system that is
called idu (hangul: 이두, hanja: 吏 讀), literally "clerk's
writings." Specifically, the variety of idu used to
write hyangga was sometimes called "hyangchal". Idu
was a system using hanja characters to express Korean.
The key to the system was to use some hanja characters
for their intended purpose, their meaning, and others
for their pronunciation, ignoring
their pictographic meaning. On the surface, it appears
to be a complicated, even incomprehensible system, but
after using the system one becomes comfortable with
certain characters consistently standing for Korean
words.

9. Hyangga was the first uniquely Korean form
of poetry. It originally indicated songs that
were sung in the Silla period. Only twenty-
five survive. The Samguk Yusa contains 14
poems and the "Gyunyeojeon", a set of
biographies of prominent monks, contains
eleven poems. Both these classic works were
written much after the Unified Silla, in the
subsequent Goryeo dynasty, yet the poems in
the Samguk Yusa appear to be based on no
longer-extant records actually from the Silla
period.
Hyangga

10. Hyangga are characterized by a number of formal rules. The
poems may consist of four, eight, or ten lines. The ten-line
poems are the most developed, structured into three sections
with four, four, and two lines respectively. Many of the ten-
line poems were written by Buddhist monks, and Buddhist
themes predominate the poems. Another dominant theme was
"death". Many of the poems are eulogies to monks, warriors,
and to family members.
Jemangmae-ga (Lament for My Sister; 제망매가; 祭亡妹歌) is a
hyangga written by a Buddhist monk named Wol-
myeong(월명). Through this hyangga, he mourns the death of
his sister.
Ode to Eternal Life (원왕생가; 願往生歌)
Hyangga

11. The Goryeo period was marked by a
growing use of hanja characters.
Hyangga largely disappeared as a
form of Korean literature, and "Goryeo
gayo" (hangul: 고려가요, literally
"Goryeo songs") became more
popular. Most of the Goryeo songs
were transmitted orally and many
survived into the Joseon period, when
some of them were written down
using hangul.
Goryeo Songs

12. The poetic form of the Goryeo songs is known as byeolgok or changga (hangul:
별곡). It flourished during the middle and late Koryo dynasty. It is characterized
by a refrain either in the middle or at the end of each stanza. The refrain
establishes a mood or tone that carries the melody and spirit of the poem or links
a poem composed of discrete parts with differing contents. The theme of most of
these anonymous poems is love, the joys, and torments of which are expressed
in frank and powerful language. The poems were sung to musical
accompaniment chiefly by women entertainers, known as kisaeng. There are two
distinct forms: dallyeonche (단련체)and yeonjanche (연잔체). The former is a
shorter form in which the entire poem was put into a single stanza, whereas the
latter is a more extended form in which the poem is put into several stanzas. The
Goryeo songs are characterized by their lack of clear form, and by their
increased length. Most are direct in their nature and cover aspects of common
life.
Goryeo Songs

13. Goryeo Songs
Kisaeng
dallyeonche
(단련체)
yeonjanche
(연잔체)

14. Sijo and Gasa
Sijo and gasa are closely linked
to the development of hangul in
the early Joseon period. As
hangul was created, akjang was
developed as a way to note
musical scores using the Korean
script. King Sejong himself is
credited with a compilation of
Buddhist songs.

15. Sijo
Sijo was common in the Joseon period. Although
its poetic form was established in the late Goryeo
period, it did not become popular until the
Joseon period. Many of the sijo reflected
Confucian thought; the theme of loyalty is
common. Sijo are characterized by a structure of
three stanzas of four feet each. Each foot contains
three to four syllables except on the third stanza,
where the 1st foot is supposed to have 3 syllables
and the 2nd foot can have as many as seven. Sijo
are thought to have been popular with common
people.

16. Gasa
Gasa is a form of verse, although its
content can include more than the
expression of individual sentiment, such
as moral admonitions. Gasa is a simple
form of verse, with twinned feet of three
or four syllables each. Some regard gasa a
form of essay. Common themes in gasa
were nature, the virtues of gentlemen, or
love between man and woman.

17. Prose
Korean prose literature can be divided into narratives, fiction, and literary miscellany. Narratives
include myths, legends, and folktales found in the written records. The principal sources of these
narratives are the two great historical records compiled in Classical Chinese during the Koryo
era: Samguk sagi (1146; "Historical Record of the Three Kingdoms") and Samguk yusa (1285;
"Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms"). The most important myths are those concerning the Sun and
the Moon, the founding of Korea by Tangun, and the lives of the ancient kings. The legends touch
on place and personal names and natural phenomena. The folktales include stories about animals;
ogres, goblins, and other supernatural beings; kindness rewarded and evil punished; and cleverness
and stupidity. Because the compiler of the Samguk yusa was a Zen master, his collection includes
the lives of Buddhist saints; the origin of monasteries, stupas, and bells; accounts of miracles
performed by Buddhas and bodhisattvas; and other tales rich in shamanist and Buddhist elements.
It also includes the 14 hyangga mentioned above. The compilations made in the Koryo period
preserved the stories of prehistoric times, of the Three Kingdoms, and of the Silla dynasty and have
remained the basic sources for such material. Later compilations made during the Yi dynasty served
as a major source of materials for later Yi dynasty fiction.

18. Prose
Samguk sagi Samguk yusa
Tangun

19. History

20. The Early Joseon Period
This compilation was the first piece of Korean text to depart from a long history
reliant on Chinese characters and be recorded in Hangul, the first and official
alphabet of Korea. There are several underlying themes in addition to the
establishment of the Joseon Dynasty which are of significant importance to
understanding the events that provoked the creation of these poems: linear
events that took place in China, the apotheosis of virtuous Kings proceeding the
fall of the Goryeo Dynasty, and Confucian political and philosophical ideologies
of the era in rejection to Buddhism. Each of the poems included in the work
convey deep-seated feelings of nationalism and a proud proclamation of
cultural independence from the Mongol empire.

21. The Late Joseon Period
Modern Korean literature developed against the background of the Joseon Dynasty's
fall. This first period of modern Korean literature is often called the "enlightenment".
This period was to a large extent influenced by the 1894 Gabo Reforms which
introduced Western-style schools and newspapers emerged. Many newspapers
published sijo, gasa, or even serial novels and led to the emergence of professional
writers. Sinchesi (hangul: 신 체 시 , literally "new poetry") was established, and
contributed to the formation of modern free verse poetry which is called Jayusi (hangul:
자유시). Sinchesi abandoned the fixed metaphor found in classical Korean poetry,
influenced by the French vers libre.
Many biographical works were published in the late Joseon period where the main
character was often depicted as a hero. These works cultivated patriotism and national
consciousness.

22. Beliefs of
Korea

23. Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount was the largest public address made by Jesus, according to Scripture.
The first 8 statements of the Sermon, called the Beatitudes, are contained in Matthew 5:3–5:12 in
the Gospels section of the New Testament. Christianity was most likely introduced to Korea by
Jesuits who accompanied Japanese troops during the Hideyoshi invasion in 1592. Modern Korea
has seen Christianity suppressed under Communist rule in the North with expansion in South
Korea following the Korean War (1950–53).
5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God.
5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.

24. Four Noble Truths
Buddhism was introduced to Korea by a Chinese monk, Sundo, during the third century CE of
the Koguryo Kingdom (37 BCE–668 CE). Buddhism originated with the enlightenment of an
Indian prince, Siddhartha Gautama (d.461 BCE). Siddhartha had broken away from his family
and society to become an ascetic. One day, after having given up asceticism, he became
enlightened through meditation under a bodhi tree. And so, he became known as “Buddha” or
“enlightened one.” The Four Noble Truths were his first teaching, given to a handful of close
disciples.
1.Life is suffering (dukkha)
2.The origin of suffering is craving.
3.There is a way to the cessation of suffering.
4.This way is the Eightfold Path and the Middle Way.

25. The Eightfold Path
Right Views (the Four Noble Truths)
Right Intention
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood/Occupation
Right Endeavor
Right Mindfulness (total concentration in activity)
Right Concentration (meditation)
The Middle Way endorses “balanced” living, without extremes of action,
emotion, or thought, with emphasis on the cultivation of the mind through
meditation, and cautions against bodily pleasures.

26. Analects
King Sinmun of the Silla Kingdom first institutionalized Confucian learning in Korea by
establishing the Royal Confucian Academy in 682 CE. The Analects were part of the Academy’s
curriculum of classical Chinese learning. In the Analects, Confucius (551-479 BCE)—or Kongzi
(also, “the Master” or Master Kong)—urged propriety and virtue in the governing of self and
society.
The following sayings of Kongzi are recorded in the Analects of Confucius:
13:27 The firm of spirit, the resolute in character, the simple in manner, and the slow of speech
are not far from virtue.
8:16 With the impulsive yet evasive, the simple yet dishonest, the stupid yet untruthful, I hold
no acquaintance.
4:17 When you see a man of worth, think how to rise to his level. When you see an unworthy
man, then look within and examine yourself.
8:17 Learn as if you were not reaching your goal, and as though you were afraid of missing it.
14:3 The scholar whose regard is his comfort is unworthy to be deemed a scholar.

27. Analects
3:3 Zi Gong asked: “What is your opinion of me?” “You are a vessel,” said the Master. “What
sort of a vessel?” he asked. “A jeweled temple vessel,” was the reply.
4:8 He who heard the truth in the morning might die content in the evening.
6:18 He who knows the truth is not equal to him who loves it, and he who loves it is not equal to
him who delights in it.
7:24 Is virtue indeed afar off? I crave for virtue and lo! virtue is at hand.
17:14 To proclaim on the road what you hear on the way is virtue thrown away.
13:30 To lead an untrained people to war may be called throwing them away.
2:24 To sacrifice to a spirit of an ancestor not one’s own is sycophancy; To see the right and not
do it is cowardice.
4:21 The age of one’s parents should ever be kept in mind, as an occasion at once for joy and for
fear.
15:15 If a man does not ask himself, “What am I to make of this?” “What am I to make of
that?”—there is nothing whatever I can make of him.

28. Works

29. Korean Fiction
The first known classical work of Korean fiction
is Geumo Sinhwa (金鰲新話 금오신화 New stories
from Mount Geumo) by Kim Si-seup (김시습). It
was written in Chinese. From the 17th century
onwards, fiction became increasingly popular and
more readily available through book rental
schemes.

30. Korean Fiction
In the mid-Joseon period, parable-like stories were published. By the end of the
Joseon period, many writers had started to deviate from the orthodox conventions
of classical Chinese literature, and literature about common people such as
merchants, thieves, or gisaeng was commonplace.
• Kim Manjung (1637–1692) wrote The Cloud Dream of the Nine (구운몽).
• Tale of Hong Gildong (홍길동전)
• Chunhyangjeon is a kodae sosol (고대 소설) novel based on the
pansori Chunhyangga.
• Several lives of the poet Choe Chiwon have come down: In hanmun the
Choegounjeon (최고운전) Choemunhonjeon (최문헌전), in hangul the
Choechungjeon (최충전, 崔忠傳), The Story of Faithful Choe.

31. Korean Fiction
Kim Manjung
Choi Chiwon
Chunhyangjeon

32. Park Wan Suh
Born in 1931, Park Wan-Suh experienced
firsthand the horrors of the Korean War,
which turned her world upside down as her
university education was interrupted and
her family separated. Her first
work Namok (The Naked Tree) was published
in 1970. Many of Park’s works including The
Naked Tree and Who Ate Up All the
Shinga deal with the trauma of war,
especially its tragic effect on family
relations.

33. Shin Kyung-Sook
Shin Kyung-sook became the first Korean
writer to win the Man Asian Literary Prize
in 2012 for her novel Please Look After
Mother. In Korea, Shin is amongst the most
highly regarded contemporary writers, and
she has won major literary prizes including
the Manhae Literature Prize, the Dong-In
Literary Award, and the Yi Sang Literary
Prize. Her prose is especially prized for its
focus on exploring the psychological depths
of the human mind.

34. Ch’oe Yun
Ch’oe Yun, born in 1953, is one of
Korea’s most recognized writers
whose works consider historical and
political events that have shaped the
course of contemporary
Korea. Works by Yun include There
a Petal Silently Falls, Gray Snowman,
and The Last of Hanako which explore
gender roles and biases in South
Korea’s patriarchal society.

35. Kim In-Suk
Considered a part of Korea’s new
generation of writers born in the 1960s,
Kim In-suk’s works is her focus on the
experience of Koreans living
abroad. To date, her work The Long
Road explores the diasporic experiences
of Korean expatriates living in
Australia. In 2003, Kim In-suk won the
Yi Sang Literature Prize for Ocean and
Butterfly, one of the most prestigious in
the country.

36. Famous
Landmarks

37. GYEONGBOKGUNG PALACE
Once destroyed by a fire during the
Imjin War of 1592 to 1598,
Gyeongbokgung Palace has been
heralded by many as being the most
beautiful of the five palaces.
The palace, the largest of the five in
South Korea, was built in 1395 and is
often referred to as the Northern Palace
due to its location.

38. SEOUL TOWER
Another famous landmark in South
Korea to see is the N-Seoul Tower,
which is a cultural space in Seoul that
sits atop the highest point in the city.
The tower was opened to the public in
1980 and is fitted out with LED
technology to allow the tower to light
up and produce spectacular lighting
shows when it gets dark.

39. CHEONMACHONG
Cheonmachong is an ancient tomb
from the Silla kingdom, dating back to
5th to 6th centuries.
The tomb is a royal tomb and is often
referred to as the ‘Heavenly Horse
Tomb’ due to artwork of an ethereal
horse painted inside.
The tomb was excavated in 1973, where
archaeologists uncovered more than
140 treasures including gold crowns,
blue glass tableware, and mounds of
gold.

40. MOUNT SEORAKSAN
Mount Seoraksan, reaches an altitude
of 1708 m and is one of the most
beautiful mountains in South Korea.
This is due to the vivid and colorful
flowers that cover the mountain in
spring, the crystal-clear streams in
summer, the crisp autumnal leaves in
fall, and the snow-capped peak in
winter.

41. HWAAM CAVE
One of South Korea’s more unusual
natural landmarks is Hwaam Cave,
which was formerly a gold mine and is
the largest limestone cave in Asia.
Within the cave, the old mining tunnels
are open to the public with tours of the
tunnels and a mining museum
available.