Korean folk tales: Imps, ghosts and fairies

About this book

This volume presents a single, richly detailed Korean folk narrative that intertwines love, duty, and social hierarchy. The story opens with biographical sketches of two historical scholars, Im Bang and Yi Ryuk, establishing a scholarly backdrop before moving into the romance of Charan, a celebrated dancing girl, and Keydong, the governor’s gifted son. Their courtship unfolds amid a banquet in Pyong‑an, where the pair are praised for their graceful dance, and the governor declares Charan his son’s special companion. The narrative then follows Keydong’s desperate trek across snow‑bound terrain to reunite with Charan, his encounters with a scribe, and a clandestine meeting that reveals the depth of Charan’s devotion and the obstacles imposed by class and propriety.

The tale is rendered in a formal, didactic style characteristic of 18th‑century Korean historiography, blending lyrical description with moral commentary. Its language reflects the Confucian values of the Joseon period while preserving the vivid folklore of imps, ghosts, and fairies that color the narrative. Readers who appreciate historical romance, cultural anthropology, or classic East Asian storytelling will find the work’s intricate portrayal of courtly love and social constraint both engaging and illuminating.

Opening lines

Im Bang was born in 1640, the son of a provincial governor. He was very bright as a boy and from earliest years fond of study, becoming a great scholar. He matriculated first in his class in 1660, and graduated in 1663. He was a disciple of Song Si-yol, one of Korea's first writers. In 1719, when he was in his eightieth year, he became governor of Seoul, and held as well the office of secretary of the Cabinet. In the year 1721 he got into difficulties over the choice of the Heir Apparent, and in 1722, on account of a part he played in a disturbance in the government, he was exiled to North Korea, where he died. …

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