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The Most Authentically Korean Worldview: Classic Korean Novels
2025-03-14
English(English)
Korean(한국어)
There’s a saying that simplicity is the most beautiful. In today’s world, where our lives become increasingly complicated with each passing day, we find ourselves craving for stories more dramatic than real life. When reality stopped offering fresh material, we turned to science fiction. When that lost its spark, we explored dystopias. And when even those became familiar, we began reinterpreting old stories with modern twists or simply bringing classics back into the spotlight. “The classics are the best”—perhaps our return to these timeless tales isn’t just because we've run out of ideas, but because it’s exactly what we need.
Classics are worldviews that perfectly capture the social conditions of their time. They're far more than simple moral tales teaching us right from wrong—they're masterfully crafted with perfectly-paced narrative structure, clever foreshadowing, and satisfying twists.
Whether gaining life insights through experiences in the fictional underwater palace of the Dragon King (The Nine Cloud Dream) or depicting a protagonist from humble origins who takes on a discriminatory system and privileged class and eventually builds a new nation(The Story of Hong Gildong), the way these stories build on thoroughly developed worlds is no different from modern literature.
Plus, you get to experience the beauty of the Korean language through its elegant expressions and rich historical vocabulary! Discover Korean classics—they offer the most authentic glimpse into the Korean worldview you'll ever find.
The Tale of Chun Hyang [English]
Author Anonymous Translator Cho Ryong Chul Korean Publisher - Overseas Publisher Blackmask.Com (2012)
The Tale of Chun Hyang stands as one of Korea's most iconic literary works. With more than 120 different versions throughout history, the story evolved with the times. Earlier versions highlighted Chun Hyang’s defiance against the villain Pyon Hak Do, while later versions shifted toward celebrating Chun Hyang's virtue and fidelity. Today’s readers, however, connect more with the timeless love story, looking beyond its commentary on the class system or female virtue. Even after centuries, it remains as Korea’s most beloved classic.
The Nine Cloud Dream [English]
Author Kim Man Jung Translator Heinz Insu Fenkl Korean Publisher - Overseas publisher Penguin Classics (2019)
The Nine Cloud Dream was written by Kim Man Jung during King Sukjong’s reign in the Joseon Dynasty. It tells the story of Hsing-chen, a Buddhist monk who meets eight heavenly maidens and develops worldly desires. He then dreams of being reborn as Yang Shao-yu, a man who marries eight women, climbs to high government positions, and attains wealth and fame. This work represents the pinnacle of Korean classical novels with its dream-within-reality structure that blurs the line between reality and fantasy.
The Story of Hong Gildong [English]
Author Heo Kyun Translator Minsoo Kang Korean Publisher - Overseas Publisher Golkonda (2023)
The Story of Hong Gildong written by Heo Kyun in mid-Joseon Dynasty, is considered the first Korean novel written in Hangul. The story boldly criticizes social injustice, exposing the structural contradictions of class inequality and discrimination. Feature a revolutionary hero and vision of an ideal society, it essentially serves as a Joseon-era utopian novel.
Le Bois sec refleuri, or The story of Sim Cheong [French]
Author Anonymous Translator Hong Tjyong-Ou Korean Publisher - Overseas publisher Literature Translation Institute of Korea (2016)
Le Bois sec refleuri, or The Story of Sim Cheong is a classic novel of unknown origins. Originally performed as pansori (traditional Korean musical storytelling), it follows the story of devoted daughter Sim Cheong, who sacrifices herself by jumping into the waters of Indang Sea to restore her blind father’s sight. While the story primarily emphasizes filial piety, some interpret it through a Buddhist lens as symbolizing rebirth in paradise.
Samguk Yusa: Legends and History of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea [English]
Author Ilyon Translator Ha Tae-Hung, Grafton Mintz Korean Publisher - Overseas Publisher Olympia Press (2016)
Samguk Yusa is a historical record compiled by the monk Ilyon in late Goryeo Dynasty, collecting legends and histories from ancient Gojoseon through the Later Three Kingdoms period. Beyond documenting the rise and fall of various ancient states and their histories and legends, it contains many fascinating stories about Buddhism and the lives of monks. In 2003, early Joseon and mid-Joseon (from 1512 during the reign of King Jungjong) editions were respectively designated as National Treasures No. 306 and No. 306-2 of South Korea.
기본이 가장 아름답다는 말이 있습니다. 시간이 흐를수록 복잡한 일상이 겹겹이 쌓여가는 현대사회에서 우리는 삶보다 더욱 극적인 소재를 갈구합니다. 현실에서는 더 이상 특별한 소재를 발굴하기 힘들어지자 공상과학을 이야기했고, 그것이 지루해지자 디스토피아를 이야기했고, 그조차 익숙해지자 과거에 다루었던 이야기를 현대식으로 해석하거나 혹은 과거의 이야기를 다시 세상에 꺼내어 놓고 있습니다. The classics are the Best. 지금 우리가 다시 고전을 이야기하는 것은 고갈이 아닌 필연일지 모릅니다.
고전은 그 이야기가 만들어진 무렵의 사회상이 고스란히 담겨있는, 하나의 세계관입니다. 단순히 권선징악을 이야기하는 계몽 문학이라 하기에는 기승전결과 복선, 반전의 맛이 잘 담겨 있습니다. 용궁이라는 가상 세계에서의 체험을 통해 삶의 깨달음을 얻거나(구운몽) 힘 없는 민초 출신 주인공이 차별제도와 기득권층을 벌한 뒤 새로운 국가를 이룩하는(홍길동전) 등 세계관을 충실히 쌓아둔 뒤 이야기를 전개하는 방식은 현대의 어떤 문학과도 다르지 않습니다.
게다가 아름다운 수식어와 역사가 담긴 고어 등 국어의 매력까지 담뿍 느낄 수 있으니 얼마나 유익한가요? 가장 한국적인 세계관, 한국의 고전소설을 만나보세요.
≪춘향전≫은 우리나라의 대표적인 문학작품 중 하나이다. 이본이 120여종이나 되며 시대에 따라 그 내용이 다르다. 이른 시기에는 변학도에 대한 항거가 그려졌다면 후대 작품에는 열녀지향으로 바뀌게 된다. 그러나 오늘날에는 신분 제도나 열녀 지향이 아닌 사랑의 성취로 읽히고 있다. 수백 년이 넘은 작품이지만 여전히 우리 민족의 가장 대표적인 고전이다.
≪구운몽≫은 조선 숙종 때 김만중(金萬重)이 지었다. 불도를 수행하는 성진이 우연히 팔선녀를 만나면서 속세에 대한 욕망을 품게 된 뒤, 양소유라는 남자로 태어나 8명의 여자와 혼인하고 높은 관직에 올라 부귀공명을 이루는 꿈을 꾼다는 내용이다. 현실과 꿈을 넘나드는 환몽 구조로 이루어져 있으며 한국 고전 소설을 대표하는 작품 중 하나이다.
조선 중기 허균이 지은 ≪홍길동전≫은 우리나라 최초의 한글 소설이다. 사회 비판적인 성격을 띄며, 차별 등 신분적 불평등에 대한 구조적인 모순을 파헤친다. 새로운 영웅과 이상향이 담긴 조선 시대 유토피아 소설이라고 할 수 있다.
심청전 [프랑스어]
저자 작자 미상 역자 Hong Tjyong-Ou 국내출판 - 해외출판 Literature Translation Institute of Korea (2016)
≪심청전≫은 작자, 연대 미상의 고전소설이다. 판소리로 불렸던 작품이며 맹인인 아버지 심 봉사가 눈을 뜰 수 있도록 인당수에 몸을 던지는 효녀 심청의 이야기가 담겼다. ≪심청전≫은 ‘효’에 초점이 맞춰져 있으나 불교적인 측면에서 왕생극락의 뜻으로 해석되기도 한다.
삼국유사 [영어]
저자 일연 역자 Ha Tae-Hung, Grafton Mintz 국내출판 - 해외출판 Olympia Press (2016)
≪삼국유사≫는 고려후기 승려 일연이 고조선에서부터 후삼국까지의 유사를 모아 편찬한 역사서이다. 고조선 이하 여러 고대 국가의 흥망, 전설, 역사 외에도 불교에 관한 기록, 승려에 대한 행적 등 신기한 이야기가 많이 담겨 있다. 2003년에 조선 초기의 간행본과 중종 임신본이 각각 대한민국의 국보 제306호와 제306-2호로 지정되었다.
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