Trace the telling.
Respect the work.

Story source guide

Each retelling names its chosen reference and version boundary. Some entries now cite a complete oral transcript or a digitized historical text; others remain at scholarly-summary level. Follow each story note to see what was actually checked, including gaps in a teller’s memory or a surviving transcript.

1. Heungbu and NolbuHeungbo Manborok (1833), complete old-Hangul text; compared with the Academy of Korean Studies version taxonomy.Open source ↗
2. Janghwa and HongryeonHangul-version plot summarized by the Academy of Korean Studies Encyclopedia of Korean Culture.Open source ↗
3. Kongjwi and PatjwiOral tale “Kongjwi and Patjwi,” Korean Oral Literature Compendium, POKS.GUBI.GUBI.1_20663.Open source ↗
4. The Dangun Foundation MythIl-yeon, Samguk Yusa, Gi-i 1, “Gojoseon / Wanggeom Joseon”; compared with Jewang Ungi.Open source ↗
5. The Fairy and the WoodcutterComplete oral telling “The Woodcutter and the Heavenly Maiden,” Korean Oral Literature Compendium, POKS.GUBI.GUBI.1_0601_0113.Open source ↗
6. The Goblin’s Magic ClubComplete oral telling “Dokkaebi Club,” Korean Oral Literature Compendium, POKS.GUBI.GUBI.1_4467.Open source ↗
7. The Grateful MagpieOral telling “The Grateful Magpie,” Korean Oral Literature Compendium, POKS.GUBI.GUBI.2_7018; compared with the Busan regional transcript.Open source ↗
8. The Rabbit’s Liver“Bito Island Legend,” Korean Oral Literature Compendium, POKS.GUBI.GUBI.2_21496.Open source ↗
9. The Story of SimcheongGyeongpan 24-jang Simcheongjeon, old-Hangul transcription based on historical-source normalization; checked with the Academy of Korean Studies edition taxonomy.Open source ↗
10. The Sun and Moon SiblingsComplete oral telling “The Siblings Who Became the Sun and Moon,” Korean Oral Literature Compendium, POKS.GUBI.GUBI.1_21487.Open source ↗
11. The Tale of ChunhyangYujinhan, Manhwabon Chunhyangga (1754), summarized by the Academy of Korean Studies Encyclopedia of Korean Culture.Open source ↗
12. The Tiger and the Dried PersimmonA complete short oral telling, Korean Oral Literature Compendium, record 06_06_FOT_20110120_NKS_KSS_0003.Open source ↗

How we check sources

We distinguish a complete recorded performance from an edited literary edition, a modern transcription, and a scholarly plot summary. We select one account for each retelling, check the event sequence and ending against the accessible source, and list material differences rather than combining familiar details from separate versions. A teller may forget or stop before an ending; we preserve that limit instead of filling it with another edition’s plot.

Original retellings

We research several sources, then write our own English prose. We do not copy a modern translation’s distinctive wording or treat a source link as permission to reproduce it.

Research references are not reuse permission

Links to museum and encyclopedia materials identify references used for research. They do not grant permission to republish source text, photographs, or illustrations. Check the rights notice for each item before reuse; text, photographs, and digitized artifacts can carry different terms. The atlas pages are original summaries and retellings.

Current review status

Primary-source review has begun, but none of the twelve stories is marked fully reviewed. Several complete oral records have been compared and retold; the remaining classical works still need edition-specific collation against complete source texts, and every illustration still needs cultural review. The eight folklore-being entries, tiger guide, twelve Korean-context entries, and thematic collections also remain research notes. All twelve story entries remain editorial prototypes until their source, translation, cultural, and illustration gates are complete.

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