The Story of Hong Gildong - Minsoo Kang

The mystically precocious Hong Gildong should have been an heir, but when fate takes a Shakespearean twist, this perfect heir is born to a concubine. Thus, he begins his life as a bastard, barred by tradition from serving his noble father, becoming a soldier, or working as a civil servant. The source of jealousy among his father’s mistresses and wife, he survives an assassination attempt and is forced to leave his home town. A virtuous prodigy, Gildong becomes a bandit that robs from the rich and provides for the poor. In this way, among several others, this folktale shares enough with western literary tradition to give English readers an extra layer of intrigue while discovering the destiny of this famous Korean hero.