Korea, as told by a Korean
I grew up with these stories — the history, the myths, the places most people never find. This is my way of sharing them
What I Write About
History, myths, language, and the places in between. Told by someone who actually grew up in Korea
There’s a side of Korea that doesn’t make it into guidebooks. That’s what this is about
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Gangnim Doryeong: The Human Who Became Korea’s Most Famous Death Messenger(saja)
In most myths, humans are summoned by the king of the dead. Gangnim Doryeong‘s story begins the other way around. Before he became Korea’s most famous Jeoseung Saja — the death messengers we explored in Part 1 — Gangnim was a human official. Not a god. Not a spirit. A man who worked in a…
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Death Comes with Your Name: The Korean Jeoseung Saja Beyond the Saja Boys
If the Saja Boys from KPop Demon Hunters were your first encounter with the word “saja,” you are not alone. They are stylish, dangerous, and unforgettable — exactly what K-pop fantasy does best. But behind that name, there is a much more interesting story: the Jeoseung Saja (저승사자), the messengers of the underworld who come…
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The Scholar Who Taught Kings: Yi Hwang on Korea’s 1,000-Won Bill
There is no king on Korea’s 1,000-won bill. No general. No battlefield hero. Instead, there is a scholar. A man who spent his life trying to understand how a person should think, how a ruler should govern, and how power — if left undisciplined — tends to destroy itself. His name is Yi Hwang(이황). Most…
See what catches your eye
Begin with what draws you in: a forgotten story, a local saying, a hidden place, or a piece of Korean history.
