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
Jang Hee-bin: Korea’s Only Commoner-Rank Queen, and the Curse That Ended Her
In the autumn of 1701, guards searching a shrine tucked behind a queen’s private chambers found three things that would end her life. A pit of dead animals, buried in secret. A doll, dressed in women’s clothing, with needles driven into it. And a portrait of the king’s legal wife, torn through with arrows. The…
Can a South Korean Understand a North Korean? A Korean Answers
It’s one of the most common questions people ask about Korea. After more than seventy years of total separation — different governments, different schools, a sealed border almost no one crosses — do the two Koreas still speak the same language? If a South Korean and a North Korean sat down across a table, could…
What Is the Korean Version of Yokai? Meet Korea’s Three Creatures
If you’ve spent any time around Japanese pop culture — anime, games, horror films — you already know the word yokai. The shape-shifting tricksters, the water-dwelling kappa, the long-necked woman who unspools her neck across the dinner table. Yokai are everywhere. They’ve become one of Japan’s most successful cultural exports. So here’s a question worth…
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.
