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
Empress Myeongseong: The Assassination That Shook Korea
Most Americans have heard of Empress Sisi of Austria — the beautiful, unhappy empress who was assassinated, the one Netflix keeps making shows about. But did you know Korea had an empress with an eerily similar fate? Her name was Empress Myeongseong. And in October 1895, Imperial Japan gave the plan to kill her an…
Gongmin Shrine: A Hidden Spot Minutes from Hongdae
Most people who come to this part of Seoul are headed to Hongdae — the clubs, the cafes, the street performers. Almost none of them know that a short walk away, tucked behind an apartment building on an ordinary residential street, sits the Gongmin shrine — a 600-year-old royal shrine most guidebooks never mention. And…
Admiral Yi Sun-sin: The Hero Betrayed by His Own Country
Western naval historians have called him the equal of Nelson — some have said he was greater. What almost none of them mention is this: the war that nearly broke Admiral Yi Sun-sin wasn’t fought only against Japan. It was fought against his own government. Every Korean kid learns the same version of this story…
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.
