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
You Die. Then What? Inside Korea’s Afterlife Court
In Korea, death is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of a trial. What awaits is the Korean afterlife — not a place, but a process. The Moment After The cremation is over. What happens next depends on the family. Some place the ashes in a columbarium. Some scatter them over…
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…
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…
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.
