Hong Gildong jeon, or The Story of Hong Gildong, is a Korean novel of the Joseon period, traditionally attributed to the statesman and writer Heo Gyun, who lived from 1569 to 1618, though modern scholarship disputes both his authorship and the traditional dating, with some researchers placing the surviving text as late as the eighteenth or nineteenth century. Written in Hangul, it tells of Hong Gildong, the illegitimate son of a nobleman who possesses supernatural powers, is barred from advancement because of his birth, and becomes a Robin-Hood-like outlaw who steals from corrupt officials to help the poor. It is considered one of the foundational works of Korean vernacular fiction, and the name Hong Gildong has passed into everyday Korean usage as a placeholder name, much as John Doe functions in English.
Facts
Classification
Original Language Composed, From (Year) FAQs
Is there a version of Hong Gildong jeon written in Chinese characters?
It is a separate work from the Korean-language novel attributed to Heo Gyun.
A Korea Herald report described a Chinese-character work titled The Story of Hong Gil-dong as the first Chinese-character version ever found. The report says it is different from the novel of the same name written in the Korean language, whose authorship is generally attributed to Heo Gyun (1569-1618). So the Chinese-character text is a separate work from the Korean-language novel traditionally credited to Heo Gyun, not a copy of it.
Connections
In Genre
Source Wikipedia: Hong Gildong jeon
In the Other Atlases
Original Language
Also in Language Atlas: the original language of this subject.
Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Hong Gildong jeon
WikipediaLead
is a Korean novel, often translated as The Biography of Hong Gildong, written during the Joseon period.
Original language statement
Hong Gildong jeon (Korean: 홍길동전; Hanja: 洪吉童傳) is a Korean novel, often translated as The Biography of Hong Gildong, written during the Joseon period.
Lead paragraph
Hong Gildong jeon (Korean: 홍길동전; Hanja: 洪吉童傳) is a Korean novel, often translated as The Biography of Hong Gildong, written during the Joseon period. The novel is considered an iconic piece of Korean literature and culture. Its authorship has traditionally been attributed to Joseon statesman, Hŏ Kyun, though recent scholarship has called this into question.
In Genre: The Novel, Lead section
Hong Gildong jeon (Korean: 홍길동전; Hanja: 洪吉童傳) is a Korean novel, often translated as The Biography of Hong Gildong, written during the Joseon period.
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