The Story of Hong Gildong
by Heo Gyun · 2026-08-25
Around this time, Gil-dong's methods were unpredictable, like a ghost coming and going.
He roamed the eight provinces at will, but no one could trace his whereabouts.
He would expose the corrupt ledgers of the magistrates and appear like a royal inspector, beheading first and reporting later.
He seized all the bribes that each town was about to offer to the court.
The officials in Seoul were consequently in extreme poverty.
Sometimes, he would ride a choheon (a type of palanquin) and cause a commotion on the main streets of Seoul.
People, both high and low, suspected each other, and strange incidents kept occurring, causing the entire nation to stir.
While the king was greatly worried, the Chief State Councilor reported.
"I have heard that the bandit Hong Gil-dong is the illegitimate son of the former Chief State Councilor Hong Mo."
"Now, imprison Hong Mo and send his elder brother, Minister of Personnel Hong Gil-hyeon, down as the Gyeongsang Provincial Governor."
"If you set a date and order him to capture and present his younger illegitimate brother Gil-dong,"
"Even if he is a disloyal and wicked fellow, he might surrender himself out of respect for his father and brother."
Upon hearing this, the king immediately ordered Chief State Councilor Hong to be imprisoned in the Uigeumbu.
And he summoned Gil-hyeon to the palace.
Meanwhile, after Gil-dong left, Chief State Councilor Hong had lost contact and didn't know where he was.
He had always been worried about what might happen next.
However, something unimaginable happened.
Gil-dong had become a national bandit and caused such a commotion.
He didn't know what to do with his startled mind.
It was difficult to report this matter to the court beforehand, and it was also difficult to sit idly by pretending not to know.
That single thought became an illness, and he lay in bed, unable to rise.
His eldest son, Gil-hyeon, was the Minister of Personnel.
When his father's illness became critical, he requested leave and returned home.
He had been guarding the sickbed without even untying his belt and had not attended court for over two months.
Therefore, he could not have known the affairs of the court.
Then, one day, a judge suddenly burst in and delivered the king's command.
It was to imprison the Prime Minister and summon the Minister to the palace.
The entire household was turned upside down and in disarray.
As the Minister went down to the palace and awaited his punishment, the King spoke.
“Your younger brother, Gil-dong, has become a thief of the nation, exceeding his bounds in this manner.”
“If his crime were to be judged, he should rightfully be punished by association, but I will overlook it for now.”
“Now, go down to Gyeongsang-do soon, capture Gil-dong, and spare the Hong family from disaster.”
Gil-hyeon prostrated himself on the ground and reported.
“My lowly younger brother killed a person long ago and fled, and his whereabouts were unknown.”
“But since he has committed such a grave crime, my own sin also deserves to be punished.”
“However, my father, at the age of eighty, has fallen ill from the shame of his lowly son becoming a national thief, and is now hovering between life and death.”
“I humbly beg Your Majesty to bestow your boundless grace and send my father home to recover from his illness.”
“If you do so, I will go down and capture my younger brother Gil-dong and present him to Your Majesty.”
The King was moved by his filial piety.
He sent Prime Minister Hong home to recover from his illness,
and appointed Gil-hyeon as the Gyeongsang Governor, setting a date for him.
The Minister bowed a hundred times to express his gratitude for the King's grace and went down to Gyeongsang-do.
He then circulated official documents to each district and posted notices everywhere to find Gil-dong.
The notice read as follows:
‘Indeed, when a person is born between heaven and earth, there are five human relationships, among which the king and father are paramount.’
‘It is said that one who is born human but abandons the five relationships is not human.’
‘You, who possess wisdom and insight superior to others, do not know this; how could I not be distressed?’
‘Our family has, for generations, received the nation's grace, and our descendants have continuously received official salaries.’
‘We intended to repay the nation with utmost loyalty for its boundless benevolence, but in our generation, because of you, the name of traitor has spread to an unknown extent.’
‘How could this not be utterly deplorable?’
‘Though there have always been disloyal ministers and wicked children in every era, I truly did not expect them to emerge from our family.’
‘His Majesty, angered by your crimes, should have justly imposed the death penalty;’
‘However, with boundless and repeated grace, he did not add to your罪, but commanded me to apprehend you.’
‘My boundless sorrow is, on the contrary, simply overwhelming.’
‘While your eighty-year-old parent, in their old age with white hair, worried day and night because of you, you caused this calamity and incurred a crime against the nation.’
‘The shock became an illness, and now they are confined to bed, unable to rise again.’
‘If your father should leave this world because of you, you will live bearing the name of a traitor,’
‘And even after death, in the afterlife, you will leave behind the sin of disloyalty and unfilial conduct for a thousand generations.’
‘Furthermore, how could the rest of our family not feel wronged?’
‘With your ample understanding, why can you not comprehend this?’
‘Can you bear this charge of treason and remain in this world?’
‘Even if people cover it up, how could the clear and bright heavens' punishment be lenient?’
‘Now, you must simply follow the will of heaven and await the court's disposition; what else can be done?’
‘I hope you return as soon as possible.’