The Story of Hong Gildong

by Heo Gyun

The 15th year of King Sejong the Great's reign in Joseon.

Outside Honghuimun Gate lived a prime minister whose surname was Hong and given name was Mun.

He was a man of integrity and uprightness, highly respected, and worthy of being called a hero of his time.

He had risen early through the ranks, entering officialdom and becoming a Hanlim scholar.

As his reputation became paramount in the court, the King highly valued his virtue and entrusted him with the positions of Minister of Personnel and then Left State Councilor.

Prime Minister Hong, moved by the nation's grace, devoted himself to governing the country with loyalty.

Thanks to his virtue, peace prevailed everywhere, and bandits disappeared.

A harmonious breeze blew across the nation, ushering in an era of peace and prosperity.

One day—

The prime minister was leaning against the railing, dozing off for a moment.

A cold wind seemed to guide him, leading him to an unfamiliar place.

The green mountains were deep and dark,

And the clear water flowed wide and long.

Countless willow branches hung down, casting a deep green shade.

Golden orioles flew about, frolicking in the spring air.

Amidst a profusion of strange flowers and plants,

Blue cranes, white cranes, peacocks, and kingfishers flaunted their spring beauty.

The prime minister, marveling at the scenery, ventured deeper and deeper.

High cliffs touched the sky,

And winding waters cascaded into waterfalls in every valley.

The path, where five-colored clouds intertwined and flowed,

Led to an unknown destination, its end out of sight.

Then—

Suddenly, a blue dragon surged forth, parting the waves.

When it raised its head and roared, the mountains seemed to crumble.

It opened its mouth and exhaled a breath, which then entered the prime minister's mouth.

At that moment—

He awoke from his dream.

The prime minister thought to himself,

"Surely, a great figure will be born."

He immediately went into the inner chambers, dismissed the maids,

And intended to go to bed with his wife.

However, his wife's expression changed, and she said,

“Your Excellency is a high official of the nation. Your dignity is so great, yet you enter the main chamber in broad daylight and behave like this. Where is your honor?”

The Prime Minister thought for a moment.

His wife was right.

However, fearing that the dream would be in vain, he could not express his intentions and continued to plead.

Then, his wife brushed off her clothes and walked out.

The Prime Minister sighed deeply.

He resented his wife's stubborn nature and lamented for a long time,

eventually coming out to the outer hall.

Just then, the maid Chun-seom entered, carrying a tray.

Taking advantage of the quiet surroundings,

the Prime Minister called Chun-seom in and shared intimacy with her.

His anger subsided a little,

but the sorrow in his heart did not easily disappear.

Although Chun-seom was of humble birth, she was gentle and honest by nature.

Unexpectedly, overwhelmed by the Prime Minister's authority, she could not refuse and became intimate with him,

and from that day on, she did not go outside and was even more careful in her conduct.

From that month, she showed signs of pregnancy.

One day—

Five-colored clouds swirled in her room, and it was filled with fragrance.

And finally, she gave birth to a child—

it was a boy.

Three days later, the Prime Minister came to see the child.

Although he was happy,

he regretted that the child was born of humble status.

The child was named 'Gil-dong'.

As Gil-dong grew, he increasingly showed extraordinary qualities.

He understood ten things after hearing one,

and there was nothing he didn't know after seeing it once.

One day—

The Prime Minister took Gil-dong into the inner quarters, looked at his wife, and sighed.

“Although this child is born with the qualities of a hero, what use is he, being born of humble status? How regrettable is your stubbornness, wife. I regret it now.”

When his wife asked for the reason,

The Prime Minister frowned and said,

"If you had listened to my words that day, this child would have been born from your body, my lady. How could he have become of humble status?"

And then he recounted the dream he had that day.

The lady sighed and said,

"Everything is the will of heaven; how can it be accomplished by human power?"

Years passed—

Gil-dong turned eight years old.

Everyone praised him,

and the Prime Minister also loved him.

However—

a deep resentment dwelled in Gil-dong's heart.

His inability to call his father "father,"

and his brother "brother."

He resented his own birth.

One autumn night—

the full moon shone brightly.

Gil-dong walked below the courtyard, lost in deep thought.

The wind blew mournfully,

and the cries of wild geese added to his loneliness.

Gil-dong sighed to himself.

"It is proper for a great man, born into this world, to learn the ways of Confucius and Mencius, to rise to officialdom, and to achieve merit for the nation.

To command the world and leave one's name in history is the path of a man.

Do kings, queens, generals, and prime ministers have a separate lineage?

But I...

cannot call my father 'father,' nor my brother 'brother'—

What kind of fate is this?"

Unable to suppress his indignation, he drew his sword.

He brandished it as if dancing under the moonlight,

unable to contain the surging energy.

At that moment—

the Prime Minister opened his window and, looking outside, saw him.

Startled, he exclaimed,

"The night is deep; what is the matter?"

Gil-dong threw down his sword and prostrated himself.

"I am a man born of your spirit, Your Excellency.

Yet, I cannot call my father 'father,' nor my brother 'brother.'

People call me a lowly person and point fingers at me.

What could be more unjust than this?"

He burst into tears.

Though the Prime Minister's heart ached,

Fearing that the words might spread further, he sternly rebuked him.

“Are you the only one born as the child of a prime minister?

Discard such useless thoughts.

If you ever utter such words again, I will not forgive you.”

Gil-dong merely shed tears.

After a moment, Gil-dong withdrew,

and clung to his mother, weeping bitterly.

“Mother, I earnestly wish to succeed and make a name for myself.

However, born of humble birth, I can do nothing.

I would rather go into the mountains and live forgetting the world.

Please, do not stop me.”

His mother shed tears and said,

“You are not the only one like this.

How can you pain your mother’s heart so?

If you wait just a little longer, a path will open.”

However, Gil-dong was resolute.

“The words of the people have deeply pierced my heart.

Moreover, seeing Lady Goksan’s attitude lately, she intends to harm us.

If I do not leave now, I cannot avoid misfortune.

After I leave, I will ensure no harm comes to you, Mother.”

His mother shook her head.

“Lady Goksan is a kind and benevolent person. Such a thing will not happen.”

However, Gil-dong said,

“Worldly affairs cannot be trusted.

Do not dismiss my words lightly, and observe what happens in the future.”