[Korea Root] Tracing Historical Footsteps... Gangwon-do 'Inmul Jeonseol (傳說)'

535 Legends of Figures from Yeongdong and Yeongseo Cultural Regions... 87 Historical Figures

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Gangwon Province is vast and encompasses fishing villages, farming villages, mountain villages, plains, rivers, and seas. The Taebaek Mountains serve as a boundary, creating distinct cultural zones between Yeongdong and Yeongseo, each region holding various legends.

Among these legends, those about individuals hold the greatest significance. Legends that recount when, where, and what deeds a particular person performed carry a certain historical authenticity.

These figures range from kings to monks, scholars, and gisaeng (female entertainers), with many protagonists being historical figures. The historical context spans from ancient tribal societies through the Three Kingdoms, Goryeo, and Joseon periods.

According to Gangwon Province historical records, there are a total of 535 legends about individuals, involving 87 historical figures.

Among the collected legends in Gangwon Province are the 'Gang Gam-chan Legend,' 'Park Mun-su Legend,' 'King Sukjong Legend,' 'Yi Seong-gye Legend,' and 'Yi Hang-bok Legend.' This article explores these legends based on real historical figures. [Editor's note]

■ 'The Myth of the Battle of Gwiju' Gang Gam-chan Legend

Statue of General Gang Gam-chan

Gang Gam-chan (姜邯贊, 948?1031), a renowned Goryeo general, is widely known as a military commander who repelled the Khitan, but he was also a civil official who passed the highest-level civil service exam and served as Munhashijung (門下侍中), a high-ranking government post.

Among the legends about individuals in Gangwon Province, the 'Gang Gam-chan Legend' is the most numerous, with 42 recorded versions.

Gang Gam-chan is the most actively featured Goryeo-era figure in Gangwon Province legends. The stories are mainly centered in the Yeongdong region, including Gangneung, Yangyang, and Samcheok, with records also found in Pyeongchang, Jeongseon, Yeongwol, and Hoengseong.

Although there is no direct historical connection between Gang Gam-chan and Gangwon Province, the legends are primarily passed down in Yeongdong and southern areas of Gangwon. They are also linked to geographical features such as 'Gwanpunggak' in Wonju City and 'Gamaebong' in Hoengseong County.

In the legends, Gang Gam-chan is said to have been born to a mother who was the ninety-ninth virgin transformed from a fox. His birth was not normal but through an 'abnormal interspecies marriage' (異物交婚).

Because of this, Gang Gam-chan possesses supernatural powers and has the ability to repel creatures such as frogs, mosquitoes, ants, and tigers using magical charms.

Those who recount the Gang Gam-chan legend portray him as a figure endowed with mystical powers from his extraordinary birth.

■ 'Secret Royal Inspector of the Eight Provinces' Park Mun-su Legend

Portrait of Park Mun-su (Treasure No. 1189-2) [Cultural Heritage Administration]

Park Mun-su (朴文秀, 1691?1756) is a representative figure frequently featured not only in Gangwon Province but also in Korean folk tales nationwide.

Park Mun-su is best known as a secret royal inspector ('amhaeng-eosa') who traveled across the eight provinces of Joseon, resolving the grievances of the people and assisting virtuous officials and good citizens.

However, in his lifetime, he served as a secret royal inspector only twice: in 1727 as Yeongnam Byeolgyeon Eosa (嶺南別遣御使) and in 1731 as Hoseo Eosa (湖西御使) in Chungcheong Province.

Nonetheless, Park Mun-su is strongly associated with the role of amhaeng-eosa. There are 36 recorded Park Mun-su legends in Gangwon Province.

By city and county, Hoengseong County has 10, Samcheok City 9, Yangyang County 6, and Chuncheon City 5, with additional records in Yeongwol, Jeongseon, Goseong, and Gangneung.

Unlike the Gang Gam-chan legends, Park Mun-su legends are not concentrated in a specific area but are found throughout Yeongdong and Yeongseo, as well as in both southern and northern parts of Gangwon.

The Park Mun-su legends depict his journey from passing the civil service exam to resolving the people's problems as a secret royal inspector, a narrative consistent nationwide.

Although his actual service as an amhaeng-eosa was limited to two occasions, storytellers portray Park Mun-su as a lifelong 'Secret Royal Inspector of the Eight Provinces.'

This is analyzed as reflecting the people's expectations and admiration for his activities as an inspector and his achievements in politics.

■ 'Political Change (Hwangu)' King Sukjong Legend

Sukjong's Calligraphy: Seven-Character Poem (肅宗御筆 七言詩) [Cultural Heritage Administration]

King Sukjong of Joseon (肅宗, 1661?1720) expanded the Daedong Law (大同法) to Gyeongsang Province in 1677 and Hwanghae Province in 1717 during his 46 years of reign.

He also conducted land surveys in Gangwon Province (1709) and the southern provinces (1720), which are regarded as significant policies.

The Sukjong legends are distributed nationwide without being limited to specific regions. There are 20 recorded Sukjong legends in Gangwon Province.

Samcheok City has 8, Yeongwol County 5, Hoengseong and Pyeongchang Counties 2 each, and Chuncheon, Sokcho, and Yangyang each have 1, showing a wide distribution across Gangwon.

In Gangwon Province, the Sukjong legends feature him as the protagonist but do not depict him with the majesty or absolute power typical of a king.

This suggests that the Sukjong legends are folk stories unrelated to the historical figure, reflecting the people's hopes and heartfelt grievances toward the king.

The stories often describe Sukjong traveling incognito at night in plain clothes, encountering oppressed people, learning their troubles, and resolving their issues.

■ 'Founding of Joseon' Yi Seong-gye Legend

Jungyeongmyo and Yeonggyeongmyo in Samcheok (The tomb of Yangmu General, the 5th ancestor of Yi Seong-gye (left), and the tomb of his wife) [Samcheok City]

Gangwon Province is home to the tombs of Yi Seong-gye's (李成桂, 1335?1408) fifth-generation ancestor Mokjo (穆祖) and his wife, known as 'Jungyeongmyo' (濬慶墓) and 'Yeonggyeongmyo' (永慶墓), which serve as a foundation for related legends.

There are 16 recorded Yi Seong-gye legends in Gangwon Province. Samcheok City, where 'Jungyeongmyo' and 'Yeonggyeongmyo' are located, has the most with 5.

Hoengseong County has 3, Yeongwol, Inje, and Pyeongchang Counties have 2 each, and Chuncheon and Yanggu Counties have 1 each.

Although the number of versions is not large, the Yi Seong-gye legends are spread evenly across Yeongdong and Yeongseo, as well as northern and southern Gangwon, centered around Samcheok City.

This indicates that while the legends have a regional basis in 'Jungyeongmyo' and 'Yeonggyeongmyo,' they lack direct connections and exhibit characteristics of widely known folklore.

The legends tell that after Mokjo, following a prophecy by a Taoist monk, enshrined his parents in a golden coffin adorned with a hundred oxen (Baegugumgwan, 百牛金棺), five generations later, Yi Seong-gye founded Joseon.

The inevitability of Yi Seong-gye becoming king is presented in connection with geomancy (pungsu).

■ 'Oseong and Haneum' Yi Hang-bok Legend

Portrait of Yi Hang-bok [National Museum of Korea]

Baeksa (White Sand) Yi Hang-bok (李恒福, 1556?1618) was a mid-Joseon scholar-official, well known through the story of 'Oseong and Haneum.'

The Yi Hang-bok legends are also distributed nationwide. In Gangwon Province, there are 24 recorded versions.

Samcheok City has 7, Yeongwol County 5, Hoengseong County 5, Yangyang County 3, and Gangneung and Chuncheon Cities have 2 each.

The distribution of Yi Hang-bok legends is balanced across Yeongdong and Yeongseo, as well as southern and northern Gangwon.

In these legends, Yi Hang-bok appears as a hero. He solves problems with great ability and skill.

He also breaks fixed patterns with ingenious ideas, showing a lively aspect of life through free and open thinking.

Many versions relate to the chastity of Yi Hang-bok's wife, reflecting notions of women's steadfast virtue.

Those who tell the Yi Hang-bok legends emphasize his ability and skill in resolving problems and expressing hopes.