The Story of Hong Gildong

“The minister loved Gildong greatly, but because he was born of a mere servant girl he was punished with a switch to the legs if he dared to call him Father. The minister also frowned at Gildong if he addressed his older brother as Brother, and prohibited him from doing so. This became a source of great sorrow for Gildong, who constantly lamented that he could not properly acknowledge his own father and brother, and had to endure contemptuous treatment in the household, all because he was lowborn.”

This passage sets up Gildong’s main conflict in the novel. His class status makes people treat him like he is inferior, especially in his own family. People in the lower classes in the Joseon era were not officially recognized; Gildong inherits his mother’s low status despite his father being a nobleman. This sets him apart from the rest of his family as he is treated like someone from the lower classes, which prompts him to make his livelihood elsewhere.

“When I gazed briefly upon the noble youth’s face, I saw not only the magnificent features of a grand personage without equal but also the spirit of rivers and mountains deep in his brow. […] Joseon is a small country, so what use is it for him to possess the qualities of a king? If he should grow up to harbor a great ambition that leads him to engage in outright rebellion, that could cause the destruction of your entire family. Your Lordship should take measures to prevent such a thing from happening.”

The physiognomist delivers this fortune for Gildong as part of Chorang’s plan to engineer his death. This view illustrates Joseon class standards—rather than praise Gildong’s magnificent potential, the physiognomist presents it as a warning. Her statements foreshadow Hong Gildong’s journey. The novel’s message is that Gildong’s good qualities are actually an asset to his family and his country, but because the nobility believes that people from the lower classes must stay in their place, they rob themselves of the opportunity to have a talented person like Gildong on their side.

“And so he used his magic to change all the directional orientation inside the cottage. He then summoned a supernatural spirit and ordered it to await his command in the middle of the room. Such were the marvelous powers Gildong possessed.”

The fantasy elements of the story are part of what makes The Story of Hong Gildong an enduring classic. Gildong’s ability to overcome his circumstances to the point that he develops supernatural powers elevates him to the status of a mythical figure.