History of Korea

Choson saw many great works of literature. Sô Kô-jông compiled the Anthology of Korean Literature, selections of past Korean authors from poetry to prose. He also wrote An Author's Trivia. O Suk- kwôn penned his A Korean Storyteller's Miscellany (P'aegwan chapki). Works of this kind are considered to be an important source of Korea's rich oral traditions. It was also during the Choson dynasty in which p'ansori, the recitation of folk tales through song, became popular as a way to make tradition formerly restricted to educated elite more accessible to and enjoyable for the commoner class. Other authors include Kim Si- sûp, a disenfranchised yangban who begins to write satire critiquing the yangban class, and through the written word, points his finger at a number of social problems. The stories I have chosen, "The Tale of Ch'un-hyang," and "The Tale of Sim- ch'ông," are both classics in the genre of Korean folk tales. By the Choson dynasty when p'ansori had become popular, these tales were often performed by a p'ansori singer and a drum accompaniment for the delight of the entire village. Unfortunately, I cannot provide the musical accompaniment, but enjoy anyway!