Korean myths are a living and evolving part of society, in both the North and South.
With the export of Korean films, K-pop, fashion, K-dramas, literature and comics across the globe there is a growing desire to understand the folklore and mythical underpinnings of contemporary Korean culture.
From the Changsega (‘Song of Creation’) sung by shamans, to the gods, goddesses and monsters who inhabit the cosmos, including the god Mireuk, creator of the world, and the giant Grandma Mago, who was able to create mountains from the mud on her skirt, these myths have been disseminated for centuries and continue to resonate in popular culture today.
In new book ‘The Korean Myths’, the eighth in Thames & Hudson’s bestselling and celebrated series, expert authors Insu and Bella Fenkl bring together a wealth of knowledge of both the new and the old, the traditional and the modern, to guide the reader through this fascinating history and help understand the people, their traditions and culture.