- Overview
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This book consists of Korean folktales, traditional tales, and myths retold from the perspectives of feminism and accompanied by essays.
- Book Intro
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Four Korean Old Stories Retold in Women’s Voices
Korean folk tales such as "Kongjwi and Patjwi," "Nine-tailed Fox," "The Tale of Hong Gildong," and "The Fairy and the Woodcutter" are accompanied by the author’s essays.
"New Kongjwi and Patjwi" persuasively depicts the situations of the existing characters: Kongjwi, Kongjwi's father, Patjwi, and Patjwi's mother. In this new version, they love and save one another.
The trial of strength between a brother and a sister takes as its motif "The Tale of a Strong Baby," the source story of "The Tale of Hong Gildong." "The Tale of Hong Gilyoung" introduces us to Hong Gildong’s sister, Gilyoung, who is just as strong and even more creative.
In "The Story of Nine Tails," a nine-tailed fox, metaphorically depicted as a typical "femme fatale" in Korea, is seen as a woman who is treated as a dumb beast.
In "Sky Trial, Take off the Pain and Wear the Celestial Robe of Healing," Maya, the first-born daughter of the fairy and the woodcutter, summons her father, grandmother (the woodcutter's mother), and the deer to heaven to attend a trial. Based on her experience and perspective as a feminist psychotherapist, she provides facts and the signs of damage caused by domestic violence that may have been overlooked in "The Fairy and the Woodcutter."
- About the Author
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Ziihiion et al.
Since her debut as a feminist singer in 1997, Ziihiion has released two albums; “Who: Encounter” (2002) and “Into My Garden” (2017). She works as a conflict mediator. “New Kongjwi and Patjwi” is based on her own upbringing.
Cho Park Sunyoung wrote the play Hysteria and co-authored The Confession of a Korean Feminist. She has hosted the podcast program “Let’s Laugh and Have Fun” for the past five years. She currently works as an editor at IFBooks.
Joyce Park is an English educator and content creator. Her publications include What Red Hat Wants to Say to the World and The Poems I love.
Baek Youn Youngmi is the CEO of the Center for Value Growth and Healing She helps those in need, including victims of gender violence, on the path to recovery. She translated The Shadow King, Internal Family Systems Therapy; IFS and IFS Guide for Recovering from Eating Disorders into Korean.
Ryu Sooklyol is the CEO of ifbooks.
- Recommendation
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“The power embedded in Korean folk tales forced women to exist as fearful, powerless bodies and experience pitiful deaths. These new versions will lead the women who shared the same tales to enjoy more vigorous and energetic lives.” - Lee Minkyung (writer), 2020
