Hi Listeners,
Do you know what the top 6 Korean fairy tales are?
Reading short stories in Korean is a fun way to learn the Korean language and culture. Check out the 6 Korean fairy tale stories below and learn must-know folk story words and phrases in Korean!
1. Top 6 Korean Fairy Tales
1. Heungbu and Nolbu
The Korean title is 흥부와 놀부 (Heungbuwa nolbu). Heungbu and Nolbu are two brothers, with opposite personalities. Their vicissitudes show how caring about the others brings wealth and, most of all, happiness.
2. A Filial Daughter, Sim Chong
The Korean title is 효녀 심청 (Hyonyeo simcheong). Sim Chong sells herself to restore her father’s sight. During a storm, the sailors sacrifice her and instead of dying, she becomes the sea queen.
3. The Rabbit’s Liver
The Korean title is 토끼의 간 (Gyeonuwa jingnyeo). The Dragon King must eat a rabbit’s liver to recover from an illness. The rabbit tells him that he didn’t bring his liver and escape.
4. Gyeonu and Jiknyeo
The Korean title is 견우와 직녀 (Gyeonu and Jiknyeo). Two lovers marry but then begin to neglect their duties. Angry, the heavenly king only allows them to meet once a year on a bridge of magpies.
5. The Fairy and the Woodcutter
The Korean title is 선녀와 나무꾼 (Seonnyeowa namukkun). A man steals the robe of a fairy and is told not to return it until she has three children. He returns it and she leaves with his two children.
6. The Gold Ax and the Silver Ax
The Korean title is 금 도끼와 은 도끼 (Gum dokkiwa eun dokki). A woodcutter loses his axe. A wizard appears and gives him a choice of an iron, gold, and silver axe. The woodcutter takes his own axe and is rewarded.
2. Fairy Tale Characters and Words in Korean
Here are some common fairy tale characters and words in Korean you may come across while reading Korean folktale stories.
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
| 요정 | yojeong | fairy |
| 유니콘 | unicon | unicorn |
| 성 | seong | castle |
| 마법 | mabeop | magic |
| 마녀 | manyeo | witch |
| 주문 | jumun | spell |
| 용 | yong | dragon |
| 도깨비 | dokkaebi | Ogre |
| 왕 | wang | king |
| 왕자 | wangja | prince |
| 공주 | gongju | princess |
| 옛날 옛적에 | yennal yeotjeoge | once upon a time |
| 마법사 | mabeopsa | wizard |
| 인어 | ineo | mermaid |
| 거인 | geo-in | giant |
| 난쟁이 | nanjaengi | dwarf |
| 계모 | gyemo | stepmother |
| 여왕 | yeowang | queen |
Check out even more fairy tale words in the video below!
Conclusion
You might not understand every single word in Korean stories at first but try to guess what they mean in context. Illustrations will also help you understand the story. After reading it, make sure to look up the words in the dictionary and read the story a few more times. If you do that, you’ll surely get better at reading Korean.
So what Korean tale would you like to read first? Do you know any other fairy tale stories in Korea? Did we miss any Korean fairy tale words? Let us know in the comments!
