Korean Folktale : The Fidelity of a Goryeo Woman

🕊️ Korean Folktale Series 85

“The Fidelity of a Goryeo Woman”
고려 여인의 충절

(Goryeo Yeoin-ui Chungjeol)

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🕰️ 1. The Story

During the late years of the Goryeo Dynasty, there lived a woman named Yeon-hwa in a riverside village. She was known not for wealth or status, but for her calm dignity and unwavering heart. Her husband, Seok-jin, was a local scholar who believed that learning should serve the people.

When war broke out along the borders, Seok-jin was called away to assist the local magistrate. Before leaving, he took Yeon-hwa’s hands and said,

“No matter how long this road becomes, my heart will always return to you.”

Yeon-hwa nodded, tying a simple silk ribbon around his wrist.

“Then I will wait—not in sorrow, but in trust.”

Months passed. Then years.
News from the war grew scarce, and finally, a rumor reached the village: Seok-jin had fallen in battle. Many urged Yeon-hwa to remarry.

“You are still young,” they said. “Life must go on.”

But Yeon-hwa remained steady.

“Until I see him with my own eyes,” she replied, “my promise remains.”

She supported herself by weaving cloth and teaching village children to read. Each evening, she lit a small lamp by the window, believing that light should always guide one who seeks home.

One winter night, during a fierce snowstorm, a wounded traveler collapsed near her gate. Yeon-hwa brought him inside, warmed him, and tended his injuries. As the man awoke, his eyes filled with tears.

“Yeon-hwa… it is me.”

It was Seok-jin. He had survived the war but was captured and forced to wander for years. The silk ribbon still hung, faded but unbroken, around his wrist.

At dawn, the villagers gathered in disbelief and joy. Many bowed their heads in shame for doubting her. The elders said,

“Her loyalty was not stubbornness—it was faith.”

Yeon-hwa simply smiled, extinguishing the lamp she had kept lit for so long.

“Now,” she said softly, “the light has returned home.”

From that day on, the village told her story not as one of waiting, but of quiet strength—a reminder that fidelity is not merely endurance, but a living promise kept with dignity and compassion.

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🪄 2. Meaning & Lessons

▪️ Fidelity is not passive waiting, but active faith.
▪️ True loyalty honors both love and self-respect.
▪️ Quiet conviction can outlast even time and war.

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👀 3. Reflections in Life

▪️ Promises kept in silence are often the strongest.
▪️ Loyalty rooted in dignity never becomes weakness.
▪️ Trust, once proven, becomes a legacy.

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🌏 4. Similar Tales Around the World

China — The Faithful Wife of the Frontier
A woman waits years for her husband, believing truth over rumor.

 

Japan — The Woman of the Lantern
A wife keeps a light burning until her husband’s return.

 

Greece — Penelope of Ithaca
A woman’s loyalty and wisdom protect her home during long separation.

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💬 A Warm Saying

“True fidelity is not measured by time, but by the heart that never wavers.”

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📌 Note
This is creative cultural content from the Misojieum Story Blog (kor-telling.com).
Please do not copy without permission. Sharing is welcome with proper source citation.