🍂 Korean Folktale Series 1
“The Tale of Sim Cheong”
(심청전 · Sim Cheong-jeon)
🕰️ 1. The Story
Once upon a time in Korea, there lived a poor blind man named Sim Hak-gyu and his devoted daughter, Sim Cheong.
Despite their poverty, Sim Cheong loved her father deeply and devoted herself to caring for him.
One day, Sim Hak-gyu expressed his wish to regain his sight. A Buddhist monk told him that if he offered 300 sacks of rice to Buddha, his eyesight would be restored. Overhearing this, Sim Cheong made a heartbreaking decision.
To help her father, she sold herself to sailors as a sacrifice to the Sea God in exchange for the necessary rice. She was thrown into the sea, but instead of dying, she was saved by the Sea God and returned to the world in a lotus flower.
Eventually, she became the queen, and by divine intervention, her father regained his sight when they were reunited.
🪄 2. Meaning & Lesson
The story of Sim Cheong reflects:
- The value of filial piety (효, hyo) — absolute devotion to parents.
- Sacrifice and selflessness as the highest virtues in traditional Korean culture.
- The belief that true love and sacrifice are eventually rewarded.
👀 3. Example from Life
- A daughter who works tirelessly to support her aging parents.
- Someone who gives up personal comfort to protect family happiness.
- Modern readers may also see it as a lesson in resilience and unconditional love.
🌏 4. Similar Tales Around the World
- 🇨🇳 China: The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars (二十四孝) — a collection of stories honoring children’s devotion to parents.
- 🇯🇵 Japan: Stories of Onna-bu (dutiful daughters) who sacrifice themselves for family honor.
- 🇪🇺 Europe: Tales of saints who gave up their lives for faith and family, reflecting sacrifice and devotion.
💬 A Warm Saying
“True love asks for nothing in return,
yet it brings blessings beyond imagination.”
📌 Note
This is a creative cultural content from the Misojieum Story Blog (kor-telling.com).
Please do not copy without permission.
Sharing is welcome with proper source citation.
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