Korean Folktales in Everyday Conversation

Must-Know Stories for Korean Learners

Get familiar with the stories only Koreans know! Polish your reading skills and learn everyday cultural expressions with these fun Korean folktales.

Look Inside the book on Vimeo

Free audio files are available HERE

How You’ll Learn

• Discover Korean culture through 15 classic stories
• Pick up words, phrases, and grammar in context
• Follow along and concentrate better with native audio

Remember the tortoise and the hare? What about the green frogs? Surely you’ve heard of the snail bride? From Han Seokbong to Hong Gildong, Korean Folktales in Conversation clues you in on Korea’s most famous old stories and how they come up in everyday life — all while you practice your reading skills!
Culture and Conversation

Dive deeper into Korean culture with 15 classic stories. Pick up useful folktale-based phrases sure to impress a native speaker.
Learning in Context

Pick up new words and phrases naturally in every story. Understand better with English translations and helpful reading supports for vocab and grammar.
Read and Listen

Follow along with our audio track word by word, story by story. Each story comes to life recorded by native speakers.


Table of Contents

Preface
How To Use This Book

01 I Am Not Scared of Tigers!
호랑이와 곶감 The Tiger and the Dried Persimmon

02 Whatever You Say, I Will Do the Opposite.
청개구리 이야기 The Green Frogs

03 Darkness Cannot Stop Us
한석봉과 어머니 Han Seokbong and His Mother

04 Magpies Never Forget
은혜 갚은 까치 The Magpie Which Repaid a Favor

05 Or Else I Will Eat You.
해와 달이 된 남매 The Brother and Sister Who Became the Sun and the Moon

06 No bottom, No gain
콩쥐 팥쥐 Kongjwi and Patjwi

07 Uh-oh, This Is Unexpected.
혹부리 할아버지 The Old Man with a Lump

08 Making a Long Distance Relationship Work
견우와 직녀 Gyeonu and Jiknyeo

09 Confidence Maketh Con Man
대동강을 판 김 선달 Seondal Kim Who Sold the Daedong River

10 Don’t Be Greedy, Bro!
흥부와 놀부 Heungbu and Nolbu

11 How to Become an Actual Cow-boy
소가 된 게으름뱅이 The Lazy Man Who Became a Cow

12 Doppelganger Alert
손톱 먹은 쥐 The Mouse That Ate Fingernails

13 A Huge Fan of Garlic
단군 이야기 The Dan-gun Story

14 Someone Is In My House!
우렁이 각시 The Snail Bride

15 The Most Famous Name In Korea
홍길동전 The Tale of Hong Gildong

Grammar Point
Glossar