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Home > Introduction to Hong Gil-Dong > Hong Gil-Dong as a real person > Family of Hong Gil-Dong  
 
Model of Hong Gil-Dong's mother
She was Okyounghyang, a Gisaeng (a singer and dancer) whom Hong Sang-Jik loved. The mother of Gil-Dong’s two older stepbrothers (Gui-Dong, Il-Dong) was from Nampyeong Mun family. In the novel, the name of mother of Gil-Dong is Chunseom. It is assumed that the writer Heo Gyun put this name thinking of Chuseom, the name of his beloved concubine. Chunsoem means toad of spring, and it has the hope to bring wealth and blessing into the house.
Golden toad said to bring wealth and blessings
Yellow, ripe rice crop in the autumn fields
Her name was Goeulno and she had 3 sons and 2 daughters with Hong Gil-Dong . She brought new kind of Joseon rice crop that had good taste when moving to Okinawa. There was already southern rice called Annammi in Okinawa, but the quality was not good.

Currently, in the Yaeyama region of Okinawa, Goeulno is cherished as a woman of richness. It reminds the story of Noah's ark from the Bible. It indicates that Hong Gil-Dong 's party brought the seeds of grains in jars when they left for the foreign land.
The rice crop brought in to Okinawa by Goeulno, the wife of Hong Gil-Dong , when leaving Joseon.

 
Culture Development Team,
Department of Culture and Tourism Tel. 82-61-390-7228