Abstract

“Hyonyeo Simcheong” is one of the most popular folktale pieces listed in Korean language textbooks and literature. Hence, as a well-known folktale, the image of the monk character in “Hyonyeo Simcheong” may influence the image of Korean Buddhism. This is because monks are a fundamental subject of Buddhism. Of course, the “Simcheongjeon” tale has a strong emphasis on the protagonist Simcheong’s Confucian filial piety, so one may not focus on the monk’s appearance within the story. For international students who have relatively limited opportunities to encounter the diversity of Korean literature, the image of the monk in “Hyonyeo Simcheong” could lead to a negative perception of Korean Buddhism The monk character of “Hyonyeo Simcheong” in Korean language textbooks is an unidentified entity. He is merely depicted as a passing monk or even just a passing pedestrian. It may seem like the names of places or people have disappeared from the background story, transforming naturally as folktales are passed on. However, the absence of the monk’s depiction who plays an important role in the work, should be reconsidered. The problem is that the “Hyonyeo Simcheong”, the children’s version of “Simcheongjeon” in Korean language textbooks, does not effectively reflect current generational perceptions, yet has maintained a fixed negative image of the monk under the excuse of being a folktale. The proposal is to reconsider the fact that the monk remains a character who lies without reason, without minimal considerations of probability. The paper aims to examine the history of Korean monks, alongside how the image of monks in Korean traditional literature has changed over time. The paper also seeks to analyse the portrayal of the monk character within “Hyonyeo Simcheong” listed in Korean language textbooks, thereby exploring approaches for improvements.

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