The Chunhyangga is one of the five surviving stories of the Korean pansori storytelling tradition. The other stories are Simcheongga, Heungbuga, Jeokbyeokga and Sugungga. Although based on older traditional songs, it was composed in its present form in the 1870s by the pansori writer Shin Jae-hyo.
The Chunhyangga tells the story of love between Chunhyang, the daughter of a kisaeng entertainer, and Yi Mongryong, the son of a magistrate. After the two are illegally married, Mongryong goes to Seoul and a corrupt local magistrate attempts to force Chunhyang to be his concubine. She refuses and is faced with death, but is rescued at the last minute by Mongryong returning in his new role as a secret royal inspector.
The story is set in Namwon, in Jeolla province, where an annual Chunhyang Festival is held. (To view pictures of the festival and to see other links relating to Chunhyang, click on the link for Namwon.)
The story has been made into a film over a dozen times, most recently as Im Kwon-taek's Chunhyang in 2000.[1] It was also the basis of the successful Korean drama series Delightful Girl Choon-Hyang.
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