The story map
Select a place on the map or in the list. Each place leads to its part of the story and its songs.
1THE YALU2THE FORGE3HANYANG4SONGNISAN5A VILLAGE IN JEOLLA6THE FROZEN FIELD7THE HARBOUR8THE NORTHERN SHOAL9JEJU10IEODOBase image: the Korean section of the Kangnido map (1402). Story locations are approximate; the map is not to scale.
WHERE THE PAPER WAS FOUND
Ash and Seed
A small village among the rice fields. A girl who was never taught to read finds a bundle of hanji wrapped in cloth under the floorboards. The ink still smelled of ink. She sits outside the schoolmaster's door for three days until he lets her in. Years later she is the one writing down the names of the dying at the northern border.
Gugak means Korean traditional music. Gayageum, haegeum and janggu meet hip-hop here. The original Korean lyrics and English translations are available throughout the archive.