The Legend of Arang

One of the most famous ghost stories in Korea is about the unfortunate Arang. Until she got revenge on her murderer, she kept haunting the entire town in search of the one who could help her find the truth.

Look at me, look at me, look at me
As you look at a flower in the middle of winter, please look at me
Although my sweetheart has arrived I cannot say a word of welcome
Just opening my mouth without a word, stuffed my mouth with flap of my skirt
Sound of flute played by a bachelor at the next door by the fence
Sighing of a virgin at the well as she pumps water
Are you better than others? Am I better than you? Who is better than whom?
The best one is “gu-ri-bak-tong ji-jun” (one with power and money)
— Variation of Miryang Arirang folk song

Arang (아랑) and her tragic story is one of the most well known ghost stories in Korea. She was the daughter of a magistrate (busa) working for the government in Miryang, southeast in Korea.

The legend of Arang is one of the more important stories about wongwi ( 원귀 ), spirits seeking justice by revenge. This story is from the Joseon Dynasty, sometime between 1400 to 1900 and it is said she lived in the mid 1500s.

The Death of Arang

According to the legend Arangs real name was Yun Dong-ok ( 윤동옥 /尹東玉) and had lost her mother when she was very young and basically brought up by a nanny. But her nanny was mean and hated her and wanted her punished. The nanny colluded with the servant Baekga to take her at night and rape her. But Arang resisted and he ended up stabbing her to death. Her body was taken into the woods and buried for no one to know.

In some versions, Arang is said to have gone out to have looked at the moon when a man approached her which she turned down, leading to him killing her. There are also the versions where a low ranking officer bribed her nanny to bring her to him.

Her father, the magistrate, was distraught as they all thought that she had eloped and ran off with a stranger. In shame he resigned from his position and the whole family took a backseat.

The Revenge

But this wasn’t the last they heard of her. Whenever a new magistrate was appointed in Miryang, the spirit of Arang appeared before him and asked for his help to restore her honor and avenge her.

Another korean ghost story about a wrongfully shamed woman getting help from a government official is the story about A Ghost Tale Of Two Sisters — The Legend of Janghwa and Hongryeon

Problem was that the appointed magistrates were so afraid of her that they all resigned and in the end, no one wanted to take the position out of fear for the ghost haunting the place. In some versions of the legend, they died after not helping her. But that all changed when the man named Yi Sang-sa was appointed to the position.

He saw past the scary ghost and promised the spirit of Arang to avenge her so she could have justice. In some version she just tells the name of the killer, in some version, she comes back as a butterfly to mark the murderer.

In any case the murderer is found out and the young magistrate arrested Baekga and had him executed. After this, her spirit was able to move on and she no longer haunted the town.

The Aranggak Shrine

To this day there is a shrine in honor of Arang’s spirit where she is venerated and is called the Aranggak Shrine. Even the popular folk song Arirang has its own local version which is said to may or may not be about the legend of Arang.

One of the most famous ghost stories in Korea is about the unfortunate Arang. Until she got revenge on her murderer, she kept haunting the entire town in search of the one who could help her find the truth. — **The Shrine of Arang:** In Miryang they have built a shrine to venerate her spirit. Source/Koreabyme

There are also movies and TV series inspired by the legend, like the 2006 movie, Arang and the 2012 drama series Arang and the Magistrate,

No matter what the meaning behind the words of the song is, her shrine is solely dedicated to her and standing on a cliff in Miryang on the Yeongnamnu pavilion, one of the important cultural treasures of Miryang, facing the Miryang River.