The prince and the heroine:

Hodong and Nakrang

Korea, 32 AD: the peninsula is divided in Three Kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. King Daemusin (대해주류왕, 大解朱留王, ”Great Holy Warrior King”, 18-44) of Northern Goguryeo Kingdom, after resisted back

the Chinese invasion attempt, sent his sixteen years old son prince Hodong (호동왕자) to conquer the Chinese commandery (郡, jùn) Lelang and its capital city Nakrang-guyok (樂浪, 락랑) which is at the present time a district of Pyongyang. Nevertheless Nakrang’s resistance is very strong also because of the help of magic drum Ja Myung Go (자명고, 自鳴鼓) which wakes up the city and encourages soldiers to defence. All these occurrences are reported in Samguk Sagi (삼국사기, 三國史記, “History of the Three Kingdoms”) completed in 1145 by Kim Busik (김부식, 金富軾).

While the war is in a stalemate, a sudden and burning passion is born between young prince Hodong and the beautiful princess of Nakrang (낙랑공주). Prince Hodong, advised by his father king Daemusin, asks Nakrang to tear the drum Ja Myung Go and she, driven by loves’s boldness, obeys her lover and the city falls into enemy’s hands. And so the king of Nakrang Choiree orders the killing of her daughter because of her betrayal. Betrayal against her homeland and father but not against her beloved Hodong who is victorious in the battle but who is in very truth a big loser.

This story is up till now well-known in Korea, above all for the female spirit of Nakrang, so much faithful to Hodong as to betray her own father and homeland. Even if this legend is known as “Prince Hodong’s tale”, actually the real main character is the strong and fearless Nakrang. Quite the opposite, Hodong seems to place his love and Nakrang herself after his father Daemusin and prince Hodong obeys his father’s lust for conquest.

Recently the TV drama ”Princess Ja Myung” (자명고, Ja Myung Go) broadcasted in 2009 by SBS has been dedicated to princess Nakrang’s story with actors Jung Ryeo-won (정려원, 鄭麗媛) in princess’ Nakrang role and Jung Kyung Ho (정경호) in Hodong’s role.

Ballet “Prince Hodong” by Korea National Ballet (대한민국 국립발레단) has been inspired by the story reported in Samguk Sagi as well. The ballet was originally created in 1988 by Sung-nam Lim (임성남), first artistic director of Korean National Ballet. “Prince Hodong” is an internationally successful staging which blends together Western and Far Eastern theatrical traditions. In this performance we can see some parts of classical ballet and lots of references to Korean traditional dances. For example the dance of Nakrang together with her ladies-in-waiting is like a piece of salpuri (살풀이) and the scene in which the princess is wrapped in a written handscroll reminds of buchaechum (부채춤), the traditional Korean fan dance.

Nakrang continues to be a symbol also for present-day Korean woman, who is passionate and forceful even if now she is more a businesswoman than a romantic lover.

(자명고, Ja Myung Go, SBS drama music performed by Baek Ji Young, 백지영 www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEO9LLeeUAI)

Floriano Terrano