This document provides an overview of Kim Si-seup and his work "New Stories from Mount Geumo", which was the first known classical work of Korean fiction. It was originally written in Chinese and contains five stories written in the tradition of Chuan-chi fiction. The stories involve love affairs between mortals and ghosts. Kim Si-seup was born in 1435 in Seoul to a yangban family and promoted Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist views in his work, though he is especially known for his Neo-Confucian perspectives.

1. 김시습

2. by Kim Si-seup
Presented by: Jay-ar A. Padernal, BSEd,
English, University of Mindanao

3. New Stories
from Mount
Geumoby Kim Si Seup

4. YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmXcC1W_SY4

5. This is the first known
classical work of Korean
fiction.

6. It was originally written in
Chinese:
金鰲新話 . It translates to
"Tales of Mount Geumo" or
"New stories from Mount
Geumo “.

7. From the 17th century
onwards, fiction became
increasingly popular and more
readily available through book
rental schemes.

8. The title comes from Geumo-
san, the Mount of the Golden
Turtle, today called Namsan
(Gyeongju), which was the site
of the Yongjang Temple where
tradition records that Kim wrote
the stories.

9. photo from: koreatour.com

10. by Kim Si-seup
photo from:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Si-seup

11. Contained in the Geumo
Sinhwa are the author’s five
stories. These are written in
Chinese in the tradition of
the Chuan-chi. The subject
material of these stories include
love affairs between mortals
and ghosts and dream
journeys to the Underworld or

12. The author promoted the unity
of Confucianism, Taoism,
and Buddhism but is especially
remembered for his Neo-
Confucian views.

13. Kim Si-seup (1435–1493)
His family was from
the yangban class and Kim
himself was born in Seoul.

14. Yangban (양반) - were part of
the traditional ruling class or
gentry of dynastic Korea during
the Joseon Dynasty. The
yangban were mainly
composed of civil servants
and military officers who
individually exemplified
the Korean Confucian idea of

15. The literary miscellany consists
of random jottings by the
yangban on four broad topics:
history, biography,
autobiography, and poetic
criticism.

16. Like fiction, these were
considered to be outside of the
realm of officially sanctioned
Chinese prose, but they
provided the yangban with an
outlet for personal
expression.

17. Site References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_literature
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kim-
Sisup#ref1041313