[Korean Culture & Language] The Ballad of Seo Dong

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A young man named 서동(Seo Dong) shaved his head to look like a Buddhist monk and sneaked into Silla 1400 years ago. He came to claim Princess Seon-hwa, after hearing about her beauty from far away. Seon-hwa was the third daughter of King Jin-pyeong of the Silla Kingdom. 

서동 quickly became friends with kids in Silla and taught them a song he made, ‘서동요(The Ballad of Seo Dong).’ The song was about how Princess Seonhwa leaves her door open every night and 서동 sleeps with her in her room. Even though the lyrics weren’t based on a true story, the scandalous song reached Silla’s royal court.

The princess was exiled to a far-off place. Despite not knowing who Seo Dong was, the princess agreed to follow him since she believed it would be nice to have company on her long journey. As they spent more time together, she found out that he was gentle and reliable. They finally get married. 

Seo Dong became King Mu of the Baekje Kingdom, and princess Seonhwa became the queen.


The term ‘서동요기법(The Ballad of Seo Dong Technique)’ has recently gained popularity among younger generations. Similar to Rhonda Byrne’s ‘law of attraction,’ the 서동요기법 approach involves saying and believing what one wishes to happen. 

Do you believe in ‘서동요기법’?

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