I had just gotten into the study of North Korea, and Korean history in general, when my wife told me I should watch this ongoing "historical" serial about a legendary national hero, Dae Joyoung. When I began to watch, I held a history book in one hand and the remote in the other. I could see the connection, but I had to marvel about how much extra there was on TV. Then I discovered that the saga of Dae is not meant to be taken as "true" in every respect.

It's obvious that there is some heavy "Hollywood" connection to Korean broadcasting. Though the programming is done well, well enough tro make me (then) want to watch every episode, the rationale for its existence seems faulty.

I began to compare the product I was watching from "free" Korea to the real-live pack of lies that comes out of the North every day. School children throughout that land are literally taught to sing the praises of the Kim conquerors, they are made to memorize their words, and facts about their history. But alas, that history is not real either! Facts and fiction have been masterfully blended into a legend that causes thinking persons to blush. It's ridiculous. I'll share some pieces of it in future posts.

My point now is, the real Korea has real heroes. Why does the South have to stoop to northern tactics of legend-weaving when it can tell the exciting truth about so many men and women? Yes, I know, why do Americans practice this too?

By the way, there was a Dae Joyoung. He was a leader in the old "Gorguryo", a nation that preceded the modern one. That land was defeated by the Chinese, but Dae rose up to re-conquer, re-name (Parhae) and establish the northern regions forever for its descendants. That's history. It's great history all by itself. There was no need to add that Dae basically dies and is resurrected. That he could fight 15 men at one time. That he was such a holy man that he would suck the blood and the poison out of a wounded soldier so that the soldier could live. That he could be arrested, escape, and re-arrested and, well, you get the picture. A perfect human being.