Sources

• Wikipedia (list pages)
• Korea: Its History and Culture
• Art Treasures of Seoul
• Korea: An Introduction
• A Handbook of Korea
• http://www.asianresearch.org/articles/1462.html The early US-Korea relations. Excerpt from "A Brief History of the US-Korea Relations Prior to 1945" by Kim Young-Sik, Ph.D.

• http://www.thesecondlayer.com/gallery/southkorea/jeju/galleryjeju.html Someone's excellent vacation photos with explanations of interesting things, legends, etc.

• Sensational Knitted Socks

• Isabella Bird Bishop - travels in Korea, 1890s http://www.ganesha-publishing.com/bird_intro.htm

• Gale's "Korean Sketches" is rather awful. More of an anti-source.

• Liz's note - I'm thinking of the Water Margin/Outlaws of the Marshas an inspiration for this game as well though it's China not Korea and the wrong time period... it's a good adventure, hero tales, could be considered pulp, and details a rebellion in the mountains, where dragons would fit right in. In fact, someone should make an outlaws of the marsh game.

Movies

• Blood Rain (2005)

A murder mystery set in 1808, set on an prosperous island with a paper mill. After a fire destroys the tribute shipment, a royal inspector is sent to solve the mystery. This is a little scary and gory with a series of murders shown on-screen, but if you can take that it's a great look at a small 19th century community with an engaging mystery plot. Available on DVD via Amazon.

• Chihwaseon (2002)

A biopic about an artist's life in 19th century Korea, starting in the 1850's and proceeding onwards. He was self-taught, and known as a drunkard and womanizer, but he apparently revolutionized the Korean art world. The film is a series of vignettes lauded for its cinematography.

• Chunhyang (2000)

An adaptation of an 18th-century romantic novel, which became popular as a wandering minstrel's opera (a form known as <i>p'ansori</i>). Set in a small town, it is about a courtesan's daughter whom the son of the governor falls in love with and marries in secret. The film is narrated as a modern-day <i>p'ansori</i> performance.

• Musa the Warrior (2001)

A medieval war movie set in 1375 when nine Koryo warriors, envoys exiled by Imperial China, battle to protect a Chinese Ming Princess from Mongolian troops.

• Sword in the Moon (2003)

A martial arts war movie set in the 17th century, about betrayal between two warrior friends who both recruited into an elite unit -- the Clear Wind Shining Moon sword school. A coup splits the unit against itself, and years later the betrayed friend sets about his campaign of vengeance.