Hello, everyone. Welcome to “Korean Folktales.” In this weekly corner, we introduce you to interesting traditional Korean folk stories. I’m Emilee Jennings. Today, I’ll tell you the sad legend of the wild rose, which is called jjille-kkot in Korean.

The story dates back to sometime between the late 13th century and the early 14th century, when the Korean kingdom of Goryeo came under the control of the Mongol-ruled Yuan Dynasty in China. Under the strong influence of China, Korea had to send numerous young girls to China as human tributes.

In a remote mountain village, two sisters lived with their sick father. The father was always worried that his daughters might be taken to China. Unfortunately, his anxiety became a reality when the two girls were caught by a local government official who was in charge of sending women to China. The older sister named Jjille, with tears in her eyes, begged the official to show mercy. “Sir, my father is very ill. If both of us are gone, who will take care of him? Take me, but please return my sister back home.” The official took pity on the poor family. As Jjille pleaded, he released the younger sister, Dallae, and sent the older sister to China.

In China, Jjille was fortunate to meet a good master. Thanks to the generous master, she led a comfortable life there. But she was always concerned about her father and sister back home. She missed them so much that she became sick. Her master used many different medicines to try and cure her, but she only became weaker and weaker. She said, “I wish I could see my father and sister once before I die.” The tenderhearted man felt sorry for the miserable girl and allowed her to return home.

So, after years away from home, Jjille was finally able to set foot on her home soil again. She ran toward her old house, feeling excited to see her family again. But the house was empty and the yard overgrown with weeds. She roamed around the town to find her father and sister. She met an old woman who told her the tragic story about her family. “After you were gone, your father was heartbroken and he killed himself. Your sister, Dallae, became insane and left the house. Nobody knows where she is.”

Jjille was overwhelmed with grief. The distraught woman wandered through the mountains and fields, looking for her lost sister. On a cold winter day, while searching a mountain she died from exhaustion. White snow covered her body but when spring came a white flower bloomed on the mountain path where she died. People named the flower after the ill-fated girl and called it Jjille-kkot or Jjille flower, which is known as wild rose in English.

That’s it for today’s “Korean Folktales.” Tune in again next time for another Korean folk story. Thank you for listening. I’m Emilee Jennings. Goodbye, everyone.