The plot revolves around a Joseon-era scholar named Jeon Woo-chi, who had magic powers. During the time he lived, the Joseon Dynasty suffered from severe famine, while pirates plundered the country’s southern coast. As a result, common people barely subsisted on scanty food, leading miserable lives.

Woo-chi decided to help out the poor people. He flew to the royal court and asked the king to donate a golden beam to be used for a new palace in heaven. The king believed this strange man flying from nowhere was a messenger from heaven and eagerly gave him some gold. Woo-chi then used the gold to help poor people. After learning this, the king was angry. He ordered his officials to arrest the man for fraud, but Woo-chi was never caught as he cheated them each time with his magic power. Still, he didn’t want to disobey the king, so he voluntarily went to him. Court officials attempted to kill him, but failed. Impressed by this outlandish yet wonderful man, the king offered him a government post. But Woo-chi politely refused and disappeared.

Moving around on a cloud, Woo-chi continued performing good deeds, giving food to the hungry and settling problems for the troubled. He even caught a notorious ringleader of bandits to please the king. But some evil officials, who were jealous of Woo-chi’s power and fame, falsely accused him of plotting conspiracy. The enraged king ordered that the treacherous man should be executed. As his last wish, Woo-chi asked the king to allow him to draw a picture. He drew a horse in the painting, and using his magic power again, he suddenly rode on the horse in the painting and escaped the scene. His eccentric and amusing behavior continued afterward. He fought a magic battle with a virtuous gentleman named Seo Gyeong-deok. Woo-chi was eventually defeated, and he came to respect the man as his mentor. He followed the master deep into the mountains to undergo spiritual training.

This is the original plot of this folktale, but some modern twists were added to the drama and film versions. In the 2009 movie titled “Jeon Woo Chi: The Taoist Wizard,” for example, Jeon Woo-chi is portrayed as an undisciplined, womanizing Taoist in the early 16th century, who abuses his magic to play countless pranks. He is framed for murdering his master, who died while trying to protect a magic flute from evil goblins. Woo-chi becomes sealed inside an ancient painting. When the goblins return for the flute in modern-day Seoul, Taoist wizards summon Woo-chi and release the mischievous magician from his entrapment in the painting. The wizards promise him the title of a Taoist master if he catches the goblins. The comedy action flick is the first motion picture made about the legendary character. Unlike the hero in the original version, Jeon Woo-chi in this film is an anti-hero who is more interested in using his talent to cheat people and earn fame than saving society.

In the 2012 TV series titled “Jeon Woo Chi,” the hero gains his power by swallowing a magical fox bead. He travels to the Joseon Kingdom and uses his magic power to save poor, oppressed people.

Although the plots may vary, the original folk story, movie, drama, and cartoons featuring the legendary Taoist magician all share the same theme of a hero helping people out.