“Wolchul Island” is a story in which the leader of bandits is portrayed as a kind of popular hero. After the 17th century, in the Joseon Dynasty, the phenomenon of class differentiation in rural communities led to the emergence of groups of landless farmers that became nomads without any means of making a living, and eventually formed groups of bandits. Although they were outlaws preying on travelers and stealing from them, some folktales sympathized with them, as they had turned to banditry because of cruel exploitation by the bureaucratic system. Also at times, as in “Wolchul Island,” they were portrayed as heroic outlaws that possessed a deep understanding of society and acted according to strict principles and discipline.
