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Abstract
This article makes the case for Chunhyang as national myth which has risen to transnational significance through the global popularity of Korean films and television series retelling the legend in the 21st century. I primarily analyze three specific 21st century Korean projects retelling the story of the courtesan’s daughter and her secret husband Mongryong. Why is this young woman of a low class so useful to think of in terms of Korean identity? Risking death, she stands up to a powerful official who wants her as a concubine. I argue that meanings shift over time. Early oral versions support the imported Chinese teachings of Confucianism in 14th century Korea emphasizing loyalty and chastity for women. The latest versions have a nationalist interpretation after independence from Japan in 1945, the development of the Korean economy and use of national myths to support an identity as a strong and independent culture.