Arang of Miryang
In a Korean town, each new magistrate who arrived was found dead of fright the next morning. Then one brave man stayed up to listen to the ghost.
What was reported
The legend of Arang is set in Miryang, in the Joseon era. Arang was the daughter of the town's magistrate, and one night she vanished. Her father, heartbroken, left his post. After that, every new magistrate sent to Miryang died of fright on his first night.
At last one official stayed awake. A young woman's ghost appeared, and instead of fleeing, he asked her what she wanted. She told him she had been killed and her body hidden, and named who was to blame. He found her and saw justice done, and her ghost was at peace. A shrine to her stands below Yeongnamnu pavilion.
Explanations offered
The tale is a classic Korean ghost story about a wronged spirit who needs only to be heard. It's still told in Miryang, which holds an Arang festival, and has been retold in films and television dramas.
- When
- Told since the 16th century
- Where
- Miryang, South Gyeongsang, South Korea
- Witnesses
- Korean legend
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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