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Overview
Kwon Jai dreams of an old man who bows and begs him to save both himself and his descendants. The visitor says that Minister Hong intends to kill them and that Kwon can prevent it by refusing the invitation Hong will shortly bring. He supplies no further bodily description or name.
A knock awakens Kwon. Hong has come to invite him to Lotus Lake to fish for turtles. Only then does Kwon understand the dreamed old man as a turtle speaking on behalf of its family. He excuses himself by claiming illness. The narrator adds that he later learned that Hong also abandoned the expedition.
The human form is confined to the dream. No turtle is shown changing shape before waking witnesses, and the tale neither gives an individual turtle’s age nor states how many descendants it has. Its ending is the reported cancellation of the hunt, not a subsequent encounter with the grateful animal. Yi Ryuk’s account preserves Kwon’s interpretation of the coinciding dream and invitation as the basis of the identification.
Origins & earliest records
Korean narrative in historical English translation
Records & interpretation
Complete chapter, relevant introduction and ending directly read; claims separated from editorial explanation.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Korean Imps, Ghosts and Fairies
Chapter 41, complete narrative and attached introductory notes. Gutenberg page labels are not relied on as printed pagination.
Family & connections
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Primary records and illustrations
Korean Imps, Ghosts and Fairies (1913), translated by J. S. Gale
Chapter 41. Chapter 41, complete narrative and attached introductory notes. Gutenberg page labels are not relied on as printed pagination.
Complete source section, attached editorial matter and ending directly read. The human form is confined to the dream. No turtle is shown changing shape before waking witnesses, and the tale neither gives an individual turtle’s age nor states how many descendants it has. Its ending is the reported cancellation of the hunt, not a subsequent encounter with the grateful animal. Yi Ryuk’s account preserves Kwon’s interpretation of the coinciding dream and invitation as the basis of the identification.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Historical translated narrative collectionGale, Korean Imps, Ghosts and Fairies (1913), chapter 41Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.