Dokkaebi

Dokkaebi is often translated into Korean goblin, but I prefer using dokkaebi rather than goblin. When it comes to its appearance and characteristics, it is distinct from spirits in other countries like Oni of Japan or Kui of China.

In Joseon Dynasty, it is said that people thought dokkaebi was a tall and good-looking man with supernatural power, and also they were able to change their appearances. Dokkaebi is formed from old, abandoned household tools including brooms, pokers, and winnow baskets.

Dokkaebi is friendly and harmless and sometimes helps humans. They like singing and dancing and always take their bat with them. They enjoy playing tricks on people, so it is said that they wrestle with men all night long or appear as a beautiful woman to seduce them. Dokkaebi usually shows up at nighttime and uses dokkaebi bats to do the powers.

Korean TV series ‘Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (Korean: 도깨비)’ was aired in 2006. The Korean fantasy romance drama is about dokkaebi who has been through his sword for 939 years and has been looking for a bride to break an immortal curse. The series starred Gong Yoo, Kim Go-eun, Lee Dong-wook, Yoo In-na, and Yook Sung-jae. The series drew a lot of attention when it was aired because not only its writer Kim Eun Sook and its actor Gong Yoo were popular, but also people wondered how dokkaebi was portrayed in a modern way.