KOREAN LITERATURE CORNER - Oct 2025

By Josh Kim

The Three-Years Hill

Book cover illustration by Tori

Short, sweet, funny—I quite like this month’s myth, The Three-Years Hill. As an overthinker, I find it quite helpful to ponder. How about you?

Long ago there was an old man who lived in a small village. Next to his house was a hill. However, it was no ordinary hill—this hill was said to be mystical, such that anyone who fell down the hill would only live another three years. So the hill was named “Three-Years Hill” (a very straight-to-the-point name). 

When the old man walked on the hill, he was always very careful. But one day, he tripped and tumbled down the hill. Down and down he went. At the bottom, after finally stopping, he stayed a moment and cried. He did not want to go in only three years. So, he went home and stayed in bed, sad. 

After a few days, a young boy visited him. He asked the man: “Why do you look so sad?”

The man told the boy what happened. The boy thought about this hill and its rule. The boy was wise, though. After thinking, the boy said to him: “Don’t worry, there may be a solution. If you go to the hill and tumble down ten more times you’ll live another thirty years!”

The man hadn’t thought of this, and then the man laughed at its simplicity. The boy laughed with him. The two went to the hill and tumbled down ten times together, having great fun.

After this, the man never worried about the hill again.