Ballad of Seodong

“The Ballad of Seo Dong” was a song that was used by an ambitious young man called Seo Dong to marry a beautiful princess called Seon-hwa 1400 years ago. Seo Dong’s real name was Jang (璋) and he later became the 30th King of Paekche who was called King Moo. He was a talented person who had the makings of a great leader but he made a living by selling horses as a youth. The commoners simply called him Seo Dong. After hearing about the remarkable beauty of Princess Seon-hwa, who was the third daughter of King Jin-pyeong of the Silla Kingdom, he shaves his hair to disguise himself as a Buddhist Monk and slips into Silla to take her as his wife. He befriends the children in the capital of Silla by giving away horses and teaches them a simple song.