Sugungga

Infobox Korean name
hangul=수궁가
hanja=
rr=Sugungga
mr=Sugungga

"Sugungga" is one of the five surviving stories of the Korean "pansori" storytelling tradition. The other stories are "Simcheongga", "Heungbuga", "Jeokbyeokga", and "Chunhyangga".

"Sugung-ga" is based on the story of the Dragon King of the Southern Sea, a terrapin, and a wily rabbit. This story is believed to have stemmed from a tale about a terrapin and a rabbit in the early period of the Silla Dynasty. The theme of this story is the relationship of subject to king.

The Dragon King of the Southern Sea is suffering from an ailment that can be cured only with the liver of a rabbit. The King thereupon summons all the ministers to look for the liver of a rabbit on the ground. The terrapin volunteers his service to journey to a forest and return with a rabbit.

The terrapin succeeds in doing this by luring the rabbit with the wonderful prospects of living in the palace. The rabbit, after discovering his dangerous situation at the palace, coaxes the King to allow him to return to the forest by explaining that his liver was so much in demand that it finally became necessary to conceal it in a secret place and that he has, therefore, come without it.

Upon hearing this, the Dragon King of the Southern Sea grants the rabbit permission to go back to the forest with the terrapin after the rabbit promises that he will return with his liver. Once in the forest, the rabbit ridicules the King's and terrapin's stupidity and is never seen again. But the rabbit is actually quite moved by the terrapin's faithfulness to the King.

References

* [http://www.ntok.go.kr/family/changguk/intro_e.jsp National Changguk Company of Korea]