First Paperback Novel in Korean, Ttakjibon
Novels about a single family or that follow a family through several generations are often known as "family saga novels." The narratives of such novels typically revolve around either conflicts that arise between family members, such as sibling rivalries, rivalries between wife and concubine, and the relationship between parents and children, or pressing situations in which the family is almost destroyed by outside forces.
Some examples of these types of novels included Janghwahongryeon-jeon (장화홍련전), Changseongamuirok (창선감의록), Sassinamjeonggi (사씨남정기), and Soun-jeon (소운전). Soun-jeon is an adaptation of a Chinese novel about the hardships that befell the So household at the hands of villains, and the revenge that gave solace to the So family. The revenge expressed in these kinds of stories was a reflection of the consciousness in the community, made possible by the firm belief in strong family ties that existed in Korean society.
Reading these family saga novels can be a consolation to the reader, as the reader might identify with the main character and reflect on how to resolve conflicts within his or her own family. Even though family saga novels were mostly used as educational tools for imparting social mores, they should also be valued for relating the kinds of universal concerns that family members experience regardless of age, time, or place.