Domi's Wife

According to today’s weather forecast, the high temperature in Seoul will reach 33°C. Right now, it’s still 24°C, and if I stand in the shade, I can feel a coolness in the morning air.

With a sense of urgency to finish my hike before the heat sets in, I’m already heading toward the summit. After roughly an hour of pushing myself, I arrive at a spot overlooking the Han River and the city of Hanam below.

On a flat rock perched at the edge of a cliff, a few hikers have spread out a mat and are enjoying an unexpected break in the day (忙中閑).
“Like little immortals at their leisure—how delightful,” I think.
They’ve claimed a prime spot that truly seems like a perfect vantage point, embodying the spirit of sinseon, or Taoist immortals.

Wanting to share that scenery, I step up to join them on the rock. It’s a bit like walking into someone else’s house—awkward and a little embarrassing. But how could I just pass by such a fantastic view? Throwing caution to the wind, I move forward to take a few photos.

Mount Geomdan is said to have been the guardian mountain (jin-san, 鎭山) of Hanam Wiryeseong, the capital during the Baekje Hanseong period, and also a sacred site where people once offered rituals to heaven.

Many assume Baekje was based around the Chungcheong and Jeolla regions, but in reality, it spent a much longer time around the Han River basin. For over five hundred years—until King Gaero was killed by the Goguryeo army under King Jangsu and Baekje’s capital was moved to Ungjin (Gongju)—this area served as Baekje’s stronghold.

During those times, a young man named Domi lived in these parts. He was known for his good nature and deep love for his wife, who herself was famed far and wide for her beauty and unwavering virtue. Word of her qualities spread as far as the Baekje royal court, eventually reaching the ears of King Gaero, notorious for his fondness for women.

Enamored with Domi’s wife, King Gaero called Domi over and proposed an archery contest.
“If you win, I shall reward you handsomely. But if I win, you must bring your wife to the palace.”

Deeply confident in his wife’s loyalty, Domi answered,
“My wife would never waver, not even before power, nor be swayed by any amount of treasure.”

Wishing to see whether she was indeed the steadfast woman rumored, the king ordered one of his retainers to disguise himself as the king and test Domi’s wife.
Appearing in the king’s robes, the disguised retainer said, “I have claimed you as a prize in that archery contest with Domi, so serve me tonight.”

But Domi’s wife replied, “I am a woman who already has a husband, and I fear the reproach of Heaven.” She asked for the light to be extinguished, and once the room was dark, sent in another woman in her place, thus protecting her chastity.

Learning he had been tricked, the king flew into a rage. He ordered Domi’s eyes gouged out and put him on an empty boat, casting him adrift on the river. Domi’s wife, too, was brought to the palace, but once again she avoided the king, saying,
“I am unclean today, Your Majesty. Let me cleanse myself and attend to you tomorrow.”
She then managed to flee. Domi’s wife lamented at the riverside from which her husband had drifted away. Suddenly, out of the fog, a boat emerged, allowing her to escape Baekje’s territory.

The small boat took her to an island called Cheonseongdo, and there she was reunited with her husband. According to legend, they went on to live happily ever after in Goguryeo with the help of people there. This story is still recounted by the “Domi Ferry” area below Mount Geomdan.

A Brief Rest on the Ridge

After soaking in that refreshing panoramic view, I continue along the ridge. Soon, I come upon a pavilion rest area. Even gulping down cold water from my bottle doesn’t offer much relief. The cool morning breeze has vanished, replaced by a scorching sun that follows me wherever I go.

Reaching the summit, I find a broad, open space with a stone marker labeled “Mt. Geomdan.” Walkways to observation decks stretch out on either side.

At the west-facing deck, I spot the Lotte World Tower rising conspicuously amid Seoul’s tranquil skyline, a 群鷄一鶴 (gun-gye-il-hak) scene—like a solitary crane among a flock of chickens. Somewhere near that towering building once stood the royal palace of Baekje’s King Gaero, and now a 123-floor skyscraper occupies that site, with a Hanseong Baekje subway station right at its gates.

King Gaero left no tomb behind, but in recent years, numerous artifacts related to Hanseong Baekje have been unearthed, gradually shedding light on a history hidden for 1,500 years.

Two Converging Rivers and Memories of Three Kingdoms

Venturing to the observation deck on the other side, I see a starkly different scene—endless rural views far below. The Bukhan River flows down from what was once Goguryeo territory, and the Namhan River from former Baekje lands, converging at Dumulmeori. As the two rivers rush on toward the sea, it strikes me how Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla once fiercely fought over these lands—a time where such territorial clashes were practically inevitable.

King Gaero’s downfall was tied to overambitious public works that lost him the people’s support, eventually enabling King Jangsu’s Goguryeo to strike him down. Conversely, Jangsu fortified his defenses, expanded his domain, and lived to the age of 97, steering Goguryeo into a golden age.

Domi’s wife, who remained faithful to her husband, came to be cherished by the common people, becoming a foundational legend for what is said to be the precursor of Chunhyang-jeon. She is also recorded in the Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) as one of the original role models of feminine virtue.

Where Domi’s wife departed on her boat, no trace of a sail remains today. Instead, there’s a cozy café wafting scents of roasting coffee and freshly baked bread. The thought of dropping by Domi Ferry for a burst of cool river breeze and a cup of iced Americano occurs to me—one more delight to break up the summer heat.