The protagonist’s identity differs from time to time in some variations of this folktale. The protagonist is sometimes a strong man, warrior, military officer, idler, hunter, or a boy. The female abducted by the underworld enemy is sometimes a princess or a lady from an affluent family. Instead of the kidnapped maiden, a deity serves as a guide to the protagonist in some variations, or the protagonist is assisted by a magpie indebted to the protagonist. In terms of subtypes, this tale is linked to the story Geumdwaejigul (금돼지굴 The Golden Boar in a Cave),Park Jong-o, “Geumdwaejigul”, Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture. which is related to the birth story of Choe Chi-won. A variation in which the protagonist ventures down to the underworld in pursuit of the monster that killed his mother shares connections with the stories Kkori datbal judungi datbal goemul (꼬리 닷발 주둥이 닷발 괴물 The Monster With a Five Feet Long Beak and Tail) and Jomagu (조마구 The Monster Jomagu).Noh Young-geun, “Kkori datbal judungi datbal goemul”, Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture.
