In their imaginations a hermit was a man who lived in poverty in the deep recesses of unapproachable mountains, on medicinal herbs believed to prevent aging. Throughout their long recorded history Koreans never invaded their neighbors. Reticent in their outlook Koreans did not seek an empire or colonize other lands. This excessive national pride, together with Koreans' aversion to war, eventually invited aggression and subjugation of the Korean people. Korea suffered for many years as a Japanese colony.
Korean literature has many tales reflecting such thinking.
Typically a beautiful lady descends from heaven in search of a fuller life on earth, inevitably marries a human, becomes a mother, and eventually fulfills the chores expected of every married woman. She then goes back to her home in heaven. We usually have no reference to what becomes of her after she departs. In Korea we find no literature that remotely resembles the content of Western literature about heaven and hell.