Hong Gil-dong jeon (The Tale of Hong Gil-dong), regarded as the first Korean novel, is purported to have been written by Heo Gyun in the mid-Joseon Period. In his novel, a righteous outlaw named Hong Gil-dong tries to root out the contradiction within a noble family and protests against the illogical system of discrimination between legitimate and illegitimate children. Various editions were published. This one is thought to have been printed in the 19th century.