In the ancient Korean creation story, long before the Joseon dynasty, a tiger and a bear prayed to Hwanung, the son of heaven, asking to become human. Hwanung tested their devotion by giving them garlic and mugwort and commanding them to stay in a dark cave for 100 days, away from sunlight, eating only those sacred herbs.

The tiger, restless and impatient, left before the time was complete. But the bear stayed, enduring the darkness, the hunger, and the solitude.

After her time in the cave, the bear emerged transformed with flawless skin, radiance, and grace—reborn as a woman named Ungnyeo, the first woman of Korea. Her patience, discipline, and quiet strength became the foundation of a new lineage, as she later became the mother of Dangun, the mythical founder of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom.