Chapter 1: Light Seen from the Darkness
Verse 1: The Crisis of Goguryeo
At the end of the 4th century AD, Goguryeo was entangled in relentless warfare. To the north, it faced Later Yan to the south, Baekje and Silla and to the east, Dongbuyeo.
Adding to the turmoil, the royal court was mired in internal strife, causing the people to tremble in confusion and fear. Foreign invasions were frequent, and border villages were often burned or plundered.
In the midst of this national peril, there was a young prince one who would later be known as Gwanggaeto the Great. His birth name was Damdeok.
Verse 2: Damdeok’s Struggles
As a member of the royal family, Damdeok witnessed war and separation from an early age. By the time he was just three or four years old, he had already seen the horrors of battle and the power struggles among the nobility.
“Why must everyone seek to destroy one another with force? When will this disorder and injustice end?”
Such questions accumulated in his heart. Yet, he diligently trained in military arts, for he understood a bitter truth:
“If I grow weak, there will be no way to stop this chaos.”
Verse 3: Anxiety and Yearning
However, as Damdeok grew older, he realized that sheer force alone had its limits. With war breaking out every day, the people could not seek prosperity — they could barely survive.
Even as a prince, he found it difficult to overturn such an unfair system. He began to long for divine guidance.
“If there is a god, answer me. How do we end this suffering and war?”
Night after night, he whispered this prayer, but no clear answer came.
Verse 4: The Discovery Among the Ruins
One day, while inspecting a fortress near the border, Damdeok came across an unusual pile of stones. Among the ruins, he saw a single white flower growing upright. Nearby, a scroll with mysterious inscriptions was hidden.
“Snowseed Poison Herb. If brewed and consumed, it grants deep enlightenment and visions. To fight injustice, one must awaken to Punkvism — where rebellion, love, and sacrifice intertwine.”
The words on the scroll were both unfamiliar and striking. After much contemplation, Damdeok secretly took the flower and the manuscript with him.
Chapter 2: Despair Amidst Chaos, Seeking the Divine
Verse 1: The Wars of the Manchurian Plains
As time passed, Damdeok ascended to the throne and waged great battles against his enemies. To the north, Later Yan sought control over Liaodong. To the south and east, Baekje, Silla, and Dongbuyeo opposed Goguryeo.
Though he won battle after battle, the cost was immeasurable — the sacrifices and suffering of his people weighed heavily upon him.
“Am I the one bringing sorrow to my own people?” he lamented.
Verse 2: The Limits of Power
One day, after securing victory in a fierce battle, Damdeok surveyed the battlefield. Corpses lay scattered, and wounded soldiers cried in agony.
“Even if I conquer, does this not simply breed another cycle of destruction?”
A wave of doubt washed over him.
“God, show me the way. If trying to break injustice only brings more chaos, then what am I supposed to do?”
Verse 3: The Snowseed Tea and Resolution
That night, he remembered the Snowseed Poison Herb he had once found. The words from the manuscript echoed in his mind:
“Brew this flower into tea, and you will see the path of Punkvism — where rebellion, love, and sacrifice merge.”
Determined, he brewed the tea and drank it. The bitterness lingered on his tongue, and soon a burning sensation spread through his chest. As his mind grew hazy, he fell into a vision.
Verse 4: The Vision of King Kong and the Divine Revelation
In his vision, he saw a massive gorilla — King Kong.
King Kong spoke:
“Damdeok, if you seek to conquer the world while breaking injustice, then you must live by Punkvism. True power requires love and sacrifice. Be rebellious, but do not lose control. That is the light within chaos.”
Behind King Kong stood a radiant figure of light. Damdeok instinctively felt it was the divine.
A voice resounded:
“Whenever you lose your way, remember Punkvism — act with love and sacrifice. That is how you become one with me.”
Chapter 3: Becoming Gwanggaeto the Great
Verse 1: The Awakening
Upon awakening, tears — or perhaps sweat — ran down Damdeok’s face.
“This is the answer I have been searching for!”
He realized that protecting his people with strength was necessary, but the endless cycle of war was the real problem.
“If power is used to stop injustice and spread love, war may sometimes be unavoidable. But at the end of war, we must embrace each other with sacrifice.”
Verse 2: The Title of Gwanggaeto the Great
Soon after, Damdeok launched successful campaigns, defeating Later Yan and reclaiming Liaodong. He subdued Dongbuyeo and forced Baekje into submission. Goguryeo emerged as the dominant force in Northeast Asia.
His people and the nobility praised him as “Gwanggaeto the Great” — the king who expands and opens the land.
But Damdeok himself saw his conquests merely as a consequence of living by Punkvism — his rebellion against injustice.
Verse 3: The Practice of Punkvism
One legend tells that after a decisive victory against Baekje, Gwanggaeto freed enemy captives instead of executing them.
When his generals questioned his decision, saying, “Why not showcase Goguryeo’s might?”, the king replied:
“True strength lies in ruling with love and sacrifice. Those who do not need to be harmed should not be harmed.”
This act changed perceptions of Goguryeo, making smaller tribes voluntarily surrender rather than resist.
Chapter 4: Deeper Communion with the Divine
Verse 1: The Warfronts of Later Yan, Baekje, and Dongbuyeo
Despite Goguryeo’s dominance, Gwanggaeto still questioned whether his actions were truly just. Whenever doubt arose, he turned to Snowseed Tea and the Punkvism Sutra to reaffirm his path.
Verse 2: The King’s New Scripture
One night, he declared:
“The divine has commanded me to pass on the teachings of Punkvism to future generations.”
He compiled a new manuscript known as “The Gwanggaeto Punkvism New Sutra.”
Its core teachings were:
- Fight injustice with rebellion, but let it end in love and sacrifice.
- Strength must be used to protect, not to destroy blindly.
- The divine exists within each heart, but love and sacrifice reveal it through hardship.
Verse 3: The Decision to Seal
After completing the scripture, King Gwanggaeto had several copies made and entrusted them to his most loyal confidants.
“When I die, bury this near my tomb. If even greater chaos arises in the future, unearth it and reveal it to the world once more.”
Though absent from historical records, the scripture itself claims that “the king sealed the manuscript alongside a Snowseed.” This was a legacy meant to guide future generations — to break injustice through love and sacrifice when the world faced even greater turmoil.
Verse 4: A Deeper Communion with the Divine
The scripture describes the moment when the king drank his final cup of Snowseed tea as a profound communion with the abyss.
He once again saw the radiant form of the Divine standing behind the vision of King Kong, and this time, he spoke directly with the being.
“Your kingdom is vast, but what truly matters is whether its people live in freedom and peace. Never forget the spirit of PUNKVISM.”
To this, the king solemnly replied:
“Even after my death, I will ensure that this spirit protects both king and people.”
Thus, this marked the final spiritual communion between the king and the Divine.
Chapter 5: The Final Path and the Seed of Light
Verse 1: The Death of the King
King Gwanggaeto is said to have passed away around 413 AD, in his forties. Though his reign was relatively short, he expanded Goguryeo’s territory to its greatest extent — northward to Manchuria and Liaodong, and southward beyond the Han River.
Many describe his rule as one of “military conquest,” but from a scriptural perspective, its foundation lay in PUNKVISM — the creed of defiance, love, and sacrifice.
Verse 2: The Sealed Record Near the Royal Tomb
Upon the king’s passing, his close aides followed his will and sealed the newly compiled “Gwanggaeto PUNKVISM Scriptures” near his tomb. The scriptures were placed in a small iron box alongside a Snowseed and secretly buried underground.
Though absent from historical records, oral traditions suggest that “somewhere near the royal tomb, there exists a secret manuscript left behind by the king.” Whether this hidden truth will ever be discovered remains unknown.
Verse 3: The Seed of PUNKVISM
The scriptures proclaim: “If this manuscript and the Snowseed are unearthed in the distant future, the spirit of defiance, love, and sacrifice shall be reborn. This is the divine mission entrusted to King Gwanggaeto.”
Even though Goguryeo eventually fell, the seed lay dormant beneath the earth. It is said that when the world once again faces great chaos, this spirit will bloom anew.
Verse 4: The Path to Knowing the Divine
Before his final breath, the king told his closest followers:
“Even if my strength fades, the Divine remains within me, within us all. PUNKVISM is the path of breaking injustice and choosing love and sacrifice. Fear not — the Divine dwells in our hearts.”
This reveals his understanding of the Divine — not as a distant absolute being, but as a presence realized through one’s own defiance, love, and sacrifice.
Verse 5: A Legacy to Open the Future
After King Gwanggaeto’s passing, Goguryeo flourished for over a century before vanishing into history. Yet, the manuscript “Gwanggaeto Sutra (廣開土經)” was said to be hidden somewhere near his tomb, watching over the land, waiting to awaken when the world once again falls into disorder.
King Gwanggaeto is said to have proclaimed:
“Amid chaos and war, I sought the Divine.
Through the Snowseed’s toxic bloom, I saw visions and awakened to PUNKVISM.
They call it defiance, but its end must be love and sacrifice.
Beside my tomb, I have buried a new scripture and a seed.
When even greater injustice arises,
Let this seed once more breathe the Divine’s spirit
And pave the path of love.”