Thursday, December 9, 2010

Cultures in Korea

It is now a widely known fact that Korea has a unique culture that is special to itself, and this has been spreading around the globe. Many tourists are visiting Korea for this reason as well, especially so that they can enjoy first-hand experiences there. The Korean Wave, also known as Hallyu, has been sweeping over the globe andis attracting lotsof attention to Korea’s pop culture, traditions and politics. But what is Korean Culture exactly? It consists of six different aspects and is collectively known as the“Han Style”, which includes Hangeul (the Korean alphabet system), Hansik (Korean cuisine), Hanbok (traditional Korean clothing), Hanok (traditional Korean houses), Hanji (traditional Koreanpaper) and HangukEumak (Korean music).

i. Hangeul

It is a very unique and scientific writing system of the Koreans designated by UNESCO (UnitedNations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation) as an important part of the Memory of the World Heritage. The alphabets consists of 14 consonants and 10 vowels.In 1994, Discovery magazine described Hangul as the most logical language writing system in the world. The simplicity of Hangeul led Korea to become one of the most literate countries in the world. I will be touching more on Hangeul in another post,

Here is a chart of Hangeul:

For more on the history of Hangeul, you can refer to this website! http://english.gg.go.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2003/03/11/200303110037.jsp

ii. Hansik

Korean food is becoming increasingly popular among foreigners for its health benefits. The key to Hansik is fermentation. The purpose of fermentation is to purposely break down foods into more digestible components through the natural use of the bacteria that exists all around us. Unlike food simply going bad, fermentation represents a useful and practical change. Examples of Hansik include Kimchi, Bibimbap and Bulgogi.

For further reading on Hansik, information can be found here: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/CU/CU_EN_8_1_7_1.jsp

iii. Hanbok

Literally translated to Korean Clothing,hanbok refers to the traditional Korean dress characterized by vibrant colors and simple lines without pockets. Hanbok, in the modern day context, refers to those that are worn in the Joseon Dynasty, and is usually donned as semi-formal or formal wear during traditional festivals and celebrations.

The history of hanbok can be found here if you would like to read more about it: http://www.koreanculture.org/06about_korea/symbols/01hanbok.htm

iv. Hanok

Traditional Korean houses are attracting the attention of many foreigners because of the Ondol. Ondol is the Korean floor heating system that is very effective during cold seasons. It is an important aspect ofKorea’s unique architectural style, and has brought floor heating into trend globally. Another special point about the Hanok is the positioning of the house in relation to its surroundings, with thought given to the land and seasons.

(Popular Korean boyband SHINee visiting a Hanok as part of their reality show, Hello Baby)

To learn more about Hanoks, you can read this blog entry by this friendly blogwriter who writes about Korea! http://koreainfoblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/hanok-korean-traditional-house.html

v. Hanji

A traditional form of paper that can last for overone thousand years, and is known for its outstanding quality and elegant designs. The paper is drawing attention not only for record-keeping purposes but also for interior decoration and for its uses in paper wrapping. It is made from the inner bark of Paper Mulberry, a tree native to Korea that grows well on its rocky mountainsides.

More in-depth information on Hanji can be found here: http://www.korea.net/detail.do?guid=28230

vi. Hanguk Eumak

Traditional Korean music that has slow rhythms and sentimental lyrics that usually epitomize the sad history of Korea. It can be divided into two categories - one is the traditional music, called gugak (national music), transmitted for centuries; and the other is newly-composed music, called changjak gugak (newly-composed national music) which has been developed by the influence of Western music, although performed with traditional musical instruments.

You can access more information on traditional Korean music by clicking here: http://www.korea.net/detail.do?guid=28231

You can also learn more about the Korean culture by referring to the Korean Tourism Organisation website, where they provide extensive information on the various aspects of the Han Style.

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/CU/CU_EN_8_1.jsp

1 comment:

  1. Korea is heavily influenced by Chinese and Japanese culture. The influence can also be seen through Confucianism. Can be seen in modern Korea today. Social life involves a code of ethics and respect for elders and family.

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