Arirang was originally a part of the refrain of a very popular folk song, but now the word means almost everything typical of old Korea. There are a number of mountain, passes that are called arirang gogae (gogae meaning “hill way”), reminding people of the difficulty of travel in the old days. The fully decorated …
Koreans have used the lunar calendar for thousands of years. There are several special holidays reckoned by the lunar calendar. Chusok, or Harvest Moon, which is one of the biggest holidays of the year, falls on the 15th of August by the lunar calendar, or some time in September by the solar calendar. As this …
By far the most popular Korean meat cookery, pulgogi is thinly sliced beef grilled over a charcoal fire. Before cooking, the beef is seasoned with sesame oil, sugar, garlic, scallions, and soybean sauce and laid aside fro a few hours so that it becomes well marinated. Hence the irresistible flavor when it is cooked. It …
A kind of liquor distilled from various kinds of cereals. Rice or other cereals are steamed. Yeast is mixed in, and the mixture fermented at 25 degrees C for three or four days, heated again, and distilled. It is as pure and clear as water. It is about 190 proof, and is watered down to …
Korean traditional outer coat. In ancient times, such men’s upper garments as topo, chungchimak, and changot were very inconvenient. Turumagi was a further improved version of them, and came into general use among the lower class. The sleeves are somewhat tight. It has armpit gussets, a gore, and a narrow neckband. It may be lined …
This uniquely Korean alphabet was invented by Sejong the Great of the Chosun (Yi) Dynasty in 1443. There were originally 17 consonant’s and 11 vowels, but only 14 consonants and 10 vowels are used now. Hangul was originally called “hunminjongum” meaning “the right sound for the instruction of the people,” because its purpose was to …
A pendant trinket worn by ladies. It is made of gold, silver, or precious stones in the shape of the characters signifying “long life,” “riches,” and “nobility,” or in the shape of a rabbit, bat, red pepper, or eggplant. Tassel-led with the three primary colors, it is tied by a knotted silk thread on the …
The ten that are believed to live long or never die: sun, mountains, water, stones, clouds, pine trees, the herb of eternal youth, turtles, cranes, and deer. This belief originates from Taoism, a religion which developed from Taoist philosophy and folk and Buddhist religion, and which is concerned with obtaining long life and good fortune, …
Talchum has a long tradition interweaving elements of Buddhist, Confucian, and shamanistic cultures in Korea. Among the dances, “bongsan talchum,” “yangjoo sandaenolli,” and “hahoe byolsingut” are especially well known. The function of the masks in the dance is to disguise the players’ faces. The main themes of the dances are disgust with the ruling yangban …
Asians have long followed the influential dictates of the Oriental Twelve Zodiac Animals from birth to death. Koreans are no exception. Important decisions in life, such as one’s marriage, are influenced by the interpretation of the zodiac signs for a twelve-year cycle with each year dominated by an animal: rat, cow, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, …
