More to know about SOUTH KOREA - Culture

Culture of South Korea

South Korea is a Sporting Powerhouse. South Korea was host of the Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics and organized Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. It also co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup with Japan. With high-level sport facilities and training system, Korea has got lots of medals in Archery, Fencing, Taekwondo, Judo, Badminton and Speed skating at Olympics. Taekwondo, Korea’s national Sports, is a martial art that is highlighted with head-height kicks, jumping, spinning kicks and fast kicking techniques. It has been an official Olympic event since 2000. It has grown into an international sport with around 100 million participants globally. It’s not only a combative sport but also a self-defense and self-training skill. Located in the town of Muju is Taekwondowon, the most revered place of Taekwondo practitioners.

In recent days, Korean dramas, music, movies, cuisine, animation and language have been attracting wide audiences throughout Asian countries and beyond, creating what is being called the "Korean Wave" (also called Hallyu 한류).

K-Pop is well-known for its catchy sounds, lyrics and synchronized choreography. The famous K-pop single "Gangnam Style", sung by Psy became 1st Youtube video reaching 2 billion views in 2014. BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, a seven-member South Korean boy band, won Top Social Artist Award at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards. This band is the first Korean act to top the Billboard 200 in 2018 and have since hit top of the U.S. charts. BTS has appeared in Time's 100 most influential people in the world (2019). In Sep 2018, BTS gave a speech at United Nations as ambassadors for UNICEF, and were featured on cover of Time magazine's international cover, being referred to as 'Next Generation Leaders.’

Korean dramas (also known as K-drama) are popular worldwide from Boys of Flower (2009), Descendants of Sun (2016), to Kingdom (2019) in Netflix. Since 1990s, Korean drama has been broadcasted internationally in China, Japan, Turkey and even Arabian countries; for example, Dae Jang Geum (also known as Jewel in the palace, 2003) which was sold to 91 countries.

Korean comics and print cartoons (common usage also includes animated cartoons) are generally called Manhwa. Pororo the Little Penguin, Tayo the Little Bus and Larva are some world-famous Korean cartoons.

In the 1980s, Koreans began using the term Hanguk-hwa, meaning Korean paintings, to refer to traditional Korean paintings. Korean Folk Painting is called Minhwa.

The traditional South Korean dress is called Hanbok, which can be characterized by vibrant colors and elegant silhouettes. Hanbok is worn as semi-formal or formal wear during traditional festivals, celebrations and important days like birthday and marriage. Hanbok is composed of largely two parts. For women, it’s a set of Jeogori (jacket) and Chima (skirt) while for men, Baji (pants) replaced the skirt.

The traditional handmade paper from Korea is called Hanji. Hanji is made from the inner bark of Paper Mulberry tree. Hanji has many great uses. Historically, in addition to its use in books and notebooks, it was used to cover windows and doors to keep rooms warm and protect them from the wind. Koreans were able to use Hanji as door and window screen paper because it was durable and can last over 1,000 years. When Hanji is pasted on doors and windows, it blocks wind while letting sunlight subtly pass through. Hanji not only created a very elegant ambience, but it was also very effective in controlling temperature and humidity.

Korean food is referred to in Korean as Hansik. There are many kinds of fermented foods in Hansik. The most well-known fermented food of Hansik is Kimchi, which is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings. In traditional preparation, kimchi was stored underground in jars to keep cool during the summer months and unfrozen during the winter months. The most common type of kimchi is made by mixing salted white cabbage with kimchi paste made of chili powder, garlic, spring onion, Korean radish, ginger, fish sauce and other ingredients like fresh seafood.. Two of the other most important items of traditional fermented food in Korea are Doenjang (Soybean Paste) and Ganjang (Soy Sauce).

Bibimbap (literally “mixed rice”), one of the signature dishes in Korean cuisine, is essentially a dish of cooked rice, served after mixing it with fresh and seasoned vegetables, fried egg, minced raw meat and other ingredients. Tteok, or Korean rice cake, refers to a range of sticky cakes made by steaming powdered rice with other grains, usually beans, or by pounding boiled rice into different shapes and textures.

The Korean set meal known as Hanjeongsik, originally consisted of cooked rice, soup, and from three to five, (largely vegetable,) side dishes. Today’s set meal tends to be much more luxurious with tens of new dishes, meat and fish included, although the three basic dishes, i.e. rice, soup, and kimchi, still remain. Two cities in the southwestern part of Korea, Jeonju and Gwangju, are famous for this traditional Korean meal. Bulgogi, which literally means “fire meat”, refers to a traditional Korean dish made by grilling beef or (rarely) pork after shredding or slicing it and marinating it in sweet soy sauce mixed with many condiments. Juk is a Korean-style porridge made of various grains that is usually served to children, the elderly, or people suffering from digestive problems. Guksu is the collective name of Korean noodles. Koreans have developed a wide range of noodle dishes that are full of symbolic meanings. Korean traditional cookies and confectionery are called Hangwa. Korean Temple food has become increasingly popular among health-conscious people, as well-being, healing food regardless of religious backgrounds.

Korean traditional houses are called Hanok. Korean architecture lends consideration to the positioning of the house in relation to its surroundings, with thought given to the land and seasons. This principle is called Baesanimsu, literally meaning that the ideal house is built with a mountain in the back and a river in the front. Ondol, heated rock system, is a very unique under-floor heating system of South Korea during cold winters. Ondol, literally meaning “warm stones” and developed during the prehistoric period, refers to the system of channels running beneath the stone floor of a room through which heat is delivered from the fireplace in the kitchen. Another important element of the traditional Korean house is the board-floored room (Maru) located at the center and used for multiple purposes. This room is usually larger than other rooms and is raised from the ground to allow air to freely circulate under it, creating a cool living environment during the warm summer season.. The roof is typically covered with either ceramic tiles or thatching. While most of the roof tiles are dark gray, some exhibit more vibrant colors. For example, the Official Residence of the Korean President is called Cheongwadae, which literally means “Blue House” because it is covered by blue roof tiles.

Know More Information related to South Korea

Know More Information related to South Korea

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1. About South Korea

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2. Culture of South Korea

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3. Tradition and Holidays of Korea

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4. Relation between India and Korea

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5. Tourism in Korea

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6. Korean Language

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7. Conclusion

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