Clothing and Fashion

The Korean people learned to use various clothing materials, such as sambe (hemp), mosi (ramie), cotton, and silk, to make a range of clothing that was not only attractive but also provided them with effective protection even during the harshest winters and the hottest summers. They made warm winter clothes using the technique of wadding soft cotton between two pieces of cloth, silk, or cotton fabric, and stitching them in fine lines, and produced cool summer clothes with hemp and ramie. Hanbok is the traditional Korean attire made with these materials, typically featuring graceful lines and forms with a serene aura.

Korea’s traditional clothing, hanbok, has maintained its basic traditional features throughout Korea’s 5,000-year history while its styles and forms have evolved in various ways based on the lifestyle, social conditions, and aesthetic taste of the times.

History reveals that in general, Korean people in the past tended to prefer simple, white clothes to fancy ones. That is why they were often referred to as “the white-clad people” among their neighbors who admired them for being peaceful people. Nonetheless, Korea has also had a long tradition of enjoying colorful clothes with complex designs depending on the period and the wearer’s social status.

Today, South Korea is in the global spotlight because of a variety of hanbok designs that reinterpret traditional Korean designs and patterns in a modern artistic sensibility. The music videos of K-pop singers such as BTS and BLACKPINK also contribute to the higher global recognition of hanbok as an attractive costume for its unique style and beauty. In addition, its value is getting admitted popularly thanks to increasing attention even to the ornaments such as gat (Korean traditional hat) that appeared in the Korean drama, Kingdom, which was released for streaming on Netflix, the world’s largest over-the-top (OTT) platform.

Korean people today seem to prefer clothes inspired by modern Western styles to their traditional clothes although some people still insist on wearing the latter on traditional holidays or special family occasions such as weddings. Their love of tradition and yearning for the new sometimes led to the creation of attractive “modernized hanbok.”

Gangnam-gu in Seoul, which is now a household name across the world thanks to “Gangnam Style,” a K-pop song that shook the world in 2012, is a large district where wealthy residential areas sit alongside high-end art facilities and the busiest fashion streets. This special fashion zone attracts numerous fashionminded tourists from around the world with special fashion events by inviting global designers and holding contests for emerging talents to show their designs.

Another fashion district in Seoul that enjoys an international reputation is Dongdaemun-gu, now a hub of the regional fashion industry, which provides creative, affordable fashion items for the young at heart. With its fully developed distribution and sales networks, highly efficient production facilities, and a throng of talented, aspiring designers, this district is now a must-visit attraction in Seoul for foreign tourists.

Traditional Fermentation of Food

One of the key words to understanding traditional Korean food is fermentation, a metabolic process that helps food to “mature” so that it can be stored for a longer period. The Korean foods that best represent the tradition of fermentation developed in Korea include doenjang (soybean paste), ganjang (soy sauce), gochujang (chili paste), and jeotgal (fermented fish sauce). The fermentation can take anywhere from several months to several years.

Doenjang (Soybean Paste) and Ganjang (Soy Sauce)

Two of the most important items of traditional fermented food in Korea are doenjang and ganjang. To make them, it is necessary to soak soybeans in water and boil them until fully cooked. Then, they must be pounded and formed into brick-shaped lumps, and left to dry and ferment. Then, they are placed in salted water in a large pot along with dried red chili and heated charcoal, which help remove impurities and odors during the fermentation process. The beans thus prepared are then left for about two to three months until they become fully fermented. This product should then be divided into two, solids and liquid, of which the former needs to be brewed for over five more months and the latter for over three months to develop a full flavor and taste. Just like wine, soy sauce tends to have a richer flavor and taste when brewed for a longer period.

Gochujang (Korean Chili Paste)

Gochujang is a traditional Korean condiment made by fermenting a mixture of soybean malt, salt, and chili pepper powder with a blend of powdered rice, barley, flour, and malted barley. Gochujang has long been one of the most important traditional condiments among Korean people, whose palates have evolved toward a preference for hot and spicy foods since they were introduced to chili several hundred years ago. Chili and gochujang are now often regarded as a symbol of the vibrant, energetic disposition of Korean people

Jeotgal (Salted Seafood)

Jeotgal is almost an indispensable kimchi seasoning and a very popular condiment used to enhance the taste of food. It is made by mixing one of a variety of seafood (such as anchovy, shrimp, oyster, or clam) with salt, or with other condiments in addition to salt, and fermenting it in a cool place. It is said that the longer it is fermented, the better it tastes. The tradition of making fermented fish sauce yielded several special delicacies including sikhae, which is made by fermenting fish mixed with rice and condiments.

Kimchi 

Kimchi, which is gaining a worldwide reputation as one of the representative Korean dishes, has been praised for its anti-carcinogenic properties and nutritional value, as well as numerous variations that create excitingly diverse flavors and tastes. 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. Kimchi can be eaten fresh but is normally consumed after fermentation for several days. Some prefer mugeunji, which is fully fermented for over one year.

Bibimbap

Bibimbap (literally “mixed rice”) is a Korean rice dish served after mixing it with an assortment of fresh and seasonal vegetables, fried egg, minced beef, and other ingredients. It is also served in a sizzling hot stone bowl, which is called dolsotbibimbap (Hot Stone Pot Bibimbap). The dish is closely related to Jeonju, a UNESCO-designated Creative City of Gastronomy, where food festivals such as the Bibimbap Festival are held every autumn, thereby attracting gastronomes from across South Korea and beyond.

Bibimbap, along with kimchi and bulgogi, is considered one of the three representative dishes of Korean cuisine. It is getting more preferred as an airline meal, and more efforts have been put into the development of different bibimbap products to popularize Korean cuisine as a universal global food.

Bulgogi, which literally means “fire meat,” refers to a traditional Korean dish made by grilling meat after marinating slices of beef or pork in sweet soy sauce mixed with a great variety of condiments mainly made with soy sauce, sugar, and pear juice. Bulgogi is also popular among foreigners, so many South Korean fast-food restaurants serve bulgogi-flavored fast food such as bulgogi hamburgers and bulgogi pizza.

Japchae (Stir-Fried Glass Noodles and Vegetables)

Japchae is one of the most popular traditional celebration dishes. Japchae is a mixture of various ingredients, creating a unique taste. It is made by mixing boiled glass noodles, fried vegetables such as spinach, carrots, and mushrooms, meats, and other ingredients. It was first served at a royal banquet in the Joseon dynasty in the 17th century. For this reason, japchae is considered a luxurious and elegant dish and always served on special occasions such as a birthday, a wedding reception, and a 60th birthday party.

Jeon (Pancakes)

Jeon, also known as Korean pancakes, refers to all kinds of food made by cutting ingredients into slices and coating them with wheat flour and an egg wash before frying them in oil. It can be made with different ingredients such as meat, fish, and vegetable. Some jeon called hwajeon is made out of glutinous rice flour and edible petals from seasonal flowers such as azalea and chrysanthemum.

Jeon is eaten itself, but the taste becomes richer with soy sauce. Preferred by all people of ages, it is served on feasts, holidays, and other important occasions..

Tteok (Rice Cake)

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. While eaten as a staple food, rice is sometimes served as a variety of rice cakes on special family or communal occasions such as birthday parties, wedding receptions, memorial services, and traditional holidays. Rice is the main ingredient of tteok, but it is often mixed with other grains, fruits, nuts, and herbs such as mugwort, red bean, jujube, soybean, and chestnut.

Korean people serve different varieties of traditional rice cakes with various symbolic meanings on special occasions. For instance, one is baekseolgi (white steamed rice cakessnow-white rice cake) served on the first birthday of a baby as it symbolizes a long life. Another is patsirutteok (red-bean-coated rice cake) used when they start a business as the red color is believed to help repel evil forces. They celebrate New Year’s Day with tteokguk (rice cake soup), which consists of a broth with rice flakes, and Chuseok (the 15th Day of the 8th Lunar Month) with songpyeon, bite-sized half-moon shaped rice cakes stuffed with honey, chestnut, soybean, or sesame mixture. Nagwon-dong is famous for a cluster of rice cake houses still operating downtown in Seoul.

Juk (Porridge) 

Juk, cooked in water for a long time with various grains, is a Korean-style porridge that was usually used to treat children, the elderly, or people suffering from digestive problems. In recent years, juk houses have sprung up in many parts of South Korea. They usually prepare the dish with a wide range of ingredients, mostly grains and vegetables, developing numerous varieties, some of which are now served at small specialty dinners. Even more, companies present different instant porridges for commercial sale.

Noodles

Korean people have developed a wide range of noodle dishes with different symbolic meanings. One of such dishes is janchi guksu (noodles in broth), which is served in a hot anchovy broth to the guests at a wedding reception. This dish is so closely related to the idea of a happy marriage in Korea that a question such as “When can we eat noodles?” would readily be understood to mean, “When do you plan to get married?” It is also eaten to celebrate birthdays because it symbolizes a long, healthy life. Korean people also have a long-established tradition of eating naengmyeon, cold buckwheat noodles. There are two main varieties: Pyongyang-style and Hamheung-style cold buckwheat noodles. The former is served as a cold soup containing noodles while the latter with a spicy dressing and eaten all mixed.

Hanjeongsik (Korean table d’hote)

Hanjeongsik, also known as the Korean table d‘hote, normally consists of cooked rice, soup, and three to five (largely vegetable) side dishes. Although the higher standard of living contributes to the creation of more new side dishes and thus the Korean table d‘hote becomes more luxurious involving tens of dishes, it always consists of three basic dishes: rice, soup, and kimchi. Two cities in the southwestern part of South Korea, Jeonju and Gwangju, are particularly famous for this traditional Korean-style full-course meal.

Korean Temple Cuisine

Korean Buddhist temples have maintained their own culinary traditions, creating a wonderful range of vegetable dishes and ingredients and developing recipes to provide proteins and other substances required for the monks and nuns to remain healthy while refraining from flesh meat. Temple cuisine is now preferred by vegans and other people who follow special diets for health-related reasons.

Alcoholic Beverages

A wide variety of alcoholic beverages have been developed across different parts of South Korea to meet the needs specific to local communities during holidays, festivals, memorial rites, and other commemorative occasions. Currently, some 300 traditional beverages have survived, including Munbaeju (pear-flavored liquor) and Songjeolju (pine knot liquor) in Seoul; Sanseong Soju (distilled liquor) in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do; Jindo Hongju (red liquor) in Jeollanam-do and Jeonju Igangju (distilled liquor) in Jeollabuk-do; Hansan Sogokju (rice wine) in Chungcheongnam-do; Geumsan Insamju (ginseng liquor) in Chungcheongnamdo; Gyodong Beopju (rice liquor) and Andong Soju (distilled liquor) in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do; and Okseonju (distilled liquor) in Hongcheon, Gangwon-do.

Makgeolli (rice wine) is one of the most popular traditional alcoholic beverages across South Korea. It is also known by other names such as nongju (farmer’s wine), takju (cloudy wine), and dongdongju (rice wine). It is made by a process in which steamed rice, barley, or wheat is mixed with nuruk and left to ferment, and has an alcohol content of 6%–7%, making it a fairly mild drink. Recognized as a healthy fermented liquor, it is gaining popularity among foreign tourists visiting South Korea.

Another hugely popular alcoholic beverage is soju, which is made by adding water and flavorings to alcohol extracted from sweet potatoes and grains. Although its alcohol content varies but is significantly higher than makgeolli, it is widely loved by ordinary people for its affordable prices in South Korea and is also rapidly gaining enthusiasts abroad.

Korean people have developed unique architectural techniques to build housing that is properly adapted to the natural environment, providing dwellers with better protection. One of the distinctive features of the hanok (traditional Korean house) is an underfloor heating system called ondol. Ondol, which literally means “warm stones” and was 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. It is also designed to effectively draw out the smoke through the under-the-floor passages connected to the chimney.

Another architectural feature is the board-floored room called maru located at the center for multiple purposes. The room is usually larger than other rooms and is raised from the ground to allow warm and cold air to freely circulate under it. This creative natural air-conditioning system ensures a cool living environment during the summer. In other words, the traditional Korean house is scientifically designed to incorporate these smart ondol-maru systems in harmony. The roof is typically covered with either giwa (tiles) with different colors or byeotjib (rice straw). While most of the roof tiles are dark gray, some exhibit more vibrant colors as demonstrated, for example, by Cheongwadae, the official residence of the South Korean President, which literally means “Blue House” because it is covered by blue roof tiles.

While traditional Korean houses are generally wooden structures, they can survive as long as other buildings made with other materials if properly taken care of. Presumed to have been built in the early 1200s, the Geungnakjeon Hall of Bongjeongsa Temple in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, is Korea’s oldest extant wooden building. The ideal location for hanok is believed to have hills or mountains at the back of the house to prevent the cold wind and a stream or river in front to ensure easy access to water. Houses built in such a place create a great harmony with the surroundings, attracting more and more admirers at home and abroad.

These days, over 60% of Seoul’s population live in modern apartments, but, interestingly, these tall, multistoried buildings are almost without exception furbished with a heating system inspired by the age-old ondol system. Similarly, newly built detached houses are also reliant on its legacy to heat the floor, although the traditional heat passages are now replaced with under-floor metal pipes with running water heated either by gas or electricity. This traditional Korean heating system has been gaining more popularity not only in South Korea but also in other countries with wide variations in daily temperature.

Festivals 

Until the mid-20th century, Korea was primarily an agricultural society, and the seasonal rhythms of daily life were organized by the lunar calendar. Because farming was hugely important for the subsistence of the members, such society developed a great variety of semi-religious events intended to pray for a good harvest and abundant food. Those events gradually evolved into communal celebrations and festivals.

Korean people celebrate the Lunar New Year’s Day (Seol or Seollal), with a special festival dish called tteokguk or rice cake soup. They believe they can grow one year older after consuming a bowl of rice cake soup on that day. In addition, younger people make a deep traditional bow to their elders and wish them a happy new year, which is called sebae (New Year’s bow). Then, the elders typically reward this gesture by giving New Year’s gift money to their juniors.

Another important seasonal festival called Daeboreum (Greater Full Moon) is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of the year by the lunar calendar. On that day, people eat special festival food called ogokbap, a dish made with five grains and served with an assortment of cooked vegetables, play games aimed for the unity of the local community, and perform rituals for a good harvest.

Along with the Lunar New Year’s Day, Chuseok, also known as hangawi, is one of the biggest and most important holidays in Korea, which is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. On this day, all family members gather together and hold a ritual with newly harvested crops and fruits to express their appreciation to their ancestors and to nature. As it falls in the harvest season, a time of abundance, there is a Korean saying that goes, “May things be just like hangawi, no more, no less.”

Celebrations 

Korean parents mark the 100th day anniversary (baegil) and the first birthday (dol) of their baby with special big celebrations in which their families, relatives, and friends participate. They generally hold a large celebratory banquet for their baby with a ritual prayer for the baby’s health, success in life, and longevity, and the participants give the baby gold rings as a special gift.

Weddings have also been a very important family celebration in South Korea. It was not until the 20th century when most Korean people began to choose their spouse in person, not getting married by the arrangement of their parents or matchmakers.

In the past, a wedding ceremony in Korea was more like a village festival. Families, relatives, and villagers would gather together to celebrate the couple. The groom wore samogwandae, which refers to the uniforms of government officials, and the bride was dressed in a lavishly embroidered bridal robe, such as hwarot or wonsam, and a bejeweled headdress or a coronet named jokduri.

Today, the Western style of a wedding ceremony is widely regarded as the norm, but there are some remaining traditional rituals such as Pyebaek (traditional custom where the bride pays respect to the groom’s family right after the wedding ceremony) and Ibaji (wedding food that the bride presents to the groom’s family).

In South Korea, babies are one year old as soon as they are born because the period when they are in their mother’s womb is also considered for calculating age. A person’s 60th birthday used to be celebrated with a grand party as that age was regarded as enough to have experienced all the principles of heaven and earth. However, today, the average life expectancy of South Koreans is more than 80 years, so people celebrate their 70th birthday in such a grand manner rather than their 60th birthday.

National Holidays

In South Korea, there are five national holidays designated by the government. First, March 1st Movement Day commemorates the Korean independence movement, which was held by the public on March 1, 1919 to show resistence against the Japanese occupation of Korea. Second, Constitution Day or Jeheonjeol is observed on July 17th, the day that the South Korean constitution was proclaimed in 1948. Third, National Liberation Day (Gwangbokjeol, August 15), celebrated annually on August 15th, is to commemorate Victory over Japan Day at the end of World War II. Fourth, National Foundation Day (Gaecheonjeol), celebrated annually on October 3rd, is to mark the foundation of Gojoseon, the first state of the Korean nation, on the 3rd day of the 10th lunar month, 2333 BCE. Fifth and last, Hangeul Proclamation Day (Hangeul Day), celebrated annually on October 9th, is to commemorate the invention and proclamation of the Korean writing system.

Public Holidays

The public holidays during which work is suspended by law in South Korea include New Year’s Day, Seollal (or Lunar New Year’s Day, celebrated for 3 days), Chuseok (Mid-autumn Festival on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, celebrated for 3 days), Buddha’s Birthday (on the 8th day of the 4th lunar month), Children’s Day (May 5), Memorial Day (June 6), and Christmas Day. There are 15 public holidays in total on which businesses are closed by law and employees have a day off, from which Constitution Day is excluded.

South Korea is a country where all the world’s major religions, Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Islam, peacefully coexist with shamanism. According to the 2015 statistics, 44% of South Koreans identified with a religion.

Among them, Buddhism and Confucianism have been more influential than any others upon the life of the Korean people, and over half of the country’s listed cultural heritage is related to the two religions. Since Buddhism arrived in Korea in 372, tens of thousands of temples have been built across the country.

Adopted as the state ideology of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), Confucianism is more of a code of ethical conduct that emphasizes the importance of loyalty, filial piety, and ancestor worship. Based on the concepts of Confucianism, the Joseon Dynasty established a code of conduct to settle the manners and customs of the people’s lives. It stresses the importance of chung, the loyalty of subjects to their king, hyo, filial, the obedience of children to their parents, and yeol, duties between the husband and the wife.

Catholicism was introduced to Korea during the late Joseon dynasty period by diplomats who returned from China and Catholic priests who were invited by the Korean Christians. The early Roman Catholics in Korea were subjected to severe persecution, but the religion continued to spread among the common people across the country. Through the persecution many Christians were martyred by the rulers at that time, which led Korea to yield the world’s fourth-largest number of Christian saints.

Protestantism was brought to Korea during the late Joseon dynasty period and quickly won people’s hearts through school education and medical services. Even today, Protestants in South Korea operate a great number of educational institutions, middle and high schools, colleges and universities, and medical centers.

In addition to these, there are a rich array of native religions such as Cheondogyo, Won Buddhism, and Daejonggyo, which are still active in increasing the number of their adherents. Cheondogyo, founded on the basis of the Eastern Learning (Donghak) of the 19th century, maintains the doctrine that “Man is Heaven,” which exerted a strong influence upon the process of modernization in Korea. Daejonggyo was established in the early 20th century to worship Dangun, the founder of the first Korean state. In 1955, the Korea Muslim Society was first established, which elected the first Korean imam (Islamic leader), later growing large enough to become the Korea Muslim Federation in 1967.

Still, shamanism has also played an important part in the daily life of the Korean people. Some believe shamans can predict their future or they can console the spirit of the deceased. Others visit fortune-tellers when they start a business or get married.