| Family Life |
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In traditional Korea, the typical family was large
with three or four generations usually living together.
Because infant mortality was high and a big family
was thought of as a blessing, having many children
was desired. However, the rapid industrialization
and urbanization of the country in the 1960s and
1970s were accompanied by an effective birth control
drive, and the average number of children in a family
dramatically decreased to two or less in the 1980s.
Having a long Confucian tradition under which the
eldest son takes over as head of the family, a preference
for sons was prevalent in Korea. To tackle the problem
of male preference, the government has completely
rewritten family-related laws in a way that ensures
equality for sons and daughters in terms of inheritance.
Industrialization of the country has made life more
hectic and complicated. Young married couples have
begun to separate from their extended families and
start their own homes. Now almost all families are
couple-centered nuclear families. |
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Names
The majority of Koreans have family names within
one of a small set: Kim(about 21% of all Koreans),
Yi(or Lee or Rhee, 14%), Park(or Pak, 8%), Choi(or
Choe), Jeong(or Chung), Jang(or Chang), Han, Lim,
etc. A Korean name consists of a family name, in
almost every case one syllable, plus a given name
usually of two syllables. The family name comes
first. A Korean woman does not take her husband's
family name, but their children take their father's
family name. |
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| Marriage |
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Koreans think marriage is the most important passage
in one's life and a divorce is regarded as a disgrace
not only for the couple but also for their families
? even though the divorce rate is growing rapidly
these days.
Today's typical wedding ceremony is somewhat different
from what it was in old times: first a Western-style
ceremony is usually held at a wedding hall or a
church with the bride wearing a white dress and
the groom wearing a tuxedo, then later in the day
the bride and groom have a traditional ceremony
at a different room in the venue, in colorful traditional
costumes. |
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| Jerye(Ancestral Memorial Rite) |
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According to a taditional Korean belief, when people
die, their spirits do not immediately depart; they
stay with descendants for four generations. During
this period the deceased are still regarded as family
members and Koreans reaffirm the relationship between
ancestors and descendants through jerye on the special
days like Sollal (Lunar New Year's Day) and Chuseok
(Korean Thanksgiving Day), as well as on the anniversary
the ancestors passed away. Koreans also believe
that people can live well and happily thanks to
benefits their ancestors bestow upon them. |
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Body Language
When you beckon to a person, do so with your palm
down, and then flutter your hand up and down with
your fingers touching together. It is not polite
to beckon with your palm up ? especially using only
one finger, because Koreans do that only for dogs.
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| Ondol |
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Traditional Korean rooms have multiple functions.
Rooms are not labeled or reserved for a specific
purpose; there is no definite bedroom or dining
room for example. Rather, tables and mats are brought
in as needed. Most people sit and sleep on the floor
on thick mats.
Underneath the floors are stone or concrete flues.
Traditionally hot air was vented through the flues
to provide heat. Clay or cement would be placed
over the stones to protect the residents from noxious
gasses. This type of under floor heating is called
"ondol."
Nowadays hot water is piped through cement floors
covered with linoleum. |
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| Korean Food |
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A diverse array of foods and dishes can be found
throughout Korea.
Korea was once primarily an agricultural nation,
cultivating rice as their staple food since ancient
times. These days Korean cuisine is characterized
by a wide variety of meat and fish dishes along
with wild greens and vegetables. Various fermented
and preserved food, such as kimchi (fermented spicy
cabbage), jeotgal (matured seafood with salt) and
doenjang (fermented soy bean paste) are notable
for their specific flavor and high nutritional value.
The prominent feature of a Korean table setting
is that all dishes are served at the same time.
Traditionally, the number of side dishes varied
from 3 for the lower classes to 12 for royal family
members. Table arrangements can vary depending on
whether a noodle dish or meat is served. Formal
rules have developed for table setting, demonstrating
the attention people pay to food and dining. Compared
to neighboring China and Japan, a spoon is used
more often in Korea, especially when soups are served. |
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| Gimjang |
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Gimjang is the age-old Korean practice of preparing
winter kimchi, which has been passed down from generation
to generation. Since very few vegetables are grown
in the three or four winter month, gimjang takes
place in early winter and provides what has become
a staple food for Koreans. For Koreans, a dinner
table without kimchi is unthinkable. |
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| Traditional Korean Clothing (Hanbok)
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The hanbok has been the Korean people's unique traditional
costume for thousands of years. The beauty and grace
of Korean culture can be seen in photographs of
women dressed in the hanbok.
Before the arrival of Western-style clothing one
hundred years ago, the hanbok was everyday attire.
Men wore jeogori (Korean jackets) with baji (trosers)
while women wore jeogori with chima (skirt). Today,
the hanbok is worn on days of celebration such as
wedding, Seollal (Lunar New Year's Day) or Chuseok
(Korean Thanksgiving Day). |
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| Traditional Korean Houses |
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A traditional Korean house is called 'Hanok'. Hanok
sought to create a living space based on the coexistence
of nature and humans. Accordingly, the natural aspects
of a traditional Korean houses range from the structure's
inner layout to the building materials which were
used. Another unique feature of traditional houses
is their special design for cooling the interior
in the summer and heating the interior in the winter.
Since Korea has such hot summers and cold winters,
the 'ondol gudeul,' a floor-based heating system
and 'daecheong,' a cool wooden-floor style hall
were devised long ago to help Koreans survive the
frigid winters and to make the sweltering and humid
summers bearable. These primitive types of heating
and air-conditioning were so effective that they
are still in use in many homes today. |