Culture and Customs of Korea (Culture and Customs of Asia)

For centuries, although strongly influenced by the Chinese, Koreans have maintained a unique civilization with their own language, social organization, food, national costume, political institutions, and customs. The disruptions of the 20th century have included a long and difficult period of foreign rule and a devastating civil war. However, Koreans continue to prize their traditional culture, and the younger generations have embraced Koreanness with a determination to assert Korea's place in the world. Culture and Customs of Korea artfully depicts the past and present in North and South Korea with chapters on the story of the Korean people, thought and religion, arts and literature, performing arts, daily life and folkways, life in a Korean village, life in urban Korean, and gender, marriage, and the lives of Korean women. A chronology and glossary supplement the text. Cover Page......Page 1 Title: Culture and Customs of Korea......Page 4 ISBN 9780313360916......Page 5 Contents......Page 8 Illustrations......Page 10 Series Foreword......Page 12 Acknowledgments......Page 16 Chronology......Page 18 1 The Story of the Korean People......Page 28 KOREA'S PLACE IN EAST ASIA......Page 30 THE KOREAN PENINSULA......Page 32 CHOSON: THE LAST GREAT KOREAN KINGDOM......Page 35 THE LATE CHOSON PERIOD......Page 40 THE "OPENING" OF KOREA......Page 42 COLONIAL KOREA......Page 43 DIVIDED KOREA......Page 45 THE SOUTH KOREAN "ECONOMIC MIRACLE"......Page 48 NORTH KOREA'S POSTWAR EXPERIENCE......Page 51 THE PROBLEM OF REUNIFICATION......Page 54 2 Thought and Religion......Page 56 KOREAN IDEALS AND VALUES: THE CONFUCIAN TRADITION......Page 57 KOREAN RELIGIOUS IDEALS: THE BUDDHIST TRADITION......Page 63 SHAMANISM: THE "ORIGINAL" KOREAN RELIGION......Page 70 CHRISTIANITY IN KOREA......Page 74 "NEWLY RISING RELIGIONS"......Page 79 "KIMILSUNGISM": THE CIVIL RELIGION OF NORTH KOREA......Page 83 3 Arts and Literature......Page 88 KOREAN PAINTING......Page 92 KOREAN LITERATURE......Page 95 4 Performing Arts......Page 108 KOREAN CINEMA......Page 114 URBAN KOREA......Page 116 KOREAN FAMILY LIFE......Page 118 KOREAN HOUSES......Page 120 LIFETIME EVENTS......Page 123 KOREA'S CULINARY TRADITION......Page 130 KOREAN FOLK MEDICINE......Page 137 KOREAN FESTIVALS AND HOLIDAYS......Page 140 LUNAR CALENDAR SPECIAL DAYS AND FESTIVALS THROUGH THE YEAR......Page 141 NOTE......Page 144 RICE AGRICULTURE......Page 146 SOUTH VALLEY HAMLET......Page 150 NOTE......Page 160 7 Life in Urban Korea......Page 162 TRANSFORMATIONS AND ADAPTATIONS......Page 164 CIVIL SOCIETY AND URBANIZATION......Page 168 EDUCATION......Page 170 CHANGES IN KOREA'S YOUTH CULTURE......Page 176 CULTURE AND SPORTS IN URBAN KOREA......Page 177 USING PUBLIC AND RECREATIONAL SPACE......Page 179 CONSTANTS IN KOREAN LIFE......Page 183 BOY PREFERENCE......Page 184 KOREAN WOMEN: STEREOTYPES AND PARADOXES......Page 187 FAMOUS MODELS OF KOREAN WOMANHOOD......Page 190 RITUALS OF COURTSHIP......Page 193 THE TRADITIONAL KOREAN WEDDING......Page 196 MODERN WEDDINGS......Page 198 THE WOMEN'S MODERNIZATION MOVEMENT......Page 199 9 Greater Korea: Looking Ahead......Page 206 OTHER TRANSITIONS AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY......Page 208 Glossary......Page 212 KOREAN HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, AND CIVILIZATION......Page 220 KOREAN ART AND LITERATURE......Page 221 KOREAN PERFORMING ARTS......Page 222 KOREAN URBANIZATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT......Page 223 KOREAN-AMERICANS......Page 224 Index......Page 226 About the Author......Page 232 Back Page......Page 233 Cover Page 1 Title: Culture and Customs of Korea 4 ISBN 9780313360916 5 Contents 8 Illustrations 10 Series Foreword 12 Acknowledgments 16 Chronology 18 1 The Story of the Korean People 28 KOREA'S PLACE IN EAST ASIA 30 THE KOREAN PENINSULA 32 GEOPOLITICS 35 CHOSON: THE LAST GREAT KOREAN KINGDOM 35 THE LATE CHOSON PERIOD 40 THE "OPENING" OF KOREA 42 COLONIAL KOREA 43 DIVIDED KOREA 45 THE SOUTH KOREAN "ECONOMIC MIRACLE" 48 NORTH KOREA'S POSTWAR EXPERIENCE 51 THE PROBLEM OF REUNIFICATION 54 2 Thought and Religion 56 KOREAN IDEALS AND VALUES: THE CONFUCIAN TRADITION 57 KOREAN RELIGIOUS IDEALS: THE BUDDHIST TRADITION 63 SHAMANISM: THE "ORIGINAL" KOREAN RELIGION 70 CHRISTIANITY IN KOREA 74 "NEWLY RISING RELIGIONS" 79 "KIMILSUNGISM": THE CIVIL RELIGION OF NORTH KOREA 83 3 Arts and Literature 88 KOREAN PAINTING 92 KOREAN LITERATURE 95 4 Performing Arts 108 KOREAN CINEMA 114 URBAN KOREA 116 5 Daily Life and Folkways 118 KOREAN FAMILY LIFE 118 KOREAN HOUSES 120 LIFETIME EVENTS 123 KOREA'S CULINARY TRADITION 130 KOREAN FOLK MEDICINE 137 KOREAN FESTIVALS AND HOLIDAYS 140 LUNAR CALENDAR SPECIAL DAYS AND FESTIVALS THROUGH THE YEAR 141 NOTE 144 6 Life in a Korean Village 146 RICE AGRICULTURE 146 SOUTH VALLEY HAMLET 150 NOTE 160 7 Life in Urban Korea 162 TRANSFORMATIONS AND ADAPTATIONS 164 CIVIL SOCIETY AND URBANIZATION 168 EDUCATION 170 CHANGES IN KOREA'S YOUTH CULTURE 176 CULTURE AND SPORTS IN URBAN KOREA 177 USING PUBLIC AND RECREATIONAL SPACE 179 CONSTANTS IN KOREAN LIFE 183 8 Gender, Marriage, and the Lives of Korean Women 184 BOY PREFERENCE 184 KOREAN WOMEN: STEREOTYPES AND PARADOXES 187 FAMOUS MODELS OF KOREAN WOMANHOOD 190 RITUALS OF COURTSHIP 193 THE TRADITIONAL KOREAN WEDDING 196 MODERN WEDDINGS 198 THE WOMEN'S MODERNIZATION MOVEMENT 199 9 Greater Korea: Looking Ahead 206 OTHER TRANSITIONS AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY 208 Glossary 212 Suggestions for Further Reading 220 A NOTE ON SOURCES AND READINGS 220 KOREAN HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, AND CIVILIZATION 220 KOREAN RELIGION AND THOUGHT 221 KOREAN ART AND LITERATURE 221 KOREAN PERFORMING ARTS 222 DAILY LIFE AND CUSTOMS 223 KOREAN URBANIZATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 223 KOREAN WOMEN 224 KOREAN-AMERICANS 224 Index 226 About the Author 232 Back Page 233 ISBN,9780313360916 "Culture and Customs of Korea is an introduction to the Korean people and their religion, arts and literature, daily life, and customs. It presents the most important experiences that have shaped life in both North and South Korea today. These include the migration of the people from farms in the countryside to crowded city apartments, the effects of rapid industrialization, and the continuing trauma of the country's division. Accessible and highly authoritative, Culture and Customs of Korea will be the ultimate source for students and other interested readers wishing to learn about an important Asian society and the homeland of the many Korean Americans."--Jacket ch. 1. Story of the Korean people -- -- ch. 2. Thought and religion -- -- ch. 3. Arts and literature -- -- ch. 4. Performing arts -- -- ch. 5. Daily life and folkways -- -- ch. 6. Life in a Korean village -- -- ch. 7. Life in urban Korea -- -- ch. 8. Gender, marriage, and the lives of Korean women -- -- ch. 9. Greater Korea: looking ahead.