Yun Choe
Ethnic Value Matching Project
Earth (Geography):
Location- The Korean Peninsula extends for about 1,000 kilometers southward from the northeast part of the Asian continent and consists of the KoreanPeninsula and over 3,400 islands. The peninsula and all of its associated islands lie between 33*N and 43*N parallels and 124*E and 132*E meridians. The total area of the peninsula is 221,607 square kilometers, similar in size to that of the U.K.New Zealand, or Romania. South Korea possesses 99,237 square kilometers or 45% of the total landmass, while North Korea 122,370 square kilometers, the remaining 55%. Korea has a varied terrain, though about 70% of the territory is mountainous. Since the peninsula has many scenic mountains and rivers, Koreans often call it the “land decorated with golden embroidery.” Most of the larger rivers are located in the west and have their tributaries on the north and east sides, and flow into the Yellow Sea and the SouthSea. In South Korea, the NaktongRiver and the Han River are the two major rivers responsible for irrigation and industrial water supply. The Han River flows through Seoul, the capital of the Republic and serves as a lifeline for the large population in the central region, including Seoul’s 11 million residents. The river also played a significant part in the development of Koran’s ancient civilization. Surrounding the peninsula on three sides, the sea has played a remarkable role in Korean life since ancient times, contributing to the early development of shipbuilding and navigation skills. The coastline is dotted with bays and it has some of the highest tides in the world. The eastern coastline has many sandy beaches, while the western side consists mainly of mud flats and rocky shores. Off the southern coast, more than 3,000 islands of various sizes are scattered and provide beautiful scenery unparalleled in the world.
Climate and Weather- Part of the East Asian monsoon region, South Korea has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Winters are usually long, cold, and dry, whereas summers are short, hot, and humid.
Spring and autumn, which are pleasant but short in duration, provide a welcome relief from the extremes of summer and winter. Spring, from April to June, is generally good, before the summer monsoon rains. The weather in early spring is somewhat unpredictable with frequent rainfalls and gusty winds carrying yellow dust from northern China. But in mid-April, the country enjoys balmy weather with the mountains and fields garbed in brilliant wild flowers. Farmers prepare seedbeds for the annual rice crop at this time. The rainy season, so-called changma season, starts in late June and lasts through mid-July and often causes flooding of low areas. Autumn is the best time to visit Korea - beautiful with crisp air and blue skies. The countryside is colored in a variety of mellow hues. This is the time for harvest and consequently the time for thanksgiving. Autumn in Korea is a delightful season featuring many folk festivals rooted in ancient agrarian customs. Winter starts in late November and lasts until early March. Temperatures range from a low of -15°C in winter to a high of 34.7°C in summer. Seoul's mean temperature in January is -5°C to - 2.5°C; in July the mean temperature is about 22.5°C to 25°C. Because of its southern location, ChejuIsland has warmer and milder weather than other parts of South Korea. Mean temperatures on Cheju range from 2.5°C in January to 25°C in July. The country generally has sufficient rainfall to sustain its agriculture. Rarely does less than 75 centimeters of rain fall in any given year; for the most part, rainfall is over 100 centimeters. Amounts of precipitation, however, can vary from year to year. The three months of June, July, and August have the heaviest rains, with July usually being the wettest month of the year.
History:
Archeologists believe that people have been living on the Korean peninsula for about half a million years. Originally they made their living by hunting and collecting wild animals and plants. Many already lived in small villages and made pottery. Pieces of old pottery decorated with a comb pattern have been found at riverside and coastal sites around the country. Also, stone chopping tools and hand axes have been found in archeological digs in central Korea. About 5,500 years ago, groups of the food collecting people began to cultivate millet, then various kinds of beans including soy. As early as 2700 b. c., rice began to appear in the southern parts of Korea. It was the first of many things borrowed from the developing civilization of neighboring China. By 1,500 bronze making techniques were imported from China followed by iron about 1000 years later. Developed agriculture and good metal tools produced more food and farmer populations grew steadily. Korea's geography was a major factor in shaping its history; geography also influenced the manner in which the inhabitants of the peninsula emerged as a people sharing the common feeling of being Koreans. The KoreanPeninsula protrudes southward from the northeastern corner of the Asian continent and is surrounded on three sides by large expanses of water. Although Japan is not far from Korea, in ancient times the peninsula was affected far more by the civilizations on the Asian continent than by those in Japan. The Korean people trace their origins to the founding of the state of Choson, literally meaning the "Land of the Morning Calm." It dated to 2333 B.C. when Tan-gun, a legendary figure born of the son of Heaven and a woman from a bear-totem tribe, established Choson. Ancient Korea was characterized by clan communities, which combined to form small town-states. They rose and fell so that by the first century B.C. three kingdoms, Koguryo (37 B.C.-A.D. 668), Paekche (18 B.C.-A.D. 660) and Shilla (57 B.C.-A.D. 935), had emerged on the KoreanPeninsula and part of what is now known as Manchuria. Ever since Shilla unified the peninsula in 676, Korea has been ruled by a single government and has maintained its political independence and cultural and ethnic identity in spite of frequent foreign invasions. Both the Koryo (918-1392) and the Choson (1392-1910) Dynasties consolidated their dynastic power and flourished culturally, while repelling intruders like the Khitans, Mongols, Manchus and Japanese. In the late 19th century, Korea became the focus of intense competition among imperialist nations, China, Russia and Japan. In 1910, Japan annexed Korea and instituted colonial rule. National liberation occurred in 1945 but was soon followed by territorial division. The Republic of Korea in the south has a democratic government, while the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north is ruled by a Communist regime.
Culture/Values
White Clad Folks
From the old time, Korean was called white-clad. Korean wears in white as soon as born and died, the idea of ‘come empty, return empty’ means assimilation with nature. Also, Korean people admire white color as color of pure, innocence, and morality.
National Flag
Koreans follow a variety of religious ideas and organized religions. They always have because as practical people, they have tried different ways to reach a fundamental Korean ideal; a sense of harmony and balance in everything. The Republic of Korea’s flag, which called Taegukki, represents this ideal. The central circle is divided in two halves. The top red part is yang, the positive cosmic force meaning fire, day, light, and all things constructive. The bottom blue represents the passive side of existence- water, night, death and repose. It is an ancient symbol representing balance and harmony. The combination of bars in each corner also symbolizes opposites and balance. The three lines at the top left symbolize heaven, spring, east, and gentility. The broken lines opposite it at the bottom right symbolize the earth, summer, west, and justice. The bars at the top right, two broken and one solid symbolize the moon, winter, north, and wisdom, while the lines lower left corner symbolize the sun, autumn, south, and courtesy.
Buddhism-In the first half of the First Millennium A.D. Buddhist monks made their way across Central Asia, through China and into Korea. It was the Mahayana, or Greater Vehicle, variety of Buddhism in which many saints and demons inhabited the spirit world. The Shilla Dynasty that unified Korea in 668 made it the official religion of the peninsula. Royal patronage allowed many magnificently decorated temples to be built and today thousands are still to be found. One uniquely Korean feature of Buddhist temples is a side chapel dedicated to a mountain spirit. He is usually shown as an old man with a pet tiger. It is a symbol of native shamanistic beliefs, and nothing like the original precepts of the faith. Buddhism, though, is not a centralized system and so there are many sects in the world today. In Korea, some monks are married and do business: it's always a shock to see gray-clad, shaved headed monks with cell phones and driving BMWs. Others are celibate. However, one version of ascetic Buddhism that developed in Korea called Son was transmitted to Japan and then around the world where it is known as Zen. Today about forty-five percent of Koreans follow Buddhism.
Confucianism-Of all philosophical systems that attributed to the Chinese wise man called Kung Fu-Tse, or Confucius had perhaps the greatest influence on Korean ideas. Confucianism is not exactly a religion, but is a political/social system based on subordination - sons to fathers, wife to husband, people to rulers. It emphasizes proper rituals, ceremonies, and conformity to decorum, or standards of correct conduct. Education in classical Chinese was the basis for government service and the way for young men to rise in the world. The Confucian system began to become important in Korea's kingdoms in the 7th century A.D. and became the official state cult in the 14th century with the Chosun Dynasty. Even as the old kingdoms have passed away and Korea has become a modern state, Confucian ideas remain strong. This is seen in the way families are organized, in devotion to ancestors, and in everyday behavior. Koreans tend to be formal when dealing with non-family members. For a Korean to address a stranger by their first name would be the depths of rudeness: "Mr" and "Mrs" are used routinely even among co-workers. Bowing to one another is routine. And Korean men almost always dress in formal business suits for all occasions outside the home that are not vacation or fun-related. The rules of decorum demand formality, if for no other reason than to show respect for other people and thus make for better social relations
Culture- Like all agricultural societies, Korean life has always centered on tightly knit families. Large families have been prized and over many centuries families intermarried within the regions of Korea to form large clans. Family names reflect this. A dozen family names predominate, especially Kim, Park, Lee, Kang, and Cho. But Kims from the city of Pusan in the south are not the Kims from Seoul and all the Kims know exactly which group they belong to. Custom forbids people marrying within their own clan, no matter how distant the cousin might be. In order to know who is who, families and clan keep detailed genealogical records that might go back many hundreds of years. Even in today's westernized Korea many people can still recite the glorious history of their clans and take pride in them.
Confucian Ideas-Already male centered, Korean society became highly patriarchal when the Confucian system was imported from China and made the official state belief system in about 1390 A.D. Order and authority are the hallmarks of Confucian thought. Fathers are responsible for their families and must be both obeyed and revered by everyone. Even ancestral fathers are honored. The custom is called filiopiety and even today elements of it remain among Koreans. Traditionally, older people are accorded honor. For instance, at dinner the eldest person sits first and eats and drinks before anyone else can begin. Anyone older must always be addressed with honorifics, even among acquaintances. No one would think of calling an older person by their first name, much less a grandfather or grandmother. Bowing to them is the really traditional way of greeting. Hard work, obedience to family, protection of the family, and proper decorum among family members are very much Korean values, even in the modern world.
Women and Village Life-Today, women are in every occupation, from government officials to businesspersons and professors. In traditional Korean society, women had set roles. They were expected to stay at home, to raise their children, keep house and prepare meals. In farming villages they also worked in the fields. When women married they came to live in their husbands' houses, but always kept their own family names. Once in their husbands' homes, they became part of the extended families. Not only were they to obey the eldest males in the family and their husbands, but to take commands from the eldest woman. As in many traditional societies, the oldest women within the household, a grandmother, for instance, had great power over the rest of the women and children.
The idea of cooperation based on a system of authority worked in the old villages. Villagers often banded together to help one another in times of need and for important events. If a member might need help in a harvest or perhaps house repairs all the rest would gather to help. When a village needed a new well or a bridge, for example, everyone pitched in to build them. For important occasions such as funerals, weddings, or major birthday party (usually when a man reached the age of 60), villagers often pooled their moneys to make a grand party. That sense of solidarity with one's neighbors and even one's nation still flows through Korean life today.
In the ancient past, Koreans had a deep fondness for the country's picturesque landscape of mountains and rivers. In addition to this attachment to the land, they developed a love for their fellow tribal members who shared the same territory and long history.
Indeed, one of the most outstanding aspects of the Korean character is the deeply rooted sense of homogeneity. From ancient times, Koreans have proudly referred to themselves as a distinct people, a concept that implies several specific ideas. First, Koreans think of themselves as a consanguineous community of descendants from a single common ancestor. Second, they see themselves as a linguistic community united by a single language. Third, they consider themselves to be a community embodying a unique culture. Fourth, they are united geographically as a group that has lived on the Korean Peninsula since ancient times. Fifth, they are united by the common experiences of a community, which has survived millenniums of invasions and external pressure. Koreans have maintained this multifaceted identity as a people throughout their extensive history. As a result, they have never felt the need to distinguish between people and nation. This notion of people and nation as an inseparable unity does not exist in neighboring nations such and Japan, and of course is rarely seen in the West. To this extent, Korean's traditional character is truly unique.
Kimchi:Kimchi is ready to eat right from its container all year round. Its firm, tender, crisp texture and its zest, fully refreshing taste makes an exotic popularity.
History- As human beings started agriculture for a living, they also began to take in vegetables with plenty of vitamin and mineral to keep nutritional balance with grains. Accordingly, a preserving way ofyumjang (preserve with salt), had been developed to have vegetables even in cold winter when vegetables could hardly be produced. The salt preserved (yumjang) vegetables are assumed to have very long history according to literature, which says that Korean people had pickled vegetables as early as in the 7th century. Kimchi is derived from chimchae, which means preserved vegetables with salt, and as time went by, the word had been changed: dimchae -kimchae- and now it's calledkimchi. Kimchi in early days was simply pickled vegetables. However, from about 12th century various flavors were used to make special taste of Kimchi, and in 18th century, red pepper started to be used. Red pepper contains capsaisin, which makes hot taste and helps the function of salt. It is assumed that the reason why red pepper was used a lot more than others was to save salt since it was so rare in old days. Also, in 19th century, Korean people cultivated Korean cabbage for kimjang: made early winter and eaten until the next spring when fresh spring vegetables come out. Consequently, the traditional kimchi as same as today had been holding its shape.