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Korean Traditions

Fri, March 24, 2023 | 06:12

(124) Wives and concubines

(124) Wives and concubines

Horace N. Allen wrote that during a Korean wedding “one of the presents exchanged is a goose, an emblem of conjugal faithfulness, since the goose is reputed to have but one mate.” But many Koreans - especially the noble and affluent had more than just one mate.

Kim Tong-hyung | 2013-04-19 16:46

(123) Homosexuality in Joseon Kingdom era

(123) Homosexuality in Joseon Kingdom era

Until quite recently, homosexuality was a taboo subject in Korea. Some people wrongly denounced it as perversion introduced by Westerners - mainly Americans - but homosexuality was, albeit, a part of Joseon Kingdom’s past.

2013-04-05 16:57

(122) A king's flight: attempting Gojong's escape

(122) A king's flight: attempting Gojong's escape

According to Isabella Bird Bishop, an elderly Englishwoman who traveled extensively throughout Korea in the mid 1890s, “The year 1896 opened for Korea in a gloom as profound as that in which the previous year had closed.” She was referring to the ruthless assassination of the Korean queen by members of the Japanese legation and discontented Koreans in the previous October an...

2013-02-22 16:55

(121) Curiosity of the cat

(121) Curiosity of the cat

Up until the last decade or so, cats have been the pariahs of the pet community. Cats were often the subjects of abuse not only from young mischievous Korean boys who threw stones at them but also from the adults who viewed the cats as malignant spirits ? harbingers of evil, disease and death.

2013-02-06 18:53

(120) The Great Joseon smokeout

(120) The Great Joseon smokeout

In 1997, economic disaster roared through Asia spreading ruin and despair. One of its victims was Korea, which was forced to accept the assistance of the International Monetary Fund, a fact that is still somewhat bitterly remembered.

2013-01-25 19:09

(119) The French defilement of the Han River

(119) The French defilement of the Han River

In the past, many people were extremely superstitious of natural events they could not explain at the time. Comets and solar and lunar eclipses were often viewed with apprehension and fear by the general Korean public.

2013-01-18 19:32

(118) Korean chickens ― guardians from evil spirits and disease

(118) Korean chickens ― guardians from evil spirits and disease

Did you know that Korea’s humble chicken has a noble past? There are legends that chickens played a key role in the birth of some members of the royal families of the Kingdom of Silla (57 B.C. 935 A.D.). One king was said to have been born from a huge egg while another noble was found in a golden chest guarded by a chicken.

Chung Ah-young | 2013-01-16 17:55

(117) Child kings

(117) Child kings

On July 25, 1849, King Heonjeong, Joseon’s 24th monarch, died. His death left the nation in a horrible state. Although he had ruled (in name) for some 15 years, he was only 21 at his death and had no heir to pass on the monarchy. There was only one option, for the Dowager Queen to adopt a distant relative and proclaim him king.

2013-01-04 18:17

(116) Keeping demons at bay

(116) Keeping demons at bay

If you are reading this then the feared prophesized apocalypse of Dec. 21, 2012, has quietly passed. Like many of these failed doomsday prophecies it will be remembered with some degree of amusement.

2012-12-21 16:38

(115) Venery and the sin of transgression

(115) Venery and the sin of transgression

Dr. Horace N. Allen, the first American missionary doctor in Korea, declared that “venery [was] greatly indulged in” throughout the country. He noted that the average Korean married at a very early age and plural marriages were the common rule. In addition there were concubines and a “class of 'dancing girl’ prostitutes.”

2012-12-14 18:26

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