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Korean Traditions

Sun, October 1, 2023 | 08:35

Did you know that... (54) Kites: an unlikely Korean weapon

Did you know that... (54) Kites: an unlikely Korean weapon

We Americans often associate kite flying with a summer or fall activity but in Korea it is traditional to fly kites during the Lunar New Year and the weeks following it. A popular place for kite fliers is along the Han River where they allow their kites to lazily drift back and forth across the sky. But in the past — kite flying was associated not only with fun but with...

Kwon Mee-yoo | 2012-01-27 16:39

Did you know that... (53) Korea’s greatest tiger hunter

Did you know that... (53) Korea’s greatest tiger hunter

Korea has long been famed for its tiger hunters but did you know that arguably one of the greatest tiger hunters in Korean history was not a Korean but a Russian by the name of Yuri (George) M. Yankovsky? Yuri and his family fled Russia just after the Russian Revolution and settled on the east coast of modern North Korea where they built an enclave of hunters known as Novina...

Kwon Mee-yoo | 2012-01-20 15:07

Did you know that... (52) Not all there

In the West, eunuchs are often thought of as emasculated men who served as harem guards in the Middle Eastern courts of the past, but did you know that in Joseon Korea they were some of the most powerful men of the realm?

Kwon Mee-yoo | 2012-01-13 16:37

Did you know that ... (51) Flattery and lies

Did you know that ... (51) Flattery and lies

One of the earliest Western newspaper correspondents to meet the Korean royal family was Frank Carpenter, a freelance columnist who had managed to convince a number of American newspapers to finance his travels around the world in return for weekly articles describing his adventures.

Kwon Mee-yoo | 2012-01-10 16:51

Did you know that... (50) ’The foreigner show’ in Joseon Korea

Did you know that... (50) ’The foreigner show’ in Joseon Korea

In the late 19th century, the Western population in Korea was very small and the average Korean, especially those living outside the large cities and ports, rarely had the opportunity to see a Westerner. Thus, when a Westerner traveled into the interior he often became, much to his aggravation, an object of interest.

Lee Hyo-won | 2012-01-06 15:23

Div you know that... (49) Vendors, food in Joseon

Div you know that... (49) Vendors, food in Joseon

Prior to the 20th century there were few Western journalists who spent any great amount of time in Korea. Western newspaper accounts of the country were often gleaned from Chinese and Japanese English-language newspapers or from the personal correspondences of missionaries and travelers in Korea to their families back home.

2012-01-03 18:07

Did you know that (48) ‘Geonbae’ or bottoms Up!

Alcohol has always played a large part in Korean society and was often commented upon by early Western visitors. Many ship captains described their Korean visitors’ passion for a strong drink with both amusement at their antics and awe for the amount of alcohol the Koreans could consume. One early Western visitor to Seoul in 1882 likened Koreans to the French due to their e...

Kwon Mee-yoo | 2011-12-30 15:27

Did you know that... (46) Winter reprieve

Did you know that... (46) Winter reprieve

Prisons in Korea during the Joseon period were dismal places of disease, death and, in some cases, injustice. Up until the mid-1890s, many prisoners died from the horrific conditions before they could be executed. During the summer, wounds received during torture and questioning were allowed to putrefy and filled the air with the sick smell of decay. Winter brought on differe...

Do Je-hae | 2011-12-27 16:55

Did you know that... (46) Santa comes to Joseon Korea

Did you know that... (46) Santa comes to Joseon Korea

Almost any child can tell you that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole, has a wonderful fleet of reindeer (led by that red-nosed wonder, Rudolph) and delivers toys and presents to good little children all around the world.

Do Je-hae | 2011-12-23 17:14

Did you know that ... (45) Controversy of the General Sherman, a merchant ship

Did you know that ... (45) Controversy of the General Sherman, a merchant ship

In August 1866, the General Sherman, an American merchant ship with a very checkered past, sailed from China and made its way up the Daedong River to the very gates of Pyongyang where it hoped to conduct trade with the Korean government. On board were three Americans: W.B. Preston (the owner), Captain Page, Chief Mate Wilson, two Englishmen ― George Hogarth and Rev. Thomas ―...

Kwon Mee-yoo | 2011-12-20 17:04

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