Understanding Korea through Culture

This section features 28 articles about various aspects of Korean culture - past and present.

Traditional Clothing, Cuisine, and Dwellings

• Beauty in Motion - Traditional Korean Clothing
• The Heart of Korean Society - Traditional Korean Cuisine
• Human-Centered Technology and Design - The Traditional Korean Home

Korea's Traditional Arts

• Points and Curves - Traditional Korean Music
• Document, Depict, Honor, and Express - Traditional Korean Painting
• Natural and Unassuming Elegance - Traditional Korean Pottery

Text Culture

• The Korean Alphabet, Hangeul
• Printing Culture

Martial Arts and Technology

• Traditional Martial Arts
• A Weapon of War - The History of Gunpowder in Korea

Korea's Education Culture

• Korea's Traditional Education - Over a Millennium of Confucian Learning
• Modern Education and Christianity
• Education in Korea Today

Koreans' Religions

• From Ancient Times to Today - Korea's Native Folk Beliefs
• Governance System, Social Order, and Religion - Confucianism's Role in Korea Over Time
• Religion of the People - Korean Buddhism
• From Persecution to Prevalence - Christianity in Korea

Royal Culture of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910)

• Understanding the Design and Function of Joseon's Royal Palaces
• Documenting Neo-Confucian Ritual and Celebration - The Royal Protocols of the Joseon Dynasty
• 472 Years of History Recorded with Precision - The Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty
• The Resting Places of Kings and Queens - Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty
• Honoring Ancestors through Ritual and Music - Ancestral Rituals of the Royal Shrine

The New Face of Modern Korea

• The Rise of Korean Women’s Status
• South Korea’s Burgeoning Multi-cultural Families
• Smartphone and Internet Reshape the Lifestyles of Koreans
• Low Birth Rates, an Aging Society, and Economic Stagnation
• Seoul, the Heart of Asia - Past and Future
• Population Change and Urbanization