An Insightful Look into the
Traditions and Cultural Heritage
of the Korean People

Notes on Things Korean offers an insightful look at the traditions and cultural heritage of the Korean people. A compilation of concise and informative notes on a wide range of topics, this book is for anyone interested in Korean life, thought, and culture.

The notes, some illustrated with sketches and drawings, are presented alphabetically under such headings as Beliefs and Customs, Arts and Crafts, Music and Dance, Language and Letters, Historic Figures, Famous Places and Monuments, and Games and Sports. There are more than one hundred fifty entries which include, for example, descriptions of traditional arts, crafts, games, clothing, housing, and food, and explanations of customs and traditions and the significance of certain persons, places, and artifacts. Students of Korean studies, writers and translators should find this book very useful, especially the glossary which contains nearly four hundred entries suitable for use in footnotes.

In revising the book, some entries are deleted and a few new ones are added, because, for example, a building was demolished or a structure was restored. In regard to the Romanizing of Korean terms, the book has chosen to continue using a modified version of the McCune-Reischauer system, which is the preferred method of most academics.

한국적인 것들에 대한 기록
한국의 전통과 문화를 총망라한 통찰력 있는 안내서

Notes on Things Korean은 한국인의 삶과 사상 그리고 문화에 걸친 다양한 측면에 대해 간결하면서도 유용한 정보들을 모아 놓은 문화 안내서이다. 한국과 한국인에 관심 있는 사람이라면 누구나 유용하게 활용할 수 있을 것이며, 특히 한국학생, 작가, 번역가 등 한국 관련 정보를 전문적으로 다루어야 하는 사람에게도 참고 도서로서의 역할을 하기에 부족함이 없다.

미국인으로서 30여 년 동안 한국에 거주하며 직접적 또는 간접적 경험을 바탕으로 한국에 대해 연구해온 저자는 한국인들에게조차 잊혀지고 있는 갖가지 풍속은 물론 종교와 토속 신앙부터 절기와 공예품, 예술, 역사적 인물, 유적지와 놀이문화에 이르기까지 총 10개의 큰 주제들을 이 책에 총망라하고 있다. 150여 개의 작은 주제들은 각 장마다 다시 알파벳 순으로 정리되어 있어 필요한 부분을 쉽게 찾아볼 수 있도록 했으며, 책의 마지막에는 역사 연대표를 싣고, 400여 개의 용어를 풀이해 두어 책의 내용과 한국의 문화에 대한 이해를 높일 수 있도록 했다.

2012년 개정판을 내면서 그간에 관련 내용상 변동이 있었던 주제들을 새롭게 정리하였으나, 2000년 한국정부가 발표한 로마자표기법대로 한국어를 표기하지 않고, 기존에 사용했던 학술계에서 선호하는 McCune-Reischauer 표기법을 유지했다.

PREFACE TO REVISED EDITION
INTRODUCTION
CHRONOLOGY

BELIEFS AND CUSTOMS
Ancestral Rites, Chesa│Birth│Birthdays, Saeng-il│Buddhism, Pulgyo│Buddhist Deities│
Changsu˘ng, Spirit Posts│Ch’o˘ndogyo, Religion of the Heavenly Way│Confucianism, Yugyo│
Fortunetelling, Cho˘m│Funerals, Changrye│Geomancy, P’ungsu│Marriage, Kyo˘lhon│
Rites for Confucius, So˘kcho˘n│Rites for Household Gods, Kosa│Rites for Royalty, Chehyang│
Sebae, New Year’s Obeisance│Shamanism, Musok│T’aejonggyo, Religion of the Great Founding Ancestor│
Talismans, Pujo˘k│Taoism, Togyo│Zodiiac, Shibiji

LIFESTYLE
Dress│Family System│Food│Housing│Lunar Calendar│Names│
Seals, Tojang│Traditional Medicine, Hanbang

SPECIAL DAYS
Ch’op’ail, Buddha’s Birthday│Ch’uso˘k, Harvest Moon Festival│Hanshik, Cold Food Day│
Pok-nal, Dog Days│So˘l-nal, Lunar New Year’s Day│Taeboru˘m, First Full Moon Day│
Tano, Fifth Day of the Fifth Moon

ARTS AND CRAFTS
Calligraphy, So˘ye│Celadon, Ch’o˘ngja│Folding Screens, Pyo˘ngp’ung│Ho, Sobriquet│
Hwagak, Ox Horn│Kimch’i Pots│Maedu˘p, Ornamental Knots│Mother-of-pearl Lacquerwork, Chagae│
Mulberry Paper, Hanji│Paper Craft│Pojagi, Wrapping Cloths│Punch’o˘ng│
Sagunja, Four Noble Gentlemen Painting│Shipchangsaeng, Ten Longevity Symbols│
Tanch’o˘ng│White Porcelain, Paekcha

MUSIC AND DANCE
Buddhist Ritual Dance, Chakpo˘p│Buddhist Ritual Music│Ch’anggu˘k, Folk Opera│
Chinese Court Music, Tang-ak│Classical Music, Kug-ak│Confucian Dance, Ilmu│
Confucian Shrine Music, Munmyo-ak│Court Dance, Cho˘ngjae│Court Music, A-ak│Dance, Ch’um│
Fan Dance, Puch’ae Ch’um│Farmer’s Music and Dance, Nong-ak│Folk Music, Minsog-ak│
Hwach’o˘ng, Buddhist Chant│Kagok, Long Lyric Songs│Kanggang suwollae, Circle Dance│
Kasa, Long Narrative Songs│Korean Court Music, Hyang-ak│Masked Dance Drama, T’alch’um│
Musical Instruments, Akki│P’ansori, Epic Narrative Songs│Percussion Instruments│
Po˘mp’ae, Ritual Chant│Processional Music, Koch’wi│Royal Ancestral Shrine Music, Chongmyo-ak│
Salp’uri, Spirit Cleansing Dance│Samulnori, Four-man Drumming and Dancing│Sanjo, Scattered Melodies│
Shamanic Music, Shinawi│Shijo, Singing of Shijo Poems│Su˘ngmu, Monk’s Dance│String Instruments│
Wind Instruments│Yo˘mbul, Sutra Recitation

LANGUAGE AND LETTERS
Han-gu˘l, Korean Alphabet│Hyangga, Verse Form│Kasa, Poetic Form│
Samguk sagi, History of the Three Kingdoms│Samguk yusa, Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms│
Shijo, Classical Poetic Form│Writing System

HISTORIC FIGURES
An Chung-gu˘n│Chinul│Cho˘ng Mong-ju│Iryo˘n│Kim Ch’un-ch’u│Kim Yu-shin│
King Sejong the Great│Shin Saimdang│Tan-gun│Wang Ko˘n│Wonhyo│Yi Hwang, T’oegye│
Yi I, Yulgok│Yi So˘ng-gye│Yi Sun-shin│Yu Kwan-sun

FAMOUS PLACES AND MONUMENTS
Buddhist Temples│Ch’angdo˘kkung Palace│Ch’anggyo˘nggung Palace│Ch’o˘mso˘ngdae Observatory│
Chongmyo Shrine│Confucian Shrines│Kyo˘ngbokkung Palace│Kyo˘nghu˘igung Palace│
Munmyo, Temple of Confucius│Namdaemun Gate│Palaces│Pagoda Park│Pulguksa Temple│
Sajiktan Altar│So˘kkuram Grotto│So˘nggyun-gwan Academy│To˘ksugung Palace│
Tombs, Myo and Nu˘ng│Tongdaemun Gate│Tongnimmun, Independence Arch│Won-gudan Altar

GAMES AND SPORTS
Ch’ajo˘nnori, Juggernaut Battle│Changgi, General’s Chess│Chegi, Shuttlecock│Chuldarigi, Tug of War│
Hwat’u, Flower Cards│Yo˘nnalligi, Kiteflying│Konggi, Jacks│Kossaum, Loop Fight│
No˘lttwigi, Teeter-Totter│Nottari palki, Princess Bridge│Paduk│Ssiru˘m, Wrestling│Yut

MISCELLANEOUS
Hwarang, Flower of Youth Troop│Kisaeng, Female Entertainers│Korean Flag│Kwago˘, Civil Examinations│
March First Independence Movement│Tripitaka Koreana│Yangban

RULERS OF KOREA’S ANCIENT KINGDOMS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
GLOSSARY
ROMANIZATION USING KOREAN GOVERNMENT SYSTEM