These days, Korean drama viewers from many countries can tell the names of a number of Korean important historical figures. They are also more inclined to try Korean food, learn Korean language, or pick Korea for their vacations. Korean fashion or makeup styles become a trend among the foreign fans, who know how to tie their winter scarves the way shown in “Winter Sonata”, or embrace Korean BB cream as a solution for a natural-looking make-up, among many examples. Needless to say, Hallyu enhances the image of Korea in the minds of overseas audience in a positive way that sparks an enthusiastic followership consisted of people who want to learn more about Korea, or who want to do things the Korean ways.

II. Economy

The widespread popularity of Korean culture has shown visible impacts on the domestic economy. In recent years, South Korea earns over a billion of U.S. dollars annually from entertainment exports. The rise of foreign visitors to South Korea, according to tourism officials, is partly attributed to Hallyu followers. Places like Coffee Prince shops or houses that appear in popular Korean dramas turn out to be favorite places for tourists who love Korean entertainment culture.

Travel agencies across  Asia and North America offer Korean package tours to filming locations. Chuncheon city – where the sensational drama “Winter Sonata” was filmed – is a notable case of a city that has significantly developed thanks to its transformed role as a popular tourist destination. The presence of online fandom also allows Korean entertainment businesses to promote with fewer costs and earn more revenue through the Internet, e.g. YouTube partnerships. Unsurprisingly, Korean cosmetics and technologies brands, especially those that employ Korean top celebrities as their endorsers, secure their share of commercial benefits thanks to the growing phenomenon.

III. Political relations

Besides the effects on Korean economy, political implications of the Hallyu successful international reach also emerged. The remarkable popularity of Korean entertainment industry has positively influenced the diplomatic relationships between South Korea and many countries. This influence is especially tangible for countries whose relationships with South Korea have been troublesome in the past. For instance, though Vietnam and South Korea established relations back in 1992, history reminds us that during Vietnam War, South Korean troops were sent to Vietnam, allying with American army, to fight against Vietnam Liberation Army.

In 2001, in a dinner hosted for Vietnamese former Prime Minister Tran Duc Luong, South Korea former President Kim Dae Jung invited actors Jang Gong-gun and actress Kim Nam-ju, who were well-liked Korean celebrities in Vietnam. Recently, Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) announced the decision to bring Music Bank, its famed Kpop program, to Vietnam in 2012 to celebrate 20th year anniversary of Vietnam-South Korea establishment of friendship ties. As another example, South Korea and Japan relationships went through rough times as Korea was under violent occupation of the Japanese in the early 1900s. At the beginning of 21th century, singer BoA was considered an icon of cultural exchange between Korea and Japan. The singer was invited to perform at the South Korea-Japan 2003 Summit Conference between South Korean’s former president Noh Moo Hyun and Japan’s former Prime Minister Koizumi. As South Korea and other countries are putting efforts into developing undisturbed diplomatic relations, the powerful Hallyu can take on a useful role.

Binh Nguyen,
a Vietnamese intern

Hallyu was initially stimulated in 1997 by the screening of Korean drama “What Is Love All About” by Chinese major state broadcaster CCTV (China Central Television). The drama aired with a bang, got re-aired in 1998 in prime time hour of CCTV and obtained the second-highest ratings ever recorded in Chinese television history. The popularity of Korean entertainment products quickly spread from mainland China to Taiwan, where in 1999 Korean drama “Stars in My Heart” turned out to be a big success. Korean culture continued to influence the Chinese communities residing in various Asian countries, gradually making a big impact on nearby nations across Central and South East Asia.

The boom of Hallyu in the late 1990s can be attributed to the ability of Korean entertainment producers to adopt and convert the popular content of Western media in a way that matches the taste of Asians, upholds Asian traditional values, and is familiar enough for Asians to understand and relate to. The close cultural proximity with Asian audience gives Korean dramas an edge over Western competitors. Additionally, with regards to other Asian competitors, the more affordable price of Korean cultural products works to their advantage. At the beginning of the Wave, before the 2000s, Korean dramas were modestly priced at a quarter of Japanese counterparts, and a tenth of Hong Kong counterparts. That said, as part of an advanced economy, Korean entertainment companies could afford a decent production process, creating entertainment products with high values, hence their ability to maintain their customer base.

A closer look at several Korean hit dramas can give further explanations for their exceptional popularity. In particular, many entertainment reviewers and society scholars have attempted to figure out the reasons behind “Winter Sonata”’s explosive popularity in Japan starting from 2003, despite its common genre. “Winter Sonata” is a romantic serial, with a storyline spanning over 10 years, surrounding the love, separation, and reunion of two former high-school sweethearts. Overall, it is believed that the drama’s success is largely credited to the characterization of the male hero and the convincing portrayal by lead actor Bae Young Joon. From the views of Japanese fans, most of whom are middle-aged women, the male hero – the character portrayed by Bae – is a classic example of an old-fashioned honorable man, who is intellectual and successful, yet very sensitive and caring, and loves his woman unconditionally. This is the ideal soul mate, unfortunately considered a very rare-to-find figure, in the minds of many Japanese females.

Another case of a Korean drama turning into an international sensation is “Dae Jang Geum”, a historical drama that draws attention for its powerful message about a young woman’s determined struggle to rise above society prejudice and expectations of a woman’s role. “Dae Jang Geum” is noted for addressing a compelling social issue concerned with the ability of a person to overcome a poor and disadvantaged personal background in order to realize their goals in life. The character “Dae Jang Geum” is loved by audience worldwide, for she has a kind heart with the noble dream to learn medicines and save people’s lives, as well as a strong will and unwavering belief in herself to be able to defy both the de facto law of royal hierarchies and the gender bias. This meaningful storyline is aided by a suitable cast and a highly detailed and authentic presentation of Korean history, cuisine, and traditions, leaving the audience at awe.

The success of Korean dramas was one of the original factors that raised overseas interest in Korean pop music. In the late 1990s, Channel V, an Asia music television network, started to feature Korean pop music video clips. Korean pop music, which specifically targets the youth, quickly captured the attention of audience in the young demographic. That, combined with Internet advancements and the rise of media-sharing websites and programs, created easier access to Korean pop music and related Korean variety shows, which may not be as available on the traditional television as Korean dramas are.

Kpop idols were seen as a breath of fresh air – a change from the conventional musical artists who primarily focus on singing. “Idols” – often regarded as “entertainers” rather than “artists” – tend to get actively involved in a wide range of entertainment activities in various non-music variety shows, creating for themselves a public persona and maintaining a polished appearance under various circumstances. This pop idol industry caters to the needs and interests of the youth who are after something other than music, especially young audience who seek to have their own role models or those who pay attention to the continuously changing trends and styles. Indeed, it has been noted that, towards the later 2000s, the attention of younger generations of Asian audience have gradually shifted from traditional Korean dramas to Korean pop music. As a result, overseas demand for Korean idol dramas – the new genre that features popular entertainment idols regardless of acting experience – has increased, explaining the popularity of idol dramas in recent years.

Binh Nguyen,
a Vietnamese intern

Soap Opera – Winter Sonata
While most countries across East Asia experienced the impact of Hallyu (brought about by Korean soap operas) quite early from the 1990s, Japan, despite close geographical proximity to Korea, is a latecomer. It was not until  2003, when the monumental Korean drama “Winter Sonata” was first shown in Japan, that the first wave of Hallyu in this country was created.

“Winter Sonata” is an exemplar of Korean soap operas. Its story revolves around two high-school sweethearts, whose pure and unconditional love underwent a rough life journey full of ill-fated obstacles, which include separation, amnesia, and family opposition.

In 2003 -  the first year this drama was introduced to Japanese audience, NHK, Japan’s national public broadcasting organization, hurriedly aired “Winter Sonata” twice due to explosive popularity.

then re-aired a third time in mid-2004. Due to viewers’ demand, the drama had been re-broadcast at least thirteen times across different channels in Japan, and had been watched by two-thirds of Japanese households.

“Winter Sonata” initiated an unparalleled craze in Japan, with Japanese female fans adopting all things Korean, from winter fashion style to food recipes and desired holiday location. In 2004, the amount of audience for NHK’s Korean language programs quickly doubled. Moreover, the drama created a large Japanese fan base for Korean actor Bae Young Joon, who is nicknamed “Yon-sama” in this country.  “Sama” is a royal Japanese honorific that indicates extreme respect.

 Historical drama – Dae Jang Geum
Compared with dramas presented in a modern setting, historical dramas take up a much smaller proportion of Korean dramas and often tell a more complicated storyline. That, however, did not diminish the power of historical dramas when it comes to stretching the scope of Korean Wave.

Released iIn late 2003, Korean historical drama “Dae Jang Geum” is tale of a poor orphaned female cook who rose above social discriminations to become the king’s first female doctor. The drama reaped striking international success, contributing to a sharp rise of Hallyu and sparking an interest in Korean cuisine. It has since become the epitome of successful Korean historical dramas. “Dae Jang Geum” is brought rights for screening in a myriad of countries, such as Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Canada, Israel, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ghana, Venezuela, etc. Sweeping across continents, “Dae Jang Geum” spread Korean Wave to an unprecedentedly large audience and garnered strong viewers’ satisfaction in various regions. In Hong Kong, the drama was so well-liked that the final episode in May 2005 got over 40% viewer rating, then establishing itself as most watched show ever recorded in Hong Kong television history.

The drama’s success in China is reflected even through the words of President Hu Jintao, who admitted to being a fan, and expressed regrets for not being able to watch every episode due to working schedules. In Thailand, Korean restaurants boomed due to the drama’s influence. Similarly, in Australia, one can even find a Korean restaurant named “Dae Jang Geum”. In West Asia, the drama also left a strong impression, most notably in Iran, where “Dae Jang Geum” recorded a 90% rating. What’s more, widespread recognition of “Dae Jang Geum” reached many African countries. In Zimbabwe, for example, the drama was well-received enough for the audience to protest to the TV station and request the airing of Dae Jang Geum instead of the Olympic Games when the two timetables clash.

Idol drama – the latest trend
In recent years, along with the rise of Kpop, idol dramas have contributed to the quest for building international recognition of Hallyu. Idol dramas tend to feature young idol singers or actors and actresses, who may or may not have decent acting experience, but are popular in Korean entertainment industry. The storyline usually involves romantic relationships for teenaged couples, including love triangles.

In 2009, Korean  drama “Boys Over Flowers”, besides being broadcasted in numerous countries in and outside Asia, was a big hit online. It was noted that each episode of “Boys Over Flowers” typically got subtitled in 20 languages three days after it is aired. All cast members of the drama instantly became well-known outside South Korea. Actor Kim Hyun Joong, in particular, attracted enormous attention overseas, and his following drama in 2010 – “Playful Kiss”, despite receiving a mediocre ratings at home in Korea, enjoyed considerable international success. In its debut month, the drama’s broadcasting rights were promptly brought by 12 countries, totaling 3.45 million U.S. dollars of sales.

The overseas success of “Playful Kiss” led CNN to interview the producer and lead actor on Hallyu impact. In 2009, “You’re Beautiful” emerged as another drama that was enthusiastically received overseas. Jang Geun Suk, whose already-solid popularity was escalated thanks to the drama, started his own international promotion tour in 2010. Fan meetings were held in several Asian countries including China, Taiwan, Singapore, etc, even though the actor had not done any official activities in any countries apart from South Korea and Japan.

Binh Nguyen,
a Vietnamese intern

a) Korean pop music

Korean pop music (Kpop) presents many idols whose accomplishments and fandom have transcended geographical borders. Leading male group DBSK made their name in Guinness World Records in 2008 for having the world’s largest fan club and for being the most photographed celebrities in the world. In Japan – the second largest music market in the world after the U.S, , Korean artists such as solo singer BoA and DBSK have garnered mainstream success, creating unprecedented charting records as a result of their popularity with Japanese audience.

In 2008, BoA became one of the only two artists in Japan to have six consecutive studio albums top the Oricon weekly chart (the other artist is Japanese). That same year, Dong Bang Shin Ki (DBSK) became the first foreign male group to have a No.1 single in Japan. From then on, DBSK’s popularity continued to grow, which led to the honor of being invited to the prestigious Kohaku Unta Gassen. This Japanese Music Festival is run on New Year’s Eve, has an extremely large audience reach, and only showcases the most celebrated Japanese and foreign singers. DBSK also sold an astounding 100,000 seats for two-consecutive-night concerts in Tokyo Dome – the largest concert hall in Japan.

Meanwhile, thanks to solid international appeal, male group Super Junior has been able to run full-length concert tours on their own in 10 Asian countries. Super Junior has ranked high in various charts across Asia, most notably in Taiwan, where their 2010 single “Bonamana” maintained its No.1 spot for an extraordinary 60 weeks (more than a year), only to be beaten by Super Junior’s next single “Mr.Simple” which was released in August 2011.

In the U.S., a challenging market for Korean artists, several Kpop stars have nonetheless made their mark. Solo singer Rain had two sold-out concerts in Madison Square Garden. His popularity was significant enough to warrant being named on the prestigious lists of 2006 Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People Who Shape Our World” and 2007 People Magazine’s “Most Beautiful People”Female group Wonder Girls made a major breakthrough in the U.S. in 2009 by entering Billboard Hot 100 their single “Nobody”.

More recently, in Japanese market, female groups Kara and So Nyuh Shi Dae (SNSD) have created a new era of Hallyu by releasing Platinum-certified albums. In 2011, SM Entertainment became the first Korean company to bring concerts to Europe, finally responding to the wishes of European Kpop fans. Originally planned as a single night concert, it was added a second night at the requests of fans after tickets for the first night sold out in 15 minutes. For the second night, tickets sold out in 10 minutes – a marked achievement given that SM’s artists never set foot in Europe for any promotional activities before. These are all evidence of the Wave of Korean Culture reaching foreign lands.

Binh Nguyen,
a Vietnamese intern

I. Internet Evidence

Today, the Internet has become an increasingly prominent venue for people all over the world to communicate and share their interests. Therefore, a look at several popular social networking sites on the Internet will give us some idea about the international influence of Hallyu.

An analysis of Twitter – one of the ten most popular websites worldwide – shows this astonishing result. 10% of music-related top trends in 2010 involve Korean music group Super Junior, and 2% involve Korean group Dong Bang Shin Ki (DBSK). This shows immense international attention to Korean pop music. Super Junior’s member Kim Hee Chul, in particular, received media coverage in the United States (U.S.) for his global popularity on Twitter, and is nicknamed “Korean Justin Bieber”. Twitter accounts of top Korean stars can reach hundreds of thousands of international followers very quickly.

Facebook, the world’s most visited online social network, has numerous groups and fan pages dedicated to Korean celebrities. Pages created as petitions for Kpop concerts in various countries – such as Italy, Canada, or The Philippines – exist with thousands of supporters each, revealing enthusiasm of Kpop fans from different continents. Hallyu icon group Super Junior’s Facebook page earned over three millions of “likes” one month after being launched officially in June 2011. Even the record label company, SM Entertainment, had around 500 thousand fans across the world one month after its Facebook page went live. This is impressive considering that the official page of Universal Music Group, the biggest record label in the U.S., has yet to reach 60 thousand Facebook fans as of July 2011.

YouTube, the number one video sharing site in the world, is a favorite place for international fans to gain access to Korean entertainment. View counts on teaser or music videos of top Korean pop idols can go up to millions a few days after release. New releases are frequently seen in YouTube rankings for most viewed or most commented videos of the day, sometimes at No.1 spot. Fan reactions on YouTube are impressive enough to catch the attention of Korean companies. Korean record labels have opened official channels one by one and started to invest on promotional activities through YouTube. New YouTube-based activities are being developed, targeting foreign audience. For instance, YG Entertainment aired live-streamed performances internationally on their channel. SM Entertainment broadcasted on YouTube highlights of SM Town Paris Live concert. In 2010 alone, official videos from channels of the three largest Korean record labels generate almost 800 millions views from 229 nations (Yoon, 2011).

The presence of Hallyu fans on Youtube is so appealing that the drama industry had to get involved. In 2010, Korean drama “Playful Kiss” uploaded an exclusively online version through YouTube, and their channel is introduced in five languages. YouTube is rapidly becoming a useful tool for Korean content industry to connect to their worldwide audience. The reverse is also true; fans all over the world upload videos of themselves imitating Kpop dance moves or organizing large-scaled flash mob events asking for Kpop concerts to be held in their countries. This includes, but is not limited to, Australia, Peru, Poland, Belgium, the United Kingdom (U.K.), Canada, the U.S., etc.

Ganggang Sulrae

Ganggang Sulrae is a game reserved only for women. Women dance and sing a song, called Ganggang Sulrae
which is the same as the game’s name in which they hold each other’s hand in a circle. This was played especially on the traditional Korean holiday, Chuseok which is similar to Thanksgiving Day in American Culture.

Neolttwigi

Neolttwigi is a seesaw play and it is a girls’ game. Girls stand on the seesaw and play. There is a slightly bit different rule for this in comparison to the western one. It is believed that it started as a way tosee over the family’s high garden wall because women in the past couldn’t go out from their house frequently.

Jegichagi

Jegichagi is played especially by children. They make Jegi with a paper and coin or small rock which
looks similar to a shuttlecock. The rule is simple and easy. You play shuttlecock with your feet.

Ssireum

Ssireum is a form of traditional wrestling. It was mainly played by men. It is a type of folk competition in
which two players, holding on to a satba (a cloth-sash tied around the waist) try to use their strength and various techniques to wrestle each other to the ground. It became a sports game in the modern times. On traditional Korean holidays such as Seolnal(the Lunar New Year Day), Koreans like to watch Ssireum Tournament on TV.

Tuho

Tuho was one of the popular games played between royal families and high class people. The rule is simple.
It is similar to the game of horseshoe, in which participants attempt to throw arrows into a pot or container.

Yunnori

Yunnori is a very popular game, especially on Lunar New Year’s Day among traditional Korean holidays. On these days, Koreans play this game in hope to continue strong family ties. It is believed that it originated from ancient times (before the Three Kingdom period: Baekje,Goguryeo and Silla Kingdoms which was between B.C. 57 to 668). Yunnori is loved by many Koreans because it can be played by people from all ages and while playing it, one can find oneself laughing with one’s family without even noticing.

How to play Yunnori

Yunnori can be played with four yuts, round pieces and a playing board. The rule is as follows: Yuts are pieces of wood sticks shaped like a half-moon. Players throw yuts and count yuts with their flat sides up. If one of them is upward, we call it Do, if two are up it is called Gae, three are Geol and four are Yut. And if all of the yuts’ flat sides face down, it is called Mo.

Players can move their round pieces on the playing board according to how many of their yuts face  upward. And in  the case of Mo, which means none of yuts’ flat side is upward, the player can move five times, which is the largest. In case of Mo and Yut, the player can throw once more and move round
pieces two times a turn. If your team’s round pieces catches other team’s one, you can play once again. In the situation where one flat side where XXX is engraved fakes upward, you should move your round pieces one step back. The team whose round pieces are the first to go around the checkboard wins.

The biggest difference between Westerners and Easterners lies in the tool each uses to eat food. The culture of using two sticks to pick up and eat food is regarded as unique charm of the East by Westerners.

Chopsticks serve multiple purposes. Some women use them as a hair pin to hold hair in a bun while legendary masters of martial arts used them as lethal weapons. Not to mention those who use them to catch a fly. And, these chopsticks provide an important clue to the past and present of Korea.

There are not that many Westerners who know there is a huge difference between Korea and other Asian nations only by chopsticks perse. First of all, most of Asian countries including China and Japan use chopsticks made of wood. On the contrary, Koreans have long been using chopsticks made of iron. Chopsticks made of iron have stellar durability compared to wooden chopsticks and thus last longer than others. And, chopsticks made of iron excel wooden ones hygiene-wise.

Furthermore, Korean chopsticks made of iron are distinctive in that there are engraved images on them, which is a difficult thing to do even on wooden chopsticks. It is worth owning a work of Korean chopstick art of many kinds with elaborate images of flowers, trees and animals.

Since Korean iron chopsticks are thinner, slipperier and heavier than wooden ones, Korean children are asked of much patience and continuous efforts when learning tricky Eastern food culture.

Technology Korea
By looking at iron chopsticks with elaborate engravings, one could see that Koreans have displayed a high level of craftsmanship as shown in Koreans’ mastery of iron making from the ancient times.

The National Library of France has a book called ‘Jikji’, which was printed by movable metal type, as of today. And, this book is known to be the oldest book printed with movable metal type. Korea’s ancient printing technology using movable metal type is estimated to have had preceded the metal movable type printing system of Gutenberg in the West by at least 200 years.

Such technology attests to excellent skills held by Koreans in areas where elaborate and delicate craftsmanship is required of in order to produce hi-tech record medium such as semiconductors, memory chips, and so on.

Korea was depicted as a hero in one of the world’s four greatest naval battles by achieving glorious feats in a naval fight against the Japanese navy when Japanese invaded Korea in 1592. This was the time when Korea created its own armored battleship named Geobukseon or Turtle ship in its literal meaning. Even today, such shipbuilding technology continues to prosper in Korea, which is recognized as the nation with the best shipbuilding technology in the world.

The Japanese colonization of Korea in the early 20th century and the Korean war in the 1950s devastated Korea and left it in ruins. But, in just 50 years, Korea has advanced to snatch a seat in the top ten nations by trade volume thanks to special qualities held by Koreans, which are diligence and excellent technology.

Such diligence and sincerity of Koreans are honed from a very young age when children are asked to master the trickiest table manner in the East using slippery and heavy chopsticks made of iron.

The country of courtesy in the East, Korea. In Korea, strict manners are required starting from how to hold chopsticks to how to use them properly. It is not appropriate to pick up rice bowls and use chopsticks to eat rice as done in China and Japan. Therefore, the first thing a child learns at the table is to hold chopsticks properly along with to eat after seniors start eating. Korea is regarded as the politest country in the East. In the old times, China referred to Korea as the ‘Eastern country of good manners’.

In a book called ‘Dong Yi Liezhuan’ written by the sixth descendant of Confucius named Kongbin, it is well explained about how much Korea cherished good manners. “For a long time, there exists a country in the East called Dong Yi”.(Omitted) “The country is vast but does not look down on other countries. Its army is strong but is never used to invade others. People are warmhearted to give way to others on the street. People let others eat first. Men and women respect each other’s privacy. Isn’t this a country of genuine courtesy cherished by men of honor in the East? Thus, my ancestor Confucius once said that he wanted to go to this country to live.

Even Confucius who was one of the four sages in the world and summed up the life and manners of Easterners chose Korea as the most desirable place to live. The ancient Korea was a country with the longest history of courtesy in the East.

Art
The Korean pop culture is spreading not only to Asia but also to the Middle East and South America at the moment. Actors, singers and artists from Korea are displaying their magnificent talents not only in the global popular arts but also in other areas. Young people from Japan and China go wild at Korea’s culture, fashion and the popular arts while Myeongdong, Itaewon, Dongdaemun and the likes became the mecca for shopping in Asia.

JUMP is a piece of performance art that represents characteristics of Koreans the best. There are theaters dedicated only to the performance ‘JUMP’ in the U.S., Japan, China and also in the U.K., which attests to its popularity around the world. JUMP lets the world see the true essence of Korean performance art and has become one of tourism products, which is appealing enough to be loved by people the world over.

While laughing and enjoying, a wild ride of one and a half hour show ends in a flash. Shilla, one of countries that existed in the history of Korea, boasts 1000-year-long history. This is a Kingdom with such a long history rarely seen in the history of the mankind. Besides, most of countries in the Korean history lasted for about 500 years or so. And, distinctive cultural heritage and spirits of each country are well preserved.

Koreans tried to embody art even in chopsticks. Korea’s cultural heritage of passion and delicacy still lives on today, which helped the Republic of Korea become a dynamic and interesting nation.

My father works in a construction company. He usually wakes up early and returns home very late. When I was young he was so busy during the weekdays that I almost felt abandoned. Sometimes, I would tell him how I felt. 

But then I would get the same speech about how the sweat and blood of hardworking Koreans like him made Korea rise from the ashes of war and hunger 50 years ago to become the world’s 10th largest economy, hosting global sports events like 1988 Olympics and 2002 World Cup. Just like my father said, Korea’s diligent, hard-working quality is known around theworld.

Mother
symbol of education fever

Korean mothers are very passionate about their children’s education. My mother is no exception. Some mothers insist on moving to neighborhoods with good schools while others send their kids to hagwon or hire private tutors. 

This is all so their kids can get into prestigious universities. Some mothers go too far pushing their kids to get good grades and even cause some social problems as a result. Still, many world experts believe it is zealous Korean mothers who are behind Korea industrializing, democratizing and embracing the information age faster than any other country.

Mom told me human resources are the most important asset in a country without natural resources. Although I, too get tired of my mom’s nagging me to study harder, I also know I want to be a skilled professional when I grow up.

Brother
symbol of Korea’s IT Industry

My brother is a computer programmer. He’s glued to a computer day and night. It will be a very familiar sight once you visit Korea. That’s because once you enter Korea you will constantly be surrounded by people talking endlessly on their cell phones, listening to music flowing from MP3 players as small as accessories and surfing the Net with ease on notebooks and mobile phones with wireless Internet connections, anyplace, anywhere. Lately, I see more and more people watching satellite channels through their mobile phones.

Only a decade ago, no one would’ve thought that was possible in this country. I think it’s Koreans’ interest in new things and eagerness to adapt to an ever-changing environment that contributed to making Korea the world’s most wired nation. You should see how proud my brother is to be born in a country with a great communications infrastructure.

Me
My dream, my country’s vision

Korea’s education system includes six years of elementary school and three years each for middle and high school before college. I’m in high school right now, and it’s an important stage of my life because this is when I decide where I want to go and what to study. My dream’s to become a diplomat one day. It’d be so exciting traveling around the world promoting my country. For now, I’m a VANK volunteer. VANK is an Internet site that provides accurate facts about Korea to overseas Koreans and foreigners who want to know more about the country through e-mails. We also arrange meetings between Korean and foreign schools and correct any mistakes found in the World Wide Web concerning Korea. I am one of the teenage diplomats there.

The Republic of Korea in the 21st century aims to become a center of Asia, a gateway to Northeast Asia and at the same time a friendly nation that shares a common dream and partnership with the world. To realize that dream my country will need my help as well as VANK’s. We will continue with our exchanges with other countries and spread true facts about Korea around the world.

Hanbok is Korean traditional clothing. It is handed down from ancient Korean times, but today’s Hanbok is similar to the style during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

Since Korea has abundant materials for making dyes, rich colors are expressed through Hanbok. The vivid colors of Hanbok play an important role to express the beauty of Hanbok with its relatively simple style.

It is very appropriate for the floor-sitting life style in Hanok, Korean-style Housing, and is good on everyone regardless to the body shape with its volume.

Women’s Hanbok is basically made up for ①Jeogori(the upper garment), ②Chima(skirt), ③sokbaji and ④sokchima(underpants and under skirt), and ⑤beoseon(socks). Put on sokbaji and sokchima first, beoseon next, and wear Jeogori after wearing Chima. When you put on Chima, the left end should be on and tie the strap at the front. You can put on Durumagi as the outer garment.

Men’s Hanbok is composed of ①Sokgoui, ②Jeogori, and ③Baji(Pants). Put on underwear and Sokgoui first, and wear Baji; adjust the waist size by folding it to the left from the center at the front. Put on Jeogori, and wear ④beoseon and tie ⑤daenim around your ankles.

One hundred years ago, Koreans wore “Hanbok” in general life, but today they don’t usually wear them. Koreans at present time put on Hanbok usually on the special occasions such as weddings and traditional holidays. Compared with the long length and complicated way to wear the traditional one, Hanbok adjusted to modern life has shorter length and it is much easier to put on or move. There are many kinds of SangHwal Hanbok(Daily Life Hanbok) and people still love their traditional clothes. The Korean designers have constantly introduced Hanbok to the international fashion shows such as Pret-a-Porte in France, and people around the world are showing their interests on Hanbok.

 Hanbok and Accessories

1. Norigae
Norigae is one of the personal ornaments, which is worn at the inner or outer coat-string or at the waist of Chima(skirt). Gold, silver, jewel, or embroideries has been often used as its materials.

2. Binyeo
Binyeo was called Gye, Chae, Jam, and widely used from later Joseon Dynasty(1392 – 1910). There were various shapes and materials of Binyeo, and they stood for the class of the one who wore it. It is consisted of a long body and the head, and people decorated the head with various materials and colors.

3. Jokduri
Jokduri is a coronet put on women’s head at ceremonies. It is roundly shaped and made of black silk. Women put it on the head and fix it with the Binyeo.

4. Ayam(Jobawi) Many women put Ayam on the head wearing the Saenghwal Hanbok(modern-style Hanbok) nowadays. It covers the forehead to ward off the cold. There is also Ieom to protect the ears against the cold. They were used from the Joseon Dynasty(1392 – 1910).

5. Beoseon
Beoseon is unique Korean socks that go well with Hanbok. Both men and women wear it, and it plays a big role with Kkotsin(Korean shoes made of rubber with a flower pattern on it) to bring out the fine Korean clothes.

Hanok is Korean traditional housing. As the house protects human from the severe weather and provides a resting place, Hanok is the most appropriate architecture considering the geographical and climatic features of Korea. Hanok can be categorized depending on the building materials; a tile-roofed house, a thatched cottage, a shingle-roofed house, a log cabin, etc. Regardless its type of the materials, Hanok is nature-friendly architecture.

The magnificent advantages of Hanok
Since Korea has 4 distinct seasons, our ancestors set Ondol, a traditional Korean under-floor heating system, under the room and Daecheong(a broad floor) between the rooms to circulate the air. They are the outstanding features of Hanok.

Ondol is a unique Korean heating system that is worked by heating a large stone under a living space: Smoke from a fire just outside the dwelling is forced under the stone and exited on the other side after heating the whole floor of the room.

Daecheong is a wooden floor between the inner room and the opposite room of the main building. The rich furnish doors at one side of the daecheong. In hot summer, the wooden floor was such a cool place to lie down. The wind passed through the open space. The deep eaves also shade off the strong sunshine. Another unique characteristic of Hanok is that it supports with the posts, not with the walls. Our ancestors made full use of the wall, and so, the Changho(windows and doors) of Hanok was well-developed from the old days. If you see a Hanok, you can identify that the ceilings of the room and the daecheong are not of even height. The height of the room is designed for a man’s sitting height, and the ceiling height of the daecheong is planned for a man’s standing height. 

The Structure of Hanok

① Bondang, Main Building
The main building was a place for women including the mistress and was located on the most inner part of the house. It was consisted of the inner room or the main living room, the inner Daecheong, a room across from the main living room, and the kitchen. The main living room was the most important place of the upper class’s Hanok, and it was the main living space for women and the place where the childbirth and facing death took places. The main building was located on the north to restrict the women’s social activities and forbid a man to enter or come across the women in the house. It was also a place to take charge of the family’s food, clothing, and sheltering, so the furniture for keeping the clothes and bedclothes was placed in.

② Sarangchae, Men’s Part of a House
It was a place for serving the visitors or gathering and promoting friendship among neighbors or relatives, or instructing the young. It was detached from the main building in a wealthy family, while the room close to the front gate was arranged for the men’s part in the common farm houses. It was consisted of the Daecheong and the Sarangbang, a room for the owner or sometimes for the prominent guest. The Sarangbang was simply organized because of the influence of the Confucianism which intends to the abstemious life.

③Haengrangchae, Servants’ Quarters
In Korean traditional house, the living spaces were organized according to the class. There were Servants’ Quarters in wealthy house, in which the servants stayed or the crops were stored. They were located at the closest site to the front gate.

④Anchae, Separate House
In some large families, there was a Separate House called Byeoldang in the back of the main building. If unmarried daughters lived there, it was called Chodang. The house for unmarried boys to study was called Seodang