A Brief History

Korean history dates back to 2,333 BC, when Gojoseon was founded. According to legend, it was founded by the mythical Dangun, whose father descended from the heavens and whose mother was transformed from a she-bear. Korea is currently a republic. The most significant ruling dynasty was the Joseon Dynasty (Joseon – in Korean: Jeonju Yi clan, 全州李氏). It ruled from 1392 until 1910, when Korea was occupied by Japan.

Koreans still commemorate this dynasty today through various festivals and celebrations. The first presidential elections were held in 1987. One of the presidents (Kim Dae-jung) even won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000. In 2013, a woman – the daughter of a former president – took the presidential seat.

However, she did not remain in her new post for long, as allegations of corruption against her came to a head in 2016.  Relations with its northern neighbour – North Korea – are currently strained. The two countries are separated by a strip of land over 200 km long. You will mostly come across modern buildings, as many were destroyed during the Korean War.

People

The people are open, cheerful, curious, quick on their feet, and sometimes even a bit unfocused or distracted. In the cities, they are used to foreigners and know the basics of English, but even so, they are sometimes shy about speaking. It is usually the foreigner who strikes up the conversation. People in the countryside wear traditional clothing and don’t know any English words, but that makes communicating with them all the more fun! They often ask, ‘How old are you?’. It’s a perfectly normal question, so don’t be alarmed.  This is because Koreans always show respect to their elders.

Holidays and festivals

During official public holidays, only government offices and banks are closed. Koreans celebrate Christmas on 25 December. An interesting holiday is Arbor Day – 5 April – or the Birthday of the Buddha – at the end of April and beginning of May. If you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, it’s worth noting that on 14 February, women give gifts to men, and on 14 March, it’s the other way round. And whilst we ‘celebrate’ the arrival of St Martin on 11 November, Koreans observe Pepero Day, when couples in love give each other Pepero sticks. Another interesting tradition is on 1 January, when they give children in their family some money.

You’ll find the most festivals, parades and celebrations in April. This is when the local cherry trees are in full bloom, which further enhances the local atmosphere.

Jinhae Gunhangje Festival (진해군항제)

This festival is one of the largest and best-known spring festivals in the country, attracting over 2 million tourists every year. It begins with a commemoration of the Joseon Dynasty, also known as the I or R Dynasty. During the festival, you can watch spectacular parades of Koreans in traditional costumes and sample local food. 

Starlight Festival (Yeojwacheon – Cherry Blossom Spot)

If you love evening strolls through Prague, enjoy the sight of illuminated landmarks and never miss Prague’s Festival of Lights, then the Starlight Festival is just the thing for you. It forms part of the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival. Around the Yeojwacheon River, you’ll enjoy a laser show, an illuminated bridge and the surrounding cherry trees. It usually includes a spectacular fireworks display as well. 

Royal Parade and Military Band

The royal street parade takes place every year around Jungwon Rotary. Led by Admiral Yi Sun-sin and his army, it commemorates the military victories achieved during the Joseon Dynasty. Near Jinhae High School and in the surrounding streets, you can listen to the sounds of the military band and admire the performance of the military honour guard.

Culture

Koreans are brought up to show respect and humility towards their elders and, more generally, towards authority figures. Their language even distinguishes between six levels of formal and informal address. In society, there is an emphasis on collectivism. They uphold traditional values and place great importance on relationships, not just family ties. Buddhism, Confucianism and Christianity (Protestantism) are widespread in society.

Peculiarities and differences

• Blowing your nose in public is considered bad manners,
• They do not give each other birthday presents,
• When eating, they kneel on the floor and do not stretch their legs out under the table.

The flag is officially called the Taegeukgi – 태극기 / 太極. In the centre is the red-and-blue yin-yang symbol, and in each of the four corners there is a trigram. The Täeguk symbol reflects the centuries-old tradition of the harmony between the two opposites, yin and yang, which stems fromTaoism but is present in all schools of thought in Korea – in Confucianism, Buddhism, Shamanism, and perhaps even Christianity. The flag’s white background symbolises light and purity and expresses the Korean people’s desire for peace. The four trigrams around the centre symbolise heaven, earth, fire and water. Together, these elements express cosmic harmony and unity. The flag represents the ideal of national prosperity and universal truth, which all Koreans hold dear.

Traditional arts include gugak, which translates as ‘national music’, and other art forms such as artistic dances, songs and performances. Furthermore, Koreans have inherited a wide range of national dances from their ancestors, such as salpurichum (spiritual purification dances), gutchum (shamanic ritual dances), taepyeongmu (dances of peace), hallyangchum (literally ‘lazy’ dances), buchaechum (dances for entertainment), geommu (sword dance) and seungmu (monk’s dances). Furthermore, talchum (mask dance) and pungmul nori (musical performance) are well known for their satirical nature. Painting and calligraphy have been practised since ancient times and were influenced by China. Pottery and handicrafts are also worth mentioning.

Traditional South Korean clothing is known as the hanbok. These are pocketless garments characterised by their vibrant colours. To this day, this attire is worn at traditional celebrations or festivals.

Language

The official language is Korean. You will have no trouble communicating in English in cities and tourist areas, particularly with the younger generation. 

Tourism

Although South Korea has plenty to offer, it still remains somewhat in the shadow of its more famous and better-known eastern neighbour – Japan. You’ll find the most tourists in Seoul, the capital, where all the amenities are concentrated. Everywhere you go, you’ll come across curious Koreans with the latest smartphones and cameras, especially at weekends and on days off, when they head out on day trips.

Geography

The country lies in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. There are many other small islands nearby, the largest of which is Jeju Island. It is also of interest because it is home to Korea’s highest point, the extinct volcano Hallasan, and is the only place in the whole country situated in the subtropical zone. To the west, Korea is bordered by the Yellow Sea, and to the east by the Sea of Japan. Due to post-war animosity towards the Japanese, Koreans refer to the Yellow Sea as the West Sea and the Sea of Japan as the East Sea. Korea is a very mountainous country, but in the south there are lowlands, which account for only about 30 per cent of the country’s area.