Germans started it, but it was the Americans who perfected the celebration of Christmas in the 20th century. No Christmas would be complete without a Christmas tree, and a native Korean fir, locally called “gusangnamu,” is the preferred choice of Christmas tree in homes across the US and Europe. First encountered by Father Emile Joseph Taquet (1873-1952), a French Catholic missionary, on Hallasan, the main mountain on Jeju Island, in the early 1900s, famed botanist Ernest Henry Wil

Culture Dec. 25, 2021

Dosan Ahn Chang-ho (1878-1938), one of the most prominent and respected leaders of modern Korea, was an epitome of an “intellectual in action” in 20th century Korea. Dosan, the pen name of Ahn Chang-ho, means a mountain rising out of the ocean. It is also the Korean name for the island of Hawaii rising out of the Pacific Ocean, which Dosan saw from his ship on his first trip to the US in 1902. Ahn and his wife, Lee Hye-Ryeon, immigrated to the US in October 1902 as citizens of the

Culture Dec. 18, 2021

Korea has designated three native dog breeds as Natural Monuments, with two more breeds preparing for future designations for protection. Jindo (Natural Monument No. 53), Sapsaree (Natural Monument No. 368) and Donggyeongyi (Natural Monument No. 540) are protected under the law and by the respective local governments provide ensure the preservation of Korea’s native dog breeds. One of the earliest evidence of dogs in Korea is a prehistoric rock carving showing a dog, along with wild ani

Culture Dec. 11, 2021

One of the most efficient uses of energy to heat our homes is right under our feet. Koreans have been staying warm for millennia by using a minimum amount of fuel to cook while warming the home at the same time. The “ondol,” an elevated indoor floor, is heated when fire used for cooking is simultaneously repurposed for heating the house. Thermal energy from fuel burned for cooking or warming the room is transferred upward as the heat rises from the underfloor, warming up the sto

Culture Dec. 4, 2021

For the past 100 years, researchers have been speculating on the meaning of the smile on National Treasure No. 83, the Gilt-bronze Maitreya in Meditation, a statue of what is believed to be the future Buddha, known as “Mireuk” in Korean. The gilt-bronze statue of a young future Buddha in a contemplative state is considered the epitome of Buddhist artwork. The beauty, the gentleness and the peaceful smile of the gilt-bronze Maitreya in Mediation, known as the Bangasayusang Mireuk st

Culture Nov. 27, 2021

During the golden days of Silla Kingdom in the eighth century following the unification of the Korean kingdoms, the national religion Buddhism took Silla to a whole new height. Peace and prosperity were expressed in the creation of the finest Silla Buddhist treasures, some of which have survived centuries of tumultuous history. A trifecta of Buddhist treasures -- Buddha’s home, body and voice -- were completed in 771, when the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok the Great was successfully cast

Culture Nov. 20, 2021

No civilization accomplished documenting all-known Buddhist thought as the Goryeo Kingdom did, some seven centuries ago during a time of war and a clash of empires. Written Hanja, along with Buddhism and Confucianism, have been steadily developing in Korean culture since before the common era. Along with indigenous beliefs and Confucianism thoughts, Buddhism became the most entrenched religion for Koreans from early on. One of mankind’s great innovations in history is the invention of

Culture Nov. 13, 2021

For humans, the Bronze Age meant metal weapons, farming tools, and means to sustain large enough populations with an organized labor force which enabled construction of lasting monuments such as dolmens. East Asia, especially in ancient Korea, must have been a happening place in the Bronze Age as there are more dolmens in Korea than anywhere else in the world. Bronze mirrors are found in abundance in Korea and neighboring areas formerly occupied by ancient Koreans. Bronze mirrors with fine li

Culture Nov. 6, 2021

Educating intellectuals with knowledge, wisdom and character has long been the goal of Korean education throughout history. Korean culture and history have been profoundly shaped by various religions and philosophies, but none has had as much lasting impact as Confucianism. Confucianism before the Common Era and Neo-Confucianism after the 12th century have largely shaped the ruling class landscape of Korean kingdoms. During the Goryeo Empire, scholars who were well learned possessing good ch

Culture Oct. 30, 2021

Capturing the true essence of a person in pictures, portrait photography is one of the most difficult areas of photography. Long before photography arrived in the Joseon Kingdom (1393-1910), portrait artists were challenged to draw detailed portraits that included a view into the inner spiritual world of the subject. The official portraits of Yi Seong-gye, the founder of the Joseon Kingdom, tell volumes about the gifted military man who became the last ruler of the Goryeo Empire in 1392, befor

Culture Oct. 27, 2021

When French diplomat Victor Collin de Plancy (1853-1924) was posted in Joseon Korea, he collected many unique treasures, including rare ancient Korean books. He returned to France with the treasures he found in Korea, including a 1377 Jikji book printed with movable metal type, and a beautiful wife named Lee Shim, a former royal palace dancer he had spotted performing for Emperor Gojong. Lee, who moved to France with Collin de Plancy in 1893 and accompanied him to Africa the following year, la

Culture Oct. 16, 2021

The Korean language has evolved over the millennia amassing an extensive lexicon. The Korean language is comprised of words indigenous to Korean people, original Korean characters, Hanja-rooted words, and foreign words which have taken root in modern Korean culture. Currently, the Korean online dictionary has more than 1.1 million words, the largest number of all languages. For reference, the total number of words in English is about half that. No wonder, the US State Department, which rates

Culture Oct. 9, 2021

To say that Korea wouldn’t be here today without Korean Gakgung Bow would be an understatement! Since ancient times, Gakgung, which means “bow made with animal horn,” was the weapon of choice for hunting and for protection of Koreans from invaders. The fact that the majority of Korean land is mountainous makes the bow and arrow a perfect weapon to defend fortresses from invaders. Koreans have always been known to be excellent archers. Neighboring kingdoms were even afraid to

Culture Oct. 2, 2021

An ancient mountain pass called Mungyeongsaejae separates the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula from the middle-region, where the capital city is located. Mungyeongsaejae, which literally means a mountain top so high that even birds have difficulty flying over it, cuts over the Baekdudaegan, the mountain range which runs through entire length of the Korean Peninsula. Since the 10th century, in order to take imperial examinations, equivalent to civil service exams today, those from sout

Culture Sept. 25, 2021

Reading the celestial skies and understanding mandates of heaven has always been the exclusive domain of kings and emperors. When Queen Seondeok of Silla became the first female ruler in Korean history, not everyone welcomed her. In fact, her 15-year reign was riddled with rebellions and wars which undermined her rule. Queen Seondeok’s father, King Jinpyeong was the last of the Seonggol, the top aristocratic rank in Silla’s caste system. King Jinpyeong, who held the longest reign

Culture Sept. 18, 2021

During Korea‘s tumultuous history, the Baekje Empire had a significant presence in East Asia for about 700 years starting about two thousand years ago. Korean civilization which is one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations, had profound spiritual and philosophical foundations in Dohak, or Taoism, and Buddhism during the Baekje period. The Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje, which was excavated at an ancient temple site in Buyeo County in South Chungcheong Province in 199

Culture Sept. 11, 2021

The power of the media is in its right and capacity for selective truth telling. King Seonjo, the 14th king of the Joseon Kingdom, clearly understood that “newspapers write the first draft of history,” during what was to be the world’s first case of press oppression in 1577. “The first commercial newspaper printed with movable types was in Korea during the years of King Seonjo,” said the Ven. Jibong of the Yeongcheon History Museum. Following three months of th

Culture Sept. 3, 2021