Traditions evolve over time, adapting to changing culture and new technologies. Such evolution can be subtle with gradual changes or, at times, dramatic. And hanok, Korean traditional housing, has likewise been evolving.

The term hanok, literally meaning “Korean house,” emerged in the late 19th century to distinguish the existing houses from other buildings in western styles that began to proliferate following the opening of the ports and the steady influx of western influences in diverse aspects of life on the Korean Peninsula, including architecture.

“The meaning of the word ‘hanok’ itself can go back very far. If you view it broadly, hanok can refer to architecture that accompanies unique traditional features,” said Jeon Bong-hee, professor of architecture at Seoul National University, who classified hanok into five categories.

The traditional features include: “ondol,” the traditional floor heating system; “cheoma,” eaves of the underpart of the roof; “chunyeo,” an angle rafter placed diagonally from the top of the corner column; and roof tiling, among others.

“Korean-style apartments are an example of hanok as defined broadly, as most of them are equipped with the ondol system, the traditional heating system that is found exclusively in Korean residential culture,” Jeon said.

The ondol system is known to have been invented in the 12th century and spread throughout the Korean Peninsula in the 17th century, according to “Building Hanok,” published by the National Hanok Center. The heat from the fire of the furnace, “agungi,” transferred through “gorae,” the flue channel, warms the “gudeuljang,” the stone prop. The heat warms up the floor of the room.

However, a narrower definition of hanok would define it as a wooden house with traditional architectural features from the Joseon era (1392-1910) and these are the hanok that Koreans are most familiar with, Jeon said.

Currently, hanok is legally defined as a “wooden building with its main structure that consists of columns, beams, Korean-style roof frames, reflecting the traditional style of Korea and its appurtenances," as stated in Article 2 of the Act on Value Enhancement of Hanok and Other Architectural Assets.

“I think the power of tradition lies here -- it naturally accumulates over time, neither being forced nor led by someone to continue or preserve the tradition,” Jeon said. “The legal definition left room for people to interpret hanok.”

Shin Chi-hoo, manager and research fellow at National Hanok Center, said what he values the most in hanok is its nature-friendly qualities, with a high capacity of carbon storage of its wooden structures.

“It also results in less industrial waste compared to apartment buildings that are the dominant residential type in the country, many of which are facing reconstruction these days,” he said.

Evolving contemporary hanok

In the early 2000s, many city governments began reviving hanok, providing subsidies for building hanok.

The reasons for the interest in reviving hanok included continuing the architectural tradition to enhance a city's identity globally, to attract more international tourists. This was the time when several Korean architects stepped forward with their interpretations of hanok, Jeon said.

To encourage diverse interpretations of hanok, the Seoul city government recently announced a new hanok policy dubbed “Seoul Hanok 4.0.”

Hanok is most popularly experienced as cafes or accommodations, which has been a trend among younger generations who seek “healing moments” at a cozy and nature-friendly hanok. Shin observed that such a trend has been around for some 10 years.

While Shin views the trend positively -- hanok being consumed as a commercial leisure place -- he pointed to the necessity of having more hanok architecture in public spaces so that more people may experience hanok space on a daily basis. They can be a small pavilion at a park, a school library or a cultural center like the Seoul Namsan Traditional Theater, he said.

“To foster hanok as public spaces and more diverse uses, we need more flexibility and changes are required in building or designing hanok,” Shin said.

He said such flexibility includes accepting new technologies, pointing out that a conservative approach to hanok has been one of the reasons traditional architecture has fallen out of favor in the housing market.

“It is absurd that you have to stick with the traditional ways of building hanok when you have developed technology. We need to approach the issue with a flexible attitude to preserve hanok in a contemporary society,” Shin said.

He gave an example of joinery, or “gyeolgu,” the traditional way of joining wood pieces -- cross joint, longitudinal joint and floor joint -- to build the timber architecture. The traditional methods have been replaced with a modern way, using ironware in contemporary hanok to reinforce the solidity in structure, according to him.

“Some changes in methods or structures often face criticism and spur constant debates among experts, leading us to discuss the extent to which we should preserve hanok in terms of construction and design.

“And it is up to architects how they interpret ‘Korean tradition’ when designing hanok, and how they can integrate long-held values, like the nature-friendly aspect of the architecture. That would be a task for the many architects who design hanok,” he said.

Renewed interest in hanok, or traditional Korean houses, is palpable today, demonstrated by the growing number of hanok cultural facilities, cafes, accommodations and homes. While some new hanok architecture espouse the traditional form dating from the Joseon era, hanok buildings that have been adapted to contemporary conditions and lifestyles are also gaining ground. In this series, entitled “Evolving Hanok,” The Korea Herald explores how hanok continue to evolve to stay relevant to current milieus. — Ed.