What are the popular dishes in Korea?   

Two foods that people have come to identify with Korea are kimchi, a fermented vegetable dish, and bulgogi (roast beef), a marinated meat dish. Whereas kimchi is a staple dish that is eaten at every meal, bulgogi is more like a party food in that it is generally eaten on special occasions and when dining out or entertaining guests. Koreans tend to favor beef when entertaining or eating out, and bulgogi is one of the most popular beef dishes and one that even non-Koreans find very tasty.

Bulgogi

The word bulgogi is commonly translated as Korean barbecue, though it literally means "fire meat" as bul is "fire" or gogi is "meat". Beef is most often identified with bulgogi, but even pork, chicken, lamb, squid and octopus, for example, can be cooked bulgogi style as bulgogi, like barbecue, is a method of cooking.

For the most common beef bulgogi, thin slices of meat, usually tenderloin, are marinated in a sauce made of soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, sesame seeds and other seasonings, and then cooked over a charcoal grill, usually at the table. The grilled beef slices can be eaten as it is or wrapped in lettuce along with slices of fresh garlic and green pepper and a dab of soybean paste, red pepper paste, or a mixture of the two, all of which are rich in vitamins, minerals and cancer-fighting substances.

In some restaurants, bulgogi is cooked on a dome-shaped pan that is placed over a charcoal brazier or a gas range. The pan has a trough around the edge to catch the tasty juice that cooks out of the meat so that it can be eaten with one's rice. Bulgogi can also be cooked in a regular frying pan or on an electric skillet but most connoisseurs prefer the traditional charcoal fire.

For pork and other types of bulgogi, a little red pepper paste is usually added to the marinade. This gives the bulgogi a spicy taste and aroma.

Recently, people have been finding that bulgogi is not only tasty and healthy but also very versatile. It has been adapted to today's fast foods with some fast food chains adding bulgogi burgers to their menus and a number of well-known pizza restaurants even adopting it as one of their pizza toppings. Bulgogi is an ideal picnic food, and, with some slight changes in the thickness and size of the meat pieces, it can become a tasty hors d'oeuvre or buffet item

Not only most tourists, but also many Koreans love Bulgogi. It is sweet and juicy and takes just a short time to make this delicious food. That is why Bulgogi is ranked as number one among Korean food. When people eat Bulgogi, they often wrap it in lettuce, sesame leaves or other leaves. It brings about a more genuine taste and much more nutrition compared to having Bulgogi alone. For these reasons, when we are served Bulgogi, we may no longer be hungry, full of nutrition and delighted.

For a New Generation, Kimchi Goes With Tacos

SPICY BITES A Kogi barbecue truck in Venice Beach, Calif.

a platter of Korean tacos from Kogi, Los Angeles

The origin of the Bulgogi may be traced back to the Koguryeo dynasty(277 BC-668 AD). Many tomb murals from the period of Koguryeo portray riders shooting arrows at an escaping tiger of aiming at roe or deer. This suggests that archery was part of everyday life of the Koguryeo people. In the tomb mural in Yaksu-ri showing a collective hunting scene, an arrow is lodged in the necks of three roe, which vividly represents a high level of bowman ship of the Koguryeo people.

Hunting was also an important pastime. Interested individuals would form large-scale hunting squads, and run up and down mountains and across open fields. They would set up shooting targets and hold archery-shooting contests. Those with outstanding archery skills were named "Jumong," the nickname of King Chumo who founded the kingdom, a tag of honor. Meanwhile, young people would take academic as well as archery lessons at "gyeongdang," an educational institution, receiving a balanced training that eventually paved the way for the kingdom to foster strong military power.

  
Hunting

kitchen		meat storage

So thus, the representative Koguryeo dish was "maeg-jeok, or roasted meat with seasonings. This is the predecessor of today's "bulgogi" (roast beef), one of the most famous Korean dishes. A dinner table of Koguryeo people would consist of half a dozen different foods prepared in various-sized dishes, including fine dinnerware called "judu," on a table called "joban." They ate their meals with spoons and chopsticks. They also used a small knife called "ojado" to cut meat into small pieces. They would also have cabbage, lettuce and radish preserved with salt. In later generations, people would add red peppers to the dish, and this is the origin of Korea's world famous "kimchi" (fermented vegetable dish). The home of beans, Koguryeo would use beans to make various sauces made from beans, like soybean paste and soy sauce. They also enjoyed brewing rice wines.

Koguryeo people enjoyed diverse diets. Rice, beans and millet were staple grains, while barley, wheat and Indian millet served as a subsidiary diet. Toward the latter period of the kingdom, consumption of rice increased. With regard to diet of the early period, they ate hot gruel by grinding up grains and boiling them with water in earthenware (like "grits"). They soon switched to grains steamed in an earthenware steamer, and then they learned to boil rice in a cauldron (which is the way Koreans cook rice today).

Kimchi

Just as Germans relish sausages and sauerkraut, Indians curry, Italians pizza, the Korean people love kimchi. A staple that accompanies Koreans on journeys across the world, kimchi is a pungent, fermented dish made from a range of vegetables-cabbage, cucumber, seasoned with salt, garlic, green onions, ginger, red chili pepper and other herbs and spices. It may be savored as it is or used as an ingredient in a wide variety of dishes.    

The 10th month is the time for gimjang. During this month kimchi or pickled vegetables must be prepared for the upcoming three months of cold winter. Every household was therefore busy preparing this important work. A popular greeting during these time of year was "Have you finished gimjang?" The 12th month, called

One of Korea's most traditional and representative foods is kimchi. Kimchi is made by salting cabbage, and adding red-pepper powder, garlic, ginger, scallions and radishes. These nutritious foods are mixed and allowed to ferment in order to create what we know as kimchi. The Korean people enjoy this representative side dish, which is well-known for its spicy flavor, with rice. Varying in types depending on the season and location, kimchi offers ingredients rich in vitamin C, Calcium, lactic bacterium and many other nutritious substances. Recently, SARS influence has struck many places throughout Asia. Korea has managed to stay SARS-free and some are saying that the reason for this can be found in kimchi. Some of the food made with kimchi include: kimchi-jjigae(stew), kimchi-guk(soup), kimchi-jeon(a Korean style pancake), and kimchi fried rice. These days kimchi has been fused into western style foods such as hamburgers and pizza, which are loved by many.

History of kimchi

Since human beings began cultivating the land, they have enjoyed vegetables, which are rich in vitamins and minerals. The cold Korean winters, when cultivation was practically impossible, led naturally to the development of the storage method of pickling. As a kind of pickled vegetable, kimchi was born in Koguryo era.

Benefits of kimchi

Well-fermented kimchi has anti-biotic functions as lactic acid bacteria produced in the process of fermentation suppresses the growth of harmful bacteria. This bacteria not only gives a sourish flavor to matured kimchi but also prevents excessive fermentation by restraining growth of other bacteria in the intestines. Not only that, substances in kimchi prevent hyperacidity resulting from excessive intake of meat and other acidic foods.

Kinds of kimchi

Baek kimchi (백김치)	Changnanjeot kkakdugi (창난젓깍두기)	Bossam kimchi (보쌈김치)

Gaji kimchi (가지김치) Jjokpa kimchi (쪽파김치) Chonggak kimchi (총각김치)	Ueong kimchi (우엉김치) Kongnip kimchi (콩잎김치) Buchu kimchi (부추김치)	Godeulppaegi kimchi (고들빼기김치)

The making of kimchi

① Cabbage, radish, peppers, and garlic are among the ingredients used to prepare the filling for kimchi.Thin strips of radishes and scallions, minced garlic and red pepper powder are all mixed together.	② The cabbage is cut in half, salted and placed aside for one night. The following day the cabbage is rinsed well and the excess water is drained away	③ The cabbage is then ready for the filling. The filling is evenly placed between each leaf of cabbage.
④ In order to keep all of the filling securely in the cabbage, the entire cabbage is wrapped with an outermost leaf and allowed to ferment for about 1 week.	⑤ The fermented kimchi is sliced and placed in a dish for all to enjoy.

On July 5, 2001, kimchi was approved as an international standard by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), an international organization in charge of setting up internationally available food standards with the goal of promoting the trade of food items. Furthermore, an American monthly magazine Health, selected kimchi as one of the world's five healthiest foods in its March online edition. According to the magazine, kimchi is rich in Vitamins A, B and C and bacteria lactobacilli, healthful bacteria that aid digestion.

Korean Traditional Clothes (Joseon-Ot, Hanbok, 朝鮮服裝) 

Koguryo (Goguryeo) Kingdom period
Koryo(Goryeo Dynasty) period
Joseon(Choson) Dynasty period
Modern days

What are the traditional national clothes of Korea?

The tombs of Koguryeo kingdom with mural paintings of Koguryeo people's lifestyles such as Korean men and ladies clothes, hunting, funeral process and serving the guest (earthen tumulus with stone rooms inside with walls decorated with mural paintings) afford good examples.

As the Scottish have kilts, Peruvians ponchos and Indians saris, Koreans have Joseon-ot, their traditional garment. Originating in the ancient Koguryo kingdom of the Three-kingdoms, the first feudal state in Korea, left behind cultural heritages of which she can boast to the world. its design and variety has been fairly steady from medieval to modern times, differing only based on the season or gender of the wearer.

Koguryeo Mural Painting

Reproduction of Mural Painting

Modern Korean Clothes

During the Three Kingdoms period, which began with the founding of Koguryeo (227 B.C.-A.D.668), Joseon-Ot(Hanbok) consisted of a two-piece "unisex" outfit. The upper garments (yu) of this period opened in front and came down to the hips. They were held shut with a belt. The lower garments (go) were also tied off above the feet. Notably, the opening flap of the upper garments seems to have been the right to left style in contrast with the left to right flaps on the jeogori worn today. This change in the direction of the opening flap occurred after the mid-Koryeo period. Among Western apparel, a right-side flap is used for male attire, while a left-side flap is used for female attire. Thus, the unisex style popular in the modern period can be said to have originated in East and North Asia, whereas the differentiation between male and female attire is thought to have originated in the West. Ancient Koreans produced upper and lower garments in a snuggly fitting style, which were beautiful yet practically suited to the active lifestyle of nomadic hunters. But dress and ornaments like head gear, necklaces, bracelets and earrings of the upper class were brilliant and decorative.

Korean society diversified while contacts with neighboring countries increased during the Silla period. At this time, Koreans began to introduce the international fashions of China's Tang Dynasty. Examples include sleeveless shirts for women, long scarves, decorative hairpins, male headdress and coats with round lapels. Elaborate silk clothing and ornaments are deemed related to the refined clothing fashions of the period from Persia to Japan's Nara period.

The Korean national clothes are simple, beautiful and graceful. In all cultures, traditional costume is an indicator of national character and values. Koreans use "ot" as a general term for clothing. Koreans have designed their ot to cover their whole body but for comfortable use. Traditional clothing is called "Joseon-Ot(Hanbok)" an abbreviation of the term Joseon-Ot (Korean attire). Joseon-Ot(Hanbok) forms a highly effective expression of Korean identity and changes in Joseon-Ot design from the past to the present parallel the nation's historical development. Moreover, forms, materials and designs in Joseon-Ot provide a glimpse into Korean lifestyle, while its colors indicate the values and world view of the Korean people.

Comfortable jackets and trousers for outdoor activities were the basic garments for Koguryeo men. Unlike Chinese men who wore skirts, Koguryeo men wore trousers that were favorable for horse riding like nomadic people of the northern region. They closed the front of a jacket to the left and tied the waist without buttons. This style was intended to increase efficiency and convenience when shooting arrows.   

Koguryeo women wore a variety of skirts such as pleated, rainbow-striped or polka-dot skirts. But they also wore comfortable trousers. Often they would enjoy wearing outer robes adorned with bright patterns.

topknot hair-style lady and men

Most Koguryeo men wore a topknot hair style and a hat. Women wore various hair styles and sometimes used wigs. In Koguryeo, colorful clothing styles flourished as a variety of clothing materials including silk was produced thanks to its advanced dying technology.

Koguryo men's Makeup styles

Koguryo women's Makeup styles

During the Goryeo period, the long upper garments of the previous period gave way to waist-length attire. As a result, waist belts were replaced by coat tie-strings, otgoreum(옷고름). As one of the unique features of Korean clothing, the coat string was initially a short, thin cord but eventually developed into the style seen today, i.e., a long, dangling piece of cloth that hangs down below the knees. Around this time, after the splendid Silla fashion, the mode of Goryeo embraced a calmer and quiet manner. As Goryeo society turned to the values of frugality and simplicity, the tranquil beauty of agricultural life found expression in the period's famous blue celadon vessels and white clothing. Korean clothing underwent further refinement as cotton was introduced into Goryeo from Yuan China. In addition, clothing regulations were introduced from abroad and a system of official uniforms was established for the palace.

The Joseon period saw the development of a Confucian society. At this time, the use of cotton became widespread all over the country. In addition, the period saw the development of a unique script, known as Han-geul, and the publication of numerous scholarly compilations. At the same time, there were diverse developments in the system of ritual attire. Confucianism, as the central ideology and faith of East Asia, was actively pursued at this time, along with its system of ritual dress.

Ritual clothing represented the visible manifestation of intangible Confucian virtues such as benevolence, propriety, wisdom and trust. Clothing served as a medium for the visible expression of a rite. Hence, Joseon apparel, in addition to its role in delineating social status, represented a strict conformity to Confucian codes of ritual attire. In particular, a standardized system of clothing for the various rites of passages was established in accordance with numerous ritual manuals. Special attire was worn for the rites of manhood, marriage, mourning and memorial services. Even today, this clothing can be seen at weddings and funerals, and in particularly conservative areas, in memorial services as well. The traditional dress of Confucian scholars can be seen in the paintings of the famous Joseon folk painter, Sin Yun-bok. In these paintings, the outer robes are long, yet never touch the ground. Inside the robes, multiple layers of undergarments can be seen. With wide sleeves hanging down, the grave-looking scholar sports a broad-brimmed, horsehair hat.

The late-Joseon period was confronted by great social changes as the common people came to resent the feudalistic system. The period was also marked by significant changes in values and aesthetics. At this time, female entertainers took the lead in new developments in women's attire. Men's fashions, on the other hand, were primarily influenced by members of overseas missions, political reformers, overseas students and Western missionaries. Folk art depictions of women during this era show them wearing white belts, snug jeogori that show the contour of the breast, and numerous undergarments exaggerating the volume of the dress. The erotic beauty of the garments has little precedent in traditional Confucian culture.

The opening of Korea to the West intensified the pace of change in apparel. Most notably, clothing during this period became much simpler. During the Gabo Reform (1894), clothing specifications for various ceremonies were combined to form a single ritual attire. The awkwardly wide sleeves became narrower and male top-knots were cut off. Among woman's attire, undergarments as well as concealing vestments such as the sseugae-chima (shawl), jang-ot (hood) and neo-ul (veil) gave way to a more practical, short coat.

The disappearance of traditional attire during the process of modernization has been explained in relationship to economic development. Nations which have industrialized and developed economically have given up their traditional clothing as their everyday dress at a more rapid pace than economically backward nations. In Korea, the Joseon-Ot(Hanbok) began to disappear from daily life in the 1950s and came to be used only on special occasions. As for traditional ritual attire, only marriage and mourning clothing have survived. Traditional Joseon-Ot(Hanbok) are now only seen on special traditional events such as folk festivals, historical dramas or reenactments of palace ceremonies.

Joseon-Ot(Hanbok) has undergone many changes but still maintains the same elements of pants, outer coat, skirt, and so on. During its development, the Joseon-Ot(Hanbok) acquired some elements from neighboring nations, while changing to suit the particular needs of the times.

Modern-style Joseon-Ot (Hanbok)

A Korean family ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year in their Joseon-Ot. At present, attire can be divided into Western-style dress, which has become the common form of attire throughout the world, and various forms of traditional dress. In Korea, as elsewhere, Western-style clothing is so pervasive and there are still korean dress in public.  The Joseon-Ot presently worn can be classified, according to use, as everyday attire, ritual attire and special attire.

First, the Joseon-Ot worn by women as everyday attire consists chiefly of the following: a dress (jeogori), a skirt (chima), and undergarments, such as an undershirt (sokjeogori), under pants (gojaeng-i), inner skirt (sokchima) and socks (beoseon). Men's Joseon-Ot are made up of jeogori, pants (baji), an overcoat (durumagi), vest, outer coat (magoja) and socks (beoseon). Western accessories such as shoes and handbag are also used.

In recent times, people to wear Choseon-Ot. Facilitated by Koreans' fondness for their own traditions, the campaign has promoted the creation of new Choseon-Ot styles that are practical for everyday use. At present, Choseon-Ot, as everyday attire, is worn chiefly by old people and by the general population during special occasions such as traditional holidays, weddings and 60th birthday celebrations.

Second, there is a Joseon-Ot worn during rites of passage. Examples include baenaet jeogori worn by newborn infants, hwarot (loose robe decorated with peonies) worn by a bride as the bride presents gifts to her new parents-in-law, wonsam (ritual attire worn by a woman), and jokduri (black, silk headpiece worn by women), hairpieces, daenggi (pigtail ribbons). During traditional weddings, the man wears a large robe known as a dallyeong over his other clothing, a gakdae (traditional belt) and samo (tall cap with round projections of the left and right).

During funerals, the corpse is clothed in special attire. The clothing design is the same as that of weddings, but natural-colored hemp is used instead. Women from the deceased person's family wear white skirts and coats.

Third, there is special attire worn during all traditional rituals and related events.

As seen above, the Joseon-Ot design is characterized by a two-piece outfit without pockets and buttons that are closed with strings, belts or cords. In traditional ondol houses, people sit on the warm floor, thus the legs of the lower garment tend to be baggy. Joseon-Ot colors are based on natural hues which are interpreted according to East Asian theories of eum-yang (yin-yang) and the five elements. The female aspect is represented by yin and likewise the lower garment is given a yin color. Yang represents the male aspect as well as upper and outer garments. White garments, which the Korean people have always been very fond of, indicate the Koreans' simple and pure aesthetic sense.

In traditional Korean garments color is used symbolically. White was the basic color most widely used by common people. It symbolized a modest and pure spirit. Red signified good fortune and wealth and thus was used in woman's wedding garments. Indigo, the color of constancy, was used for the skirt of court ladies and the official coats of court officials. Black, symbolizing infinity and the fountainhead of all creation, was used for men's hat. Yellow, which represented the center of the universe, was used for royal garments. Common people were forbidden from wearing yellow. These five colors were also firmly established as symbols of the four directions and the center of the universe and order of the universe.

While Koreans today generally only wear authentic Joseon-Ot on special occasions such as weddings and traditional holidays, modern variations like fusion korean clothes that have been tailored to fit modern lifestyles are sometimes seen in everyday life.

Korean Traditional Wedding Ceremony


After Honeymoon to visit in - law house

Korean designers continue to introduce Joseon-themed clothes to the Western world via world-famous fashion events such as France's Pret-a-Porte.

Neutral colors symbolized the yin or implicit virtues. They were used for embroidery on garments worn below the waist. The five cardinal colors, symbolizing the yang, or overt virtues, were used in patterns on garments worn above the waist. The five colored garments worn by children, five-colored purses and five-colored dancing costumes are good examples of this symbolism. Colors symbolizing heaven and earth were used for wedding dress.

Unlike most of the world's peoples, Koreans have managed to preserve the basic design of their traditional attire up through the modern period. Their ability to do so can be attributed to their strong sense of national identity.

In modern DPR Korea, Joseon-ot are generally limited to public figures such as tour guides, dancers, singers, and other performers of traditional arts.

To study the history of a national costume is to understand the culture and character of that nation. It is no surprise that the Joseon-Ot, like the traditional costumes of other nations, is increasingly seen as ceremonial or ornamental attire today.

Ondol (under-floor heating system) 

What are the characteristics of the traditional Korean house?

Hanok(韓屋), refers to Korean traditional architecture with very comprehensive contents. It is a living place reflecting the times, and thus, a variety of materials have been used in Korean architecture.

Generally, houses are considered as living places reflecting the traditional lifestyle of people. Therefore, every nation in the world has their own living places that fit their unique climatic environments, geographical conditions, and economic situations. Korea also has its own style of living places, in the color of the Northeast Asian region. If you study Hanok, a word most people who visit Korea would remember, you can see that the types of Hanok vary, depending upon the materials of the roof. A house whose roof is covered with tiles is called a tile-roofed house, while there are straw-roofed houses covered with straw, oak bark-roofed houses covered with oak bark, reed-roofed houses covered with reeds or pampas grass, and shingle-roofed houses covered with split wood or flat stones.   

To build a tile-roofed house, the owner had to pay the prohibitive additional cost of baking and covering tiles, so only powerful people, government officials, and the rich middle class could live in tile-roofed houses. Local Confucian leaders and wealthy local farmers owned the tile-roofed houses in provincial areas. Even though the houses were located in the countryside, they were generally built tall and on higher land than the houses of tenant farmers, as landlords with a large group of tenant farmers lived in them. The houses of tenant farmers were built relatively low and small, with materials that could easily be found in nature.    

Tile-roofed House

Houses of commoners had different names, according to the shape of the roofs and their construction structure. Straw-roofed houses, shingle-roofed houses, reed-roofed houses, and mud-walled huts are included in the types of traditional houses for commoners, and they are unique in that natural materials were used without any processing. Slash-and-burn farmers in mountain villages built shingle-roofed houses with split woods, or reed-roofed houses with pampas grass or reeds. People who lived near rivers built mud walls using stones, and covered the walls with the roof.

Yellow earth, which could be commonly found in fields, was used as a material to make walls, and thinly split rocks were used in the ondol, Korean under-floor heating system. Pillars were made of wood found   

Thatched Cottage in the mountains, and fences were made of stones or mud. Walls were made of soil, stones, sand, and mortar. As seen from this list of materials, Korean people have historically enjoyed the benefits of nature, and lived in harmony with nature.       

Hanok is like a container where people's lives are stored. The term does not simply refer to tile-roofed houses, but to a type of architecture with very comprehensive contents, where a variety of materials were used and the times were reflected.

The Interior of Hanok

During the period of the Three Kingdoms - Koguryo(Goguryeo), Silla and Paekje(Baekje), sciences and technology developed still more inheriting the traditions of the ancient states. In particular, the people of Koguryo Kingdom(277 B.C - 668 A.D), the first feudal state in Korea, left behind cultural heritages of which she can boast to the world.

Winter weather in Koguryeo(Goguryeo) was very cold. So, a warm dwelling environment was very important in their lives. Koguryeo people invented the "ondol" heating system in which a floor stone is heated by burning fire at one end of the room with the smoke traveling underneath and exiting at the other end, making the living space warm. The system was widely used in palaces, temples and military posts, as well as houses of ordinary citizens. Ondol heating that is in use at most of the contemporary Korean dwellings today originated from Koguryeo. However, in Koguryeo, only part of a large room had hot-floors heated by this method. Other furniture such as wooden tables, beds or chairs were placed in other parts of the room so that people could sleep at night or sit around for daily routines.

The tombs of Koguryo with mural paintings (earthen tumulus with stone rooms inside with walls decorated with mural paintings) afford good examples.

Ondol is ingenious under-floor heating system with fuel burnt at the fireplace in the kitchen that has been a mainstay in both customary and contemporary homes for over 3,000 years, and room-furnishing are characteristic features of the Korean house.

The Romans are sometimes credited with inventing under floor heating over 2,000 years ago. Their sophisticated system of ducts and flues under the floor became common in public buildings and villas, particularly in the colder regions of the Roman Empire and by the 12th century, Muslim engineers in Syria had introduced an improved central heating system, where heat traveled through under-floor pipes from the furnace room, rather than through a hypocaust.

Ondol sometimes also called Gudeul, is Korea's answer to Roman and Muslim hypocaust and has been found to date back to around 277 BC, predating the Romans by a thousands years.

An archaeological find, in present-day mural painting of kitchen North Korea(Susan-ri tomb), showed clear traces of Gudeul and confirmed that although the Romans had invented it in Europe; something similar had been in use in Asia for some time before.

Ondol means 'warm stone', and is as integral a part of modern Korean homes as it would have been for ancient koreans living in hanok, traditional Korean housing.

A simple idea, ondol redirects heat from cooking under the house through smoke channels.

These channels, or flues, were covered by thin, flat stones and then covered with earth. Several layers of special made paper(jangpan) were then placed on the earthern floor, giving a surface that could be easily warmed, but also easily damaged, eventually leading to the culture of taking off one's shoes when entering someone's house. The Korean custom of sitting on the floor is also said to have developed because of the warm floor and loose fitting Hanbok(Korean traditional clothes) trousers were specifically designed so that sitting for extended periods on an ondol floor was comfortable.

With the intervention of modern European heating systems such as hot air blowers, the advent of large apartment buildings and risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, traditional ondol became less popular for developers.

The spread of under-floor heating across the world can possibly be attributed to American architect Frank lloyd Wright. Wright is said to have been so inspired by an Ondol room in the house of a Korean nobleman he visited that he tried to incorporate the idea into numerous projects. He was so taken with the thought of being heated from below that he designed a system of pipes that would transmit heat from hot water around a room or building, a system that has become the standard under-floor heating system throughout the world. Outside Korea under-floor heating is not as common place as it can be very expensive to install.

Aside from the method of heating, modern day ondol is no different to its ancient predecessor of Koguryo(Goguryeo) Kingdom. You still have to sit like a contortionist to get the benefit of the heat while it circulates and permeates but ondol eventually gives  much better distribution of heat and warms you from the feet upward giving quicker and longer lasting relief from Jack Frost. And with a small thin mattress called a 'Yo' the heated floor can easily be converted into a heated bed.

Finally, an important cultural tip when it comes to using ondol in company. In ancient ondol rooms, the floor nearer the kitchen tended to be warmer than the floor furtherer away and so created spots of concentrated, buttock warming heat. These prime spots were often offered to parents, grandparents or guests as a mark of respect. So remember the next time you find warm patch whilst sitting on your floor, gave it up to a guest or loved one and make yourself look like a genuine Korean shinsa(gentleman).  

Mural Painting of Kitchen, Koguryo Tombs

Todays Korea Traditional Kitchen