Korean Domestic Life
There are sharp contrasts between the domestic life of Koreans in farming villages and those who live and work in cities. The majority of Koreans live in farming villages, for even fishermen in seashore communities pursue some form of agriculture. The villages are mostly democratic, each tending to be an almost independent social unit.
Many urban homes as well as almost all of those in the countryside follow
traditional styles and decor. As the extended family grows, rooms and
wings are added to the basic L-shape, U-shape, or hollow square homes
built of earth, clay wattle, brick, or concrete blocks. Old straw-thatched
roofs are giving way to tiles, metal or plastic styles, but the heating
system remains "age-old." Under baked clay floors which are neatly covered
with glazed paper, stone flues carry heat from either the kitchen or
outside fire pits. Thus there is heat for cooking, hot water, and warmth
for the occupants of the house as they sit on mats or sleep on quilted
mattresses at night.
In rural homes as well as in many urban homes, the kitchen is the special
domain of the woman. Pine branches may be used for fuel in the iron,
stone, or clay fire pits. Traditionally, three large globular iron pots of
varying size are sunk into pits in the stove. The largest of these pots
may be used for heating laundry water or cooking grass as food for oxen;
the smaller pots are used for rice and other foods. An inverted dome of
the iron pot is used as a griddle. Open shelves as well as at least one
food cabinet are used for general storage, while foods needing storage in
a cool place may be kept in the ground or in huge stone jars. Trays for
dining, baskets and brooms add to the decor of the kitchen together with
the family's brass ladles hanging on the wall.
A special area of the traditional rural home is the outer porch or patio
area, made with a floor of smoothed clay and often sheltered with a roof.
This area is called the matang. Shoes are placed here before
entering the home, but more important, it is here that old and young
congregate to do odd jobs, talk, and watch the children. It is said that
"he who does not know the matang will never understand Korea." In
fact, for the men, the matang is the summer social area, while
women prefer the kitchen or the tiny walled garden accessible from the
kitchen entrance.
While sliding rice-paper panels within the homes are reminiscent of
Japanese design, Chinese influences are stronger. Borrowed from the
Chinese is the village arrangement of homes clustered together around the
courtyard. So too are the small market gardens near each home, the pine
tree and bamboo groves surrounding the villages, and even the typical
walls surrounding the towns.
Upper-class Koreans living in the larger cities live in towering modern
apartment buildings or western-style homes, many with modern appliances
such as refrigerators, gas stoves, and piped-in hot water.
Gradual changes are occurring in family life. Father and son still form
the primary family relationship, but the large extended family living in
one home unit is gradually giving way to the nuclear family consisting
only of father, mother, and children.
Respect for elders and ancestor worship are almost as deeply inculcated in
the Korean as fundamental Confucian values. Among these is the belief that
"a good life depends on knowledge and observance of proper behavior
between one individual and another." This is outlined in the five
Confucian categories: parent and child (especially father and son), king
and minister, husband and wife, elder and younger brother, and between
friends.
These fundamental traditions persist even among Koreans who profess the
Christian faith. First Chinese, then Japanese, and more recently Russian
and American cultures, religions, and lifestyles have all been
superimposed on traditional Korean ways, but they do not replace them.
Following this age-old pattern it is not difficult to understand that even
if the modern-day Korean woman works outside her home, the likelihood is
strong that within the family she is the "inside master" while her husband
is the "outside master." That is, while the Korean family may live in a
modern multi-story apartment building and enjoy modern conveniences, a
scratch on the surface will reveal ancient codes and beliefs.