Jo Nov 22, 2022
Leather shoes called katsin in Korean were worn from long ago in our country.
Our nation did a lot of hunting, so they made shoes of animal skins from ancient times. Such shoes were called “hyoktap” in historical records.
In the period of the Three Kingdoms, shoes with very low or no ankles were called “ri” or “hye” and high boots “hwa”.
Later through the Koryo and feudal Joson dynasties, leather shoes were made better in line with the aesthetic sense of the time and the taste of the people, and subsequently their names became diverse.
Shoes and boots equivalent to the previous “ri” were also found during the feudal Joson dynasty. They were named “hye”. “Hye” was sorted into hukphihye, punthuhye, thuhye, phichohye, thaesahye, palmaksin, jinsin, etc. while “hwa” was classified into hukphihwa, mokhwa, hyopgumhwa, kijahwa, jonphihwa, tanhwa, tonghwa, etc. All these were made mainly of leather, so they were called katsin (leather shoes). Leather shoes except jinsin were also called “marunsin” (dry shoes) as they were usually worn on dry land in good weather. Jinsin (wet shoes), true to the meaning of its name, was for muddy ground when it was snowing or raining, so it was made of oil-treated leather to stop water infiltrating inside. For durability and to keep leather shoes from moth, people used to hang them on the wall above the fireplace to expose them to smoke or put hog grease on the surface of leather.
Pak Sin Jong, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences
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Jo Nov 20, 2022
An apron is one of the things that show well a good living habit of Korean women, who have always loved smartness.
An apron is a piece of clothing that women wear over the front of the body and tie around the waist when cooking.
The custom of wearing an apron in our country has a very long history. Maids wearing semi-oval aprons are painted on the mural paintings in Kamsin Tomb and Anak Tomb No. 2 of Koguryo, which tells us that aprons started to be used already in our country before the period of the Three Kingdoms. As shown in the murals, aprons of that time were similar in shape to present-day aprons. They were made in different colours including white and light pink, and red or pink strips of cloth were sewn around them. The custom was inherited down to the feudal Joson dynasty, when aprons made of four pieces of cotton cloth in pleats were almost similar to skirts in length, and they were worn over skirts to cover the front as well as the sides of the body. Among the aprons that had been passed down from olden times was “Haengju Apron” named after the patriotic deeds of the women in the fortress on Mt. Haengju, who carried stones in their aprons to assist the warriors in the battle against Japanese invaders during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592.
Aprons were made of thin white cotton cloth such as cotton or calico and they were always washed, starched and ironed before use.
It is a fine custom of our women to wear smart aprons whenever working ― cooking in particular. It was a normal practice for our women to wear aprons when serving food to guests as well as preparing meals for the family in the mornings and evenings, and it was regarded as common courtesy to take them off when they need to enter rooms or answer the door in the middle of cooking. In a word, aprons served as an important symbol of the aesthetic feelings of our women, who have loved neatness and cleanliness from early days.
Today our women enjoy wearing aprons when they do the housework. Present-day aprons that are made of white cloth in semi-oval or rectangular shape to cover front parts only are decorated with simple flower embroidery, applique, lace or small pockets.
Pak Sin Jong, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences
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Jo Nov 16, 2022
Not only the style and pattern but also the colour of clothing represent features of times and national sentiments. The colours of the traditional clothing of our nation fully display the lofty and pure sentiments of our nation. Our nation preferred white or light soft vivid colours to strong colours for primary colours of their clothing. From olden times, our nation worshipped white and usually chose white for their clothing. Therefore, our nation has been called “white-clad race” or “white-clad folk”.
In addition to white, many bright colours like light yellow, light pink or light green were also popular. With light soft colours instead of harsh strong ones, our people managed to produce a good harmony of colours, adorning Korean clothes to look more beautiful. Since Korean clothes are usually in two pieces, upper and lower garments in harmony of colours give fresh feelings and beauty. Making the most use of such advantage, our people added as much beauty as possible to the Korean clothes with a colourful harmony of two pieces as in “green jacket and crimson skirt” or “yellow jacket and crimson skirt”. Korean people further raised the ornamental effect of Korean clothes by making their small parts such as gussets, collars, cuffs, coat strings, etc. different in colours from the main part. This combination of colours demonstrated the great aesthetic sense of our nation whereby they could get maximum effect by making effective use of visual aspects of the harmony of only a few colours.
The colours of the Korean clothing reflective of the aesthetic sense and feelings of the Koreans, who created bright and soft beauty, are still in wide use. Our clothes are undergoing development as unique, graceful and elegant ones full of the flavor and fragrance of our nation only.
Pak Sin Jong, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences
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Jo Nov 13, 2022
Kamhong-ro, one of the three old famous spirits well known across the country which has developed centered in Pyongyang over a long period of time, is a valuable traditional inheritance of our nation.
Our country has a very long history of making and drinking liquor, but records of reddish sweet Kamhong-ro finally began during the feudal Joson dynasty. “Kyongdo Magazine” and “Pyongyangji” compiled in this period wrote that Pyongyang Kamhong-ro was famous. “Rimwonsipryukji” published at the beginning of the 19th century described the way of making Kwanso Kamhong-ro, according to which the bottom of the pot for dewdrops was plastered with honey and they were mixed with gromwell. It wrote that it was the best of all kinds of liquor as it was sweet and strong and it looked red like a lipstick. The term Kamhong-ro means a sweet (kam) reddish (hong) spirit (ro).
Until the 19th century, fermented liquid prepared from traditional Korean malt was distilled three times and it was mixed with gromwell and honey to make sweet red Kamhong-ro, high-quality medicinal liquor. In old times our people came to find medicinal herbs good for health and longevity in the course of conquering the nature and paving the way for their life and they actively introduced them to their life to make herbal tonics, which have still been conveyed down to the present day. Kamhong-ro, too, has been accepted as healthful medicinal drink and one of the three old famous spirits. Right amount of medicinal spirits helped our people to protect health and they were served on important days like family events or holidays.
Chairman
Today Kamhong-ro, which adds our national flavor and native savour, is served in public service facilities for people, giving our people national pride and delight.
Sin Kwang Il, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences
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Jo Nov 8, 2022
Sinji letters are the first national letters made after several stages of letter life as a result of a long time of thinking and painstaking inquiry of the ancient Korean people who created their own language Korean to use as a powerful weapon for struggle and creation in the remote past.
Sinji letters were invented by a man called Sin Ji in Ancient Korea. The word sinji meant a big man, so it usually referred to a ruler, a master or a boss. In the historical records, the word sinji is written in several Chinese characters ―神誌 (sinji), 神志(sinji), 巨智(koji), etc. ― which have no connections with the meanings of each character but are of the same sound as the native Korean word sinji. Sinji letters are also recorded as wangmun (王文), which means that they were used by rulers including kings. It reflects the social and historical characteristics of the past societies like a slave society where the ruling classes used to hog letters, and at the same time it has some connections with the meaning of the name “sinji letters”.
Historical books “Kyuwonsahwa” and “Pyongyangji” have some records associated with sinji letters. In later national classics “Haedongryoktaemyonggaphilbo” and “Nyongbyonji” are recorded sixteen of the sinji letters of Ancient Korea, which became widely known to the world. Due to the lack of the remaining data, things like the number and system of the sinji letters, sound values of each letter and norm of use have not been fully illuminated yet. However, it is clear from the form of the letters that they were phonetic and syllabic letters and they were written downwards. The fact that similar letters are engraved on several archaeological relics such as earthenware of Ancient Korea and blocks of Rangnang old tombs proves that sinji letters were widely used in Ancient Korea.
In conclusion, sinji letters convincingly demonstrate that the Korean nation is a resourceful nation that created their independent national letters as early as in ancient times and developed their own unique civilization on the basis of them.
Kim Kwang Jo, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences
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Jo Nov 4, 2022
Okryugum was invented in the 1970s as an original national flick instrument by developing wagonghu, one of the old national instruments that had been passed down from ancient times. Chairman
Okryugum consists of the body made up of a resonance box and tune adjusting pedals, and the legs. The seven tune adjusting pedals attached to the legs make variations possible in any conditions. It has a total of 33 strings. It has two bridges on the resonance box; one on the front side and the other on the eight pillars at the back.
Okryugum is a C instrument which ranges from C2 to G4. There are seven pedals that are arranged in order of C, D, E, B, A, G and F from the left.
Okryugum produces clear, elegant and beautiful tones true to the meaning of its name. Its tone is so diverse that a single pluck sounds like a harp, a piano, a kayagum or a guitar. Such tones blend well to produce a silvery one. Since it fully supports a chromatic scale and vibratos like a kayagum, it is regarded as a unique and excellent national instrument with a great power of expression. It is used as a solo instrument and plays an important part in a national instrument ensemble as well as in guaranteeing the national colouring and sentiment of the mixed orchestra of a Juche type with extraordinary tones and ample volume.
Ri Yong Ho, section head at the Academy of Social Sciences
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