North Korea Culture

The compound religious strains of shamanism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism have deep
roots in Korean culture. Although the country has received continuous streams of foreign cultural
influence mainly from China, Koreans have kept their identity and maintained and developed
their unique language and customs. Westernization, begun in the late 19th century, was
accomplished in harmony with Korean tradition and slowly transformed the culture without
much conflict until the 1940s—notwithstanding Japanese attempts to obliterate Korean culture
during its occupation of the peninsula.
After World War II the occupying Soviets did not recognize the Korean traditional family system
or Confucian philosophy; age-old lineage records were burned, and the kinship system was
broken. Through education, people were molded to fit the pattern of party idealism, and private
life and individual freedom became extremely limited. Development plans since the Korean War
have demanded much from the North Koreans in terms of patience and labour. As a result, the
people have had to lead an austere existence. The standard of living improved over time, but
leisure and cultural activities have continued to be regimented and geared toward organized
group activities, such as rallies and museum tours.
https://www.britannica.com/place/North-Korea/Cultural-life
South Korea Culture
Shamanism, Buddhism, and Confucianism constitute the background of modern Korean culture.
Since World War II, and especially after the Korean War, globalization and rapid political and
economic development have had a marked effect on the country’s culture. Traditional thought,
however, still plays an important role under the surface. Korea belongs historically to the
Chinese cultural realm. After the Three Kingdoms period in particular, Korean culture was
strongly influenced by the Chinese, although this influence was given a distinctive Korean
stamp.
A number of Korean cultural sites have been named UNESCO World Heritage sites. These
include the depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana (one of the most complete editions of Buddhist
canonical writings in the world), located at Haein Temple, west of Taegu (designated 1995);
several dolmen (stone burial monument) sites from the 1st millennium BCE in the southwestern
part of the country (2000); and the volcanic island of Cheju and its lava-tube cave system (2007).

https://www.britannica.com/place/South-Korea/Armed-forces-and-security#ref34977
Haein Temple Tripitaka Koreana

Dolmens : The Gochang, Hwasun

and Ganghwa Dolmen sites contain
the highest density and greatest
variety of dolmens in Korea, and
indeed of any country.

volcanic island of Cheju and its

lava-tube cave system
Houses

Korean traditional houses are called Hanok ( 한옥). Sites of residence are traditionally selected
using traditional geomancy. While the geomancy had been a vital part of Korean culture and
Korean Shamanism since prehistoric times, geomancy was later re-introduced by China during
the Three Kingdoms period of Korea's history.
A house is built against a hill and face south to receive as much sunlight as possible. This
orientation is still preferred in modern Korea. Geomancy also influences the shape of the
building, the direction it faces, and the material the house is constructed with.
Geomancy translates literally to "earth divination," and the term was originally used to mean
methods of divination that interpret geographic features, markings on the ground, or the patterns
formed by soil, rocks, or sand.

Traditional Korean houses can be structured into an inner wing (안채, anchae) and an outer wing
(사랑채, sarangchae). The individual layout largely depends on the region and the wealth of the
family. Whereas aristocrats used the outer wing for receptions, poorer people kept cattle in the
sarangchae. The wealthier a family, the larger the house. However, it was forbidden to any family
except for the king to have a residence of more than 99 kan. A kan is the distance between two
pillars used in traditional houses.
The inner wing normally consisted of a living room, a kitchen, and a wooden-floored central
hall. More rooms may be attached to this. Poorer farmers would not have any outer wings.

Floor heating (온돌, ondol) has been used in Korea since prehistoric times. The main building
materials are wood, clay, tile, stone, and thatch. Because wood and clay were the most common
materials used in the past not many old buildings have survived into present times.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Korea#Houses

Culture of south Korea Architecture (not sure if sama ko to)

Korean architecture is characterized by naturalistic tendencies, simplicity, and economic
feasibility of forms. Sharp angles, strong lines, steep planes, and brilliant colors are all avoided.
It typically creates a quiet atmosphere.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_South_Korea
Housing in South Korea
Housing in South Korea includes detached houses, apartment (unit of apartment, row houses, and
private houses), studio apartments, and dormitories in non-residential buildings such as shopping
malls and factories. While the occupancy rate of apartment houses is steadily rising, the
occupancy rate of detached houses is steadily falling.
Traditional Korean Houses Hanok is wooden house consisting of ondol, maru (Main Hall/Living
room), bueok (kitchen), and madang (outdoor family room/alfresco). Depending on the roof
material, there are several types of hanok, such as Giwajip, Chogajip, gulpijip, cheongseokjip,
and neowajip. Most of them, Giwajip were owned by wealthy and high-ranking people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housing_in_South_Korea

Basic Structure of Hanok

The structure of the Korean traditional house called a hanok consists of a wooden framework
consisting of columns, crossbeams, purlins, rafters and various types of supports and connectors.
Generally speaking, the elements of the framework varied depending on the region, the
owner’s social status and the purpose of each house. Houses in the north of Korea, for
instance, tended to feature a double-house layout with a low ceiling, which was effective in
maintaining interior warmth against the cold external air during the winter season, while those in
the south featured a single-line layout designed for effective air circulation, and a raised, wood-
floored main hall (maru) at the center. The houses of wealthy upper-class families often consisted
of multiple buildings arranged to reflect their social status, with the men’s living quarters
separated from those of the female members of the family, and those for senior members
separated from those of the junior members, by low walls. For the great majority of ordinary
families, however, function was more important than aesthetic elements not only in the layout
but in the use of materials as well.

https://hanok.seoul.go.kr/front/eng/info/infoHanok.do?tab=2#:~:text=The%20structure%20of
%20the%20Korean,types%20of%20supports%20and%20connectors.

Various types of Hanok

1. Giwajib (기와집)
Giwajib is the house built with tiled roof. Giwa is a pottery made by mud and baked. Mainly it is
black colour but the house where high ranked people lives is blue tiled. Giwa was quite
expensive so only Yangban(nobelman) could live in. Also, the house is partitioned separately into
men and women because of the influence by the Confucian culture. Men stayed in east side,
called Sarangchae. Women stayed in Anchae where is west side and the sunshine is stronger
than the other parts of house.

2. Chogajib (초가집)

Chogajib is the house with roof made by reed, silver glass or rice straw. Rice straw is empty
inside so decrease the amount of sunshine comes into the house in summer and help the warm air

not to leak out of house in winter. The surface of rice straw is soft and smooth that doesn’t
absorb the water and let it flow. But Chogajib should replace the roof every year which is the big
work.

3. Neowajib (너와집)
Neowa is a small board of more than 200 years old pine tree so the size is not perfectly even.
Neowa roof is good with ventilation and smoke eliminating so it makes house very cool in
summer and warm in winter. Neowajib is usually built around mountain but not many left apart
from Gangwon-do.

4. Gulpijib (굴피집)

Gulpi means the inner layer of skin of oak tree. Some towns around mountain made this Gulpi as
a roof. It is very uneven but lasts long so changed the roof about once in 20 years. Gulpi protect
house from rain and humidness but in the dry winter, it was difficult to make inside of house

5. Dolgiwajib (돌기와집)
Dolgiwajib is built with a flat clay=slate stone. The method of making Dolgiwa roof was similar
with Neowa or Gulpi. It lasts really long and economic.

There are many other types of house like Guituljib, Umjib, Damjib, Hotjib, Yangtongjib and so
on.
http://hanokstay.kozaza.com/en/hanokstory/a-various-types-of-hanok/

Culture of North Korea Architecture

The most distinct and impressive form of contemporary cultural expression in North Korea is
architecture and city planning. Pyongyang, almost completely destroyed by the United States
during the Korean War, has been rebuilt on a grand scale. Many new buildings have been
constructed during the 1980s and 1990s in order to enhance Pyongyang's status as a capital.
Major structures are divided architecturally into three categories: monuments, buildings that
combine traditional Korean architectural motifs and modern construction, and high-rise buildings
of a modern design.

 MONUMENTS

Examples of the first include the Ch'ollima Statue; a twenty-meter high bronze statue of Kim Il
Sung in front of the Museum of the Korean Revolution (itself, at 240,000 square meters, one of
the largest structures in the world); the Arch of Triumph (similar to its Parisian counterpart,
although a full ten meters higher); and Juche Tower, 170 meters high, built on the occasion of
Kim's seventieth birthday in 1982.
 Ch'ollima Statue Arch of Triumph
Juche Tower

 BUILDINGS THAT COMBINE TRADITIONAL KOREAN ARCHITECTURAL

MOTIFS AND MODERN CONSTRUCTION
The second architectural category makes special use of traditional tiled roof designs and includes
the People's Palace of Culture and the Grand People's Study House, both in Pyongyang, and the
International Friendship Exhibition Hall at Myohyang-san. The latter building displays gifts
given to Kim Il Sung by foreign dignitaries. In light of North Korea's current close relationship
to China, and during the Choson Dynasty, it is significant that the section of the hall devoted to
gifts from China is the largest.
 People's Palace of Culture Grand People's Study House

International Friendship Exhibition Hall at Myohyang-san.

 HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS OF A MODERN DESIGN

The third architectural category includes high-rise apartment complexes and hotels in the capital.
The most striking of these buildings is the Ryugyong Hotel, unfinished as of now (with
construction halted from 1992 - April 2008). Described as one of the world's tallest hotels at 105
stories, its triangular shape looms over north-central Pyongyang. The Koryo Hotel is an
ultramodern, twin-towered structure forty-five stories high.

Much construction occurred before celebrations of Kim Il Sung's eightieth birthday, including
the building of grand apartment complexes and the Reunification Highway, a four-lane road
connecting the capital and the Demilitarized Zone. According to a journalist writing in the Far
Eastern Economic Review, the highway is "an impressive piece of engineering" that "cuts a
straight path through mountainous terrain with 21 tunnels and 23 bridges on the 168 kilometers
route to P'anmunjm." As in many other construction projects, the military provided the labor.
North Korea has stated its hope that upon eventual reunification the highway will carry back-
and-forth traffic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_North_Korea#Architecture_and_city_planning

Chinese Influence in Korea Culture (Architecture)

Architecture and Urban Planning

Korean wooden-frame architecture was introduced from China during the Han dynasty and has
continued to the modern era. Other Chinese concepts to influence Korean architecture include
yin and yang, the five elements, Chinese geomancy, Taoism and Confucianism.
Chinese cultural influence around the turn of the common era formed the basis for the early
Korean architecture in the Three Kingdoms period. This influence is attributed to Lelang
Commandery, a Chinese colony in what is now northwestern Korea, which was founded in 109
BCE. Baekje in particular adopted heavy Sinitic influence.
The broad avenues planned in grid pattern found in the capital of Kyongju was built in an
imitation of the capital city of Changan of the Tang dynasty.
Chusimp'o (a type of column-head bracketing) is a Korean adaptation of Tang dynasty
architecture while the tap'o (a more elaborate system of bracketing) were introduced in Korea
from the Tang and Song dynasty respectively.
Later, during the Koryŏ period, further artistic and architectural influences from Song and Liao
were absorbed in the peninsula. The wooden building style of this period also seems to have been
influenced by that of Fujian in southern China.
Free-standing kitchens and kitchen culture of Korea were introduced from China and appear as
early as the Goguryeo period.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_influence_on_Korean_culture