South Korea Houses : South Korea  

South Korea Houses - Travel guide

South Korea

Traditional Korean Houses

A traditional Korean house is called 'Hanok'. Hanok sought to create a living space based on the coexistence of nature and humans. Accordingly, the natural aspects of a traditional Korean houses range from the structure's inner layout to the building materials which were used. Another unique feature of traditional houses is their special design for cooling the interior in the summer and heating the interior in the winter. Since Korea has such hot summers and cold winters, the 'ondol gudeul,' a floor-based heating system and 'daecheong,' a cool wooden-floor style hall were devised long ago to help Koreans survive the frigid winters and to make the sweltering and humid summers bearable. These primitive types of heating and air-conditioning were so effective that they are still in use in many homes today.

Introduction of Korea House

'Hanok' is a word used to describe houses constructed using the traditional Korean style of architecture. Korean architecture lends consideration to the positioning of the house in relation to its surroundings, with thought given to the land and seasons. The interior structure of the house is also planned accordingly. This principle is also called 'Baesanimsu', meaning the ideal house is built with a mountain in the back and a river in the front, with the 'ondol' heated rock syhouses are l stem for heating during cold winters and a wide 'daecheong' front porch for keeping the house cool during hot summers. Houses differ according to region. In the cold northern parts of Korea, houses are built in a closed square form to retain heat better. In the central regions, houses are 'L' shaped. Houses in the southernmost regions of Korea are built in an open 'I' form. Houses can also be classified according to who it was built for, high class, middle class, or lower class.

Upper Class Residences

These houses are the cream of the crop of traditional Korean architecture, built with both form and function in mind. Influenced by Confucian ideas, the house is planned with the residents＇ gender, age, and standing in mind. Male adults slept and ate in the ＇sarangchae', while women and children dwelled in the 'anchae', which was sometimes used for married couples as well. The servant's quarters were the 'haengnang', and the ancestors were honored in the 'sadang'. The wide porch was called the 'daecheong'. Care was taken to place the 'anchae' in the inner regions of the house to restrict women from going in and out freely. In the case of male children, they lived in the 'anchae' until reaching the age of 7, after which they were moved to the 'sarangchae'. Female children remained in the 'anchae'. Upper classes residences had tiled roofs, and were often referred to as 'giwajib' because of it.

Middle Class and Lower Class Residences

Middle and lower class residences have a simple structure of the room, porch, and kitchen. Usually, straw was used to thatch the roof, and depending on region oak bark or pieces of pine were used instead. On the windy island of Jeju, rocks were hung from roofs to keep them in place.

Hanok Experience Accommodations

A hanok style guest house, where visitors can experience life in a traditional hanok. Old hanok that are intact are used, or the houses have been recreated specifically for use as overnight accommodations for travelers.

Where Hanok and Culture Converge

Insadong is a street of traditional culture, and many of the structures on its streets are actual traditional houses that have been preserved, or traditional hanok that have been modified. There are many teahouses and restaurants offering delicious fare in a stylishly traditional atmosphere.
The Korea House is a restaurant housed in a traditional Korean hanok which offers not only traditional food but dance as well.