Korea: A Walk Through the Land of Miracles

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Korea: A Walk Through the Land of Miracles Page 33

by Simon Winchester


  Hodori: Baby tiger, symbol of the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

  Hong cha: Red tea.

  Hongsam: Red (steamed) ginseng root.

  Hopak-dan chu: Ornamental amber buttons, used for fastening Korean clothing.

  Hun min chong um: Early designation of hangul script.

  Hwadu: Profound question set as a basis for Korean Buddhist meditation.

  Hwan-gap: Sixty-first birthday celebrations.

  Hwatu: A traditional Korean picture card game, played like gin.

  Hyodo kwan guang: Literally, parental respect tour—holidays for the elderly paid for by their children.

  Ibalso: Korean barbershop.

  Ibul: Coverlet placed over yo.

  Insam: Ginseng.

  Ip chang: Face, as in the Oriental concept of pride and self-esteem.

  I shipaloma: Grave insult; literally, a whore.

  Jip-sin: Traditional Korean straw slippers.

  Kalbi: Barbecued spare ribs.

  Kimchi: Peppered, garlicked and brine-pickled vegetables—a national staple.

  Kinyombi: Monument.

  Kkot saem chu wi: Literally, flower-jealousy weather—a snap of cold in early spring.

  Koan: Riddle posed for Japanese Buddhist meditation.

  Kobuk-son: The armoured ‘turtle ships’ of Admiral Yi Sun-shin.

  Koguryo: Ancient northern Korean kingdom.

  Kokoro: Japanese word for ‘heart’.

  Komusin: Korean slippers.

  Koran-cho: Medicinal herb.

  Koryo: Post-Shilla kingdom from which Korea took her name.

  Kukbo: The National Treasures, the most valuable classification.

  Kut: Shamanist devil-driving ceremony.

  Mabu: A horseman.

  Maekju: Beer.

  Makkoli: Milky rice wine, the working man’s principal drink.

  Makkoli-jip: Working-class bar where makkoli is the favoured, though not the only, drink.

  Man: Ten thousand, as in man won, ten thousand won.

  Man won gyon: Telescope.

  Maum sang hada: Anguish over the loss of face (see Ip chang).

  Meeguk: America.

  Mian hamnida!: I am sorry!

  Mogyok: Bath.

  Mogyoktang: Public bath.

  Moktak: Wooden clapper used in Buddhist ritual.

  Mudang: Shamanist sorceress.

  Mukkop-ta: Heavy.

  Nakhwa-am: Rock of Falling Flowers in Puyo.

  Naksonjae: Mansion of Joy and Goodness at Changdok Palace, Seoul.

  Nam: South.

  Nay: Yes.

  Nunchi: An extraordinary Korean ability to discern someone’s mood.

  Odi isumnikka?: Where is?

  Ojingoa: Dried squid, a favourite snack.

  Oksusucha: Toasted-corn tea.

  Ondol: Lacquered-paper floor, heated from beneath, common in Korean houses.

  Onnyi: Literally, older sister; used by women, e.g., to summon bar hostess.

  Paduk: Korean version of the Japanese board game go.

  Paekche: Ancient southern Korean kingdom.

  Paekhwa jom: Department stores.

  Paeksam: White ginseng root.

  Paem sul: Snake wine.

  Paem tang: Snake soup.

  Paji: Trousers for men, traditionally worn baggy, ankle-length.

  Pegae: Small pillow, filled with corn husks.

  Pindae-ttuk: Bean-flour pancake; Korean pizza.

  Pi pim pap: Rice and vegetables, staple food.

  Pomul: Literally, treasured things—a secondary classification (see Kukbo).

  Pori-cha: Toasted-barley tea.

  Poshin-tang: Dog-meat soup; literally, soup for strength.

  Putokkhamnida: Please.

  Pyong: Unit of area measurement.

  Sa: Temple.

  Saemaul Undong: New Community Movement, a rural organization created by President Park.

  Sajok: National Historic Sites.

  San: Mountain.

  Sangnom: ‘Unperson’, outcast, untouchable.

  Saunatang: Public bath with sauna and other luxuries.

  Seoul: The word means ‘capital’ it cannot be written in Chinese.

  Shilla: Ancient eastern Korean kingdom; later, the term represented the unified whole country.

  Sijo: Form of Korean poetry.

  Soh: West.

  Soju: A strong sweet potato liquor, the Korean approximation of sake.

  Sunim: Buddhist monk.

  Sushi: Japanese-style raw fish and rice.

  Taeguk: Yin and yang emblem used in the Korean flag.

  Taeguk-ki: The Korean national flag, with taeguk and four trigrams.

  Taehakkyo: University.

  Taejungtang: No-frills public bath for the poorer people.

  Taekwon-do: Korean martial art.

  Tae-namu: The bamboo.

  Tangun: The mythological founder of Korea.

  Tojang: Name seal, equivalent to Chinese chop.

  Ttok: Rice cakes.

  Won: The unit of Korean currency.

  Yangban: The Korean aristocracy, now officially defunct.

  Yangnom: A Westerner—a term of mild abuse, similar to the Cantonese gweilo.

  Yo: Thin mattress, placed on ondol floor at night.

  Yogwan: An inexpensive roadside inn.

  Yoinsuk: A very cheap Korean hotel for working men.

  Yongduam: The Dragon Head Rock of Cheju-do.

  Yong guk: England.

  Yontan: Drum-shaped powdered-coal briquettes used for heating and cooking.

  Yukgap: The five twelve-year cycles of life—the sixtieth year.

  Selected Bibliography

  Adams, Edward B. Korea Guide. Seoul: Seoul International Tourist Publishing Co., 1976.

  Adams, Edward B. Korea’s Kyongju. Seoul: Seoul International Publishing House, 1979.

  Amnesty International. South Korea—Violations of Human Rights. London: Amnesty International, 1986.

  Asia Watch Committee. Human Rights in Korea. Washington, D.C.: Asia Watch, 1985.

  Bartz, Patricia. South Korea. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1972.

  Bird, Isabella. Korea and Her Neighbours. Reprint. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1985.

  Buck, Pearl S. The Living Reed. New York: John Day Co., 1963.

  Chung, Chong-Wha, and Boyd McCleary. Korea and Britain Today—A Developing Relationship. Seoul: Korea-British Society, 1986.

  Clark, Allen D. History of the Church in Korea. Seoul: Christian Literature Society of Korea, 1971.

  Cole, Lani, ed. Peace Corps Guide to Korea. Seoul: U.S. Peace Corps (undated).

  Crane, Paul. Korean Patterns. Seoul: Royal Asiatic Society, 1967.

  Crowther, Geoff. Korea & Taiwan—A Travel Survival Guide. Sydney: Lonely Planet, 1985.

  Fodor’s Korea. New York: Fodor, 1987.

  Gore, M. E. J. The Birds of Korea. Seoul: Royal Asiatic Society, 1971.

  Griffiths, William Elliot. Corea, The Hermit Nation. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1904.

  Hall, Basil. Account of a Voyage of Discovery to the West Coast of Corea. London: John Murray, 1818.

  Hamel, Hendrick. An Account of the Shipwreck of a Dutch Vessel on the Isle of Quelpaert, together with a Description of the Kingdom of Corea. 1668. Reprint. Amsterdam: B. Hoetink, 1920.

  Hastings, Max. The Korean War. New York: Simon and Schuster, Inc., 1987.

  Henthorn, William. A History of Korea. New York: The Free Press, 1971.

  Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank. Korea. Hong Kong: Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank (business profile series), 1986.

  Hyun, Peter. Koreana. Seoul: Korea Britannica, 1984.

  Insight Guide: Korea. Singapore: Apa Productions, 1981.

  Kelly, Jeremiah F. The Splendid Cause. Seoul: Columban Fathers, 1983.

  Kim, Dae Jung. Mass Participatory Economy. Cambridge, Mass.: Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, 1985.

  Kim, Edward H. Korea—Beyond the Hills. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1980.

>   Kusan, Sunim. The Way of Korean Zen. New York: Weatherhill, Inc., 1985.

  Landor, Henry Savage. Corea—The Land of Morning Calm. London: Heinemann, 1895.

  Leckie, Robert. The Korean War. London: Pall Mall Press, 1963.

  Ledyard, Gari. The Dutch Come to Korea. Seoul: Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch, 1971.

  Lee, Ki-baik. A New History of Korea. Seoul: Ilchokuk, 1984.

  Lee, Peter H. Poems of Korea. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1974.

  MacMahon, Hugh. The Scrutable Oriental. Seoul: Sejong Company, 1975.

  McCann, David, ed. Studies on Korea in Transition. Honolulu: University of Hawaii, 1979.

  Michener, James A. The Bridges at Toko-ri. New York: Fawcett-Crest, 1953.

  Middleton, Dorothy H., and William D. Middleton. Some Korean Journeys. Seoul: Royal Asiatic Society, 1975.

  Office of Monopoly. Korean Ginseng. Seoul: Office of Monopoly, 1986.

  Rees, David. The Korean War. London: Orbis, 1984.

  Ridgway, Matthew B. The Korean War. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1967.

  Sands, William Franklin. Undiplomatic Memories. Reprint. Seoul: Royal Asiatic Society, 1975.

  Suh, Kuk-Sung, et al., eds. The Identity of the Korean People. Seoul: National Unification Board, 1983.

  Searchable Terms

  Note: Entries in this index, carried over verbatim from the print edition of this title, are unlikely to correspond to the pagination of any given e-book reader. However, entries in this index, and other terms, may be easily located by using the search feature of your e-book reader.

  Administrative districts 86

  Agriculture, rice cultivation 71–2

  Alcoholic beverages

  drinking protocol involving 79, 146–7

  soju 46

  Alphabet 127–32

  Americans

  abusive attitudes of 180

  expatriated 220–7

  missionaries 89–92

  Angibu (secret police) 88

  Kim Dae Jung kidnapped by 111–14

  Armed Forces Day, celebration site for 238

  Asia Watch, Kwangju uprising reported by 105–8

  Attaining Success Village 271–2

  Automobiles

  driving habits 97–8

  hazards of rental 98

  Bamboo 157

  Barbershops 241–5

  Bathhouses 92, 189–92

  Beauty, Buddhist concept of transience of 157–8

  Bird, Isabella 234–5

  Birthdays

  age determination and 77

  celebrations of 143–7

  Blue House (presidential mansion) 247

  Brothels 91–3, 122

  Brutality, Korean reputation for 181

  Buddhism

  morning ritual in 141–2

  nunneries 204–7

  scarf folding ritual in 151

  tradition of celibacy in 137

  transience of nature in 157–8

  Zen meditation rituals 153–4

  Bulogki (dish) 90

  Bureaucracy 67–8

  Cairo Conference (1945) 268–9

  Camp MacNab 53

  Celibacy, among Buddhist monks 137

  Censorship 103

  Cespedes, Gregorio de 20

  Chaebols (industrial empires) 248

  Changdok Palace 246–7

  Changhang (town) 186

  Changhon (prince) 231–2

  Cheju City

  communist insurgency in 56–7

  description of 57–8

  Cheju Island

  description of 32–5

  fishing industry on 44–5

  geography of 39

  Sparrowhawk shipwrecked on 21–6

  women’s domination of 43–4

  China

  ancient Korea settled by 197

  early Korean contact with 19

  ginseng in history of 208

  Chindo Great Bridge 69

  Chindo Island

  description of 63

  Japanese invasion of 64–7

  Chindo-kae (dog) 67–8, 69

  Chinese, as ethnic minority 245

  Chogori (garment) 200

  Chogye (Buddhist sect) 137

  Cholla province, house style of 100

  Chollanam-do (province) 71–2

  Chonbokchuk (dish) 45

  Chong Tu-won 20

  Chonggak-sa (temple) 204–5

  Chongjo (king), Suwon walls built by 231–2

  Chonju (town) 159

  Chonnam University, uprising at 102–8

  Chun Doo-Hwan 104, 111

  Kim Dae Jung arrested by 112

  political reforms promised by 280

  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, missionaries from 89–92

  Civil defense drills 237–8

  Clark, Mark 268

  Climate 9–10

  of Cheju Island 33

  Clothing styles 200–1

  Coast, defensive fence on 12–13

  College of Assembled Worthies 130

  Columban Fathers 48–53

  Communism: see also North Korea on Cheju Island 56–7

  Confectionary industry 168–9

  Corea—The Land of Morning Calm (Landor) 139

  Corporate welfare 6–7

  Corporations, individual proprietorship of 249

  Customs and immigration clearance 9–11

  Daewoo Corporation 248–9

  Decrees, concerning written language 128–30

  Demilitarized Zone 240–1, 268–77

  Demarcation Line in 274–7

  establishment of 268–9

  length of 270

  show villages in 271–2

  wildlife within 270

  Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea: see North Korea

  Diet, junk food in 163–4

  DMZ: see Demilitarized Zone

  Dogs

  eating of 84–6

  as protected resources 67–8

  Dress styles 200–1

  Drinking of alcoholic beverages

  protocol involving 79, 146–7

  soju 46

  Education

  importance of 250

  teachers salaries 250

  Egberts (Captain of Sparrowhawk) 22

  8th Tactical Fighter Wing (military unit) 174

  Espionage, North Korea suspected of 161–2

  Esso Northumbria (ship) 3–4, 5

  Ethnic minorities, Chinese as 245

  Etiquette, in bathhouses 191–2

  Europe

  early Korean contacts with 20–1

  missionaries from 47–8

  Expatriates in Korea 220–7

  Face 46, 118–19

  Families: see also Marriage

  birthday celebrations 143–7

  genealogies 38

  names 38, 76

  parent-child relations 50–1

  work ethic in 101

  Farrar-Hockley, Anthony 81

  Fishing industry 61–3

  on Cheju Island 44–5

  Flower cards (game) 188–9

  Flowers 222, 223

  Foreign invasion, as historical pattern 196–7

  Foreign travel 34

  Forests, wartime ravaging of 222

  Freedom Bridge 266–7

  Gardner, Matthias 269

  Gem-cutting industry 168–9

  Genealogy 38

  Ginseng 159

  curing process 208–9

  economic and cultural importance of 207–13

  grading of 211

  medicinal effects of 212–13

  types 209

  Gloucester regiment, during Korean War 80–1

  Government

  decrees by 67–8

  human rights abuses by 103–8

  impact on rural areas by 215–17

  political uprisings against 103–8

  Gunther, John 118–19

  Haenyo (skin divers) 43

  Haetae (mythical lions)
233

  Haircuts, protocol involving 241–5

  Halla Mountain xi, 39–42

  Hamel, Hendrick 1, 17, 31, 61, 95, 126, 156, 186, 219, 245, 253, 278

  on crossing the Han River 241

  Sparrowhawk wreck described by 21–6

  Han Dynasty 198

  Han River 238–40

  Hangbok (garment) 200

  Hangul (alphabet) 29

  invention and design of 128–32

  Happiness, Confucian conception of attainment of 119

  Harvest mice, as good-luck symbol 100

  Hearn, Lafcadio 219–20

  Hermit Kingdom 19

  Hill 235, battle of 80–1

  Historic Sites 68

  History

  early settlement 198–9

  foreign invasion as pattern of 196–7

  founding legends 197

  monuments 201–2

  Paekche suicide 202

  Hongsam: see Ginseng

  Honour, code of 46, 119

  Houses

  ondol floors in 139

  thatched roofs stigmatized 100

  Human rights abuses during Chonnam University uprising 102–8

  Hwadu (Zen question) 153–4

  Hwan-gap (birthday celebration) 145

  Hwanung (deity) 197

  Hwatu (game) 188–9

  Hyojong (king) 26, 246

  Hyonbong (Zen master) 153–4

  Hyundai (corporation)

  Chindo Great Bridge built by 69

  Ulsan shipyard of 5–9

  Ibalso (barbershop) 241–5

  Illo (town), market day in 84

  Imjin 264–5

  Imjingak Museum 265–6

  Inns 187–9

  Insam: see Ginseng

 

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