1.
South Korea
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South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a sovereign state in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The earliest Korean pottery dates to 8000 BC, with three kingdoms flourishing in the 1st century BC and its rich and vibrant culture left 19 UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity, the third largest in the world, along with 12 World Heritage Sites. Annexed into Imperial Japan in 1910, Korea was divided after its surrender in 1945, peace has since mostly continued with the two agreeing to work peacefully for reunification and the South solidifying peace as a regional power with the worlds 10th largest defence budget. South Koreas tiger economy soared at an average of 10% for over 30 years in a period of rapid transformation called the Miracle on the Han River. A long legacy of openness and focus on innovation made it successful, today, it is the worlds fifth largest exporter with the G20s largest budget surplus and highest credit rating of any country in East Asia. It has free trade agreements with 75% of the economy and is the only G20 nation trading freely with China, the US. Since 1988, its constitution guarantees a liberal democracy with high government transparency, high personal freedoms led to the rise of a globally influential pop culture such as K-pop and K-drama, a phenomenon called the Korean Wave, known for its distinctive fashionable and trendy style. Home of the UN Green Climate Fund and GGGI, South Korea is a leader in low carbon growth, committed to helping developing countries as a major DAC. It is the third least ignorant country in the Index of Ignorance, ranking eighth highest for peaceful tolerance. It is the worlds largest spender on R&D per GDP, leading the OECD in graduates in science, the name Korea derives from the name Goryeo. The name Goryeo itself was first used by the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo in the 5th century as a form of its name. The 10th-century kingdom of Goryeo succeeded Goguryeo, and thus inherited its name, the modern spelling of Korea first appeared in the late 17th century in the travel writings of the Dutch East India Companys Hendrick Hamel. After Goryeo was replaced by Joseon in 1392, Joseon became the name for the entire territory. The new official name has its origin in the ancient country of Gojoseon, in 1897, the Joseon dynasty changed the official name of the country from Joseon to Daehan Jeguk. The name Daehan, which means great Han literally, derives from Samhan, however, the name Joseon was still widely used by Koreans to refer to their country, though it was no longer the official name. Under Japanese rule, the two names Han and Joseon coexisted, there were several groups who fought for independence, the most notable being the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. Following the surrender of Japan, in 1945, the Republic of Korea was adopted as the name for the new country. Since the government only controlled the part of the Korean Peninsula
2.
Dolmen
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A dolmen is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more vertical megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone, although there are also more complex variants. Most date from the early Neolithic, Dolmens were typically covered with earth or smaller stones to form a tumulus. In many instances, that covering has weathered away, leaving only the skeleton of the burial mound intact. It remains unclear when, why, and by whom the earliest dolmens were made, the oldest known dolmens are in Western Europe, where they were set in place around 7,000 years ago. Archaeologists still do not know who erected these dolmens, which makes it difficult to know why they did it and they are generally all regarded as tombs or burial chambers, despite the absence of clear evidence for this. Human remains, sometimes accompanied by artefacts, have found in or close to the dolmens which could be scientifically dated using radiocarbon dating. However, it has been impossible to prove that these date from the time when the stones were originally set in place. The word dolmen has a confused history, the word entered archaeology when Théophile Corret de la Tour dAuvergne used it to describe megalithic tombs in his Origines gauloises using the spelling dolmin. The name was derived from a Breton language term meaning stone table but doubt has been cast on this. Nonetheless it has now replaced cromlech as the usual English term in archaeology, granja is used in Portugal, Galicia, and Spain. The rarer forms anta and ganda also appear, in the Basque Country, they are attributed to the jentilak, a race of giants. The etymology of the German, Hünenbett, Hünengrab and Dutch, of other Celtic languages, Welsh, cromlech was borrowed into English and quoit is commonly used in English in Cornwall. Great dolmen Passage grave Polygonal dolmen Rectangular, enlarged or extended dolmen Simple dolmen Korean dolmens exhibit a distinct from the Atlantic European dolmen. The largest concentration of dolmens in the world is found on the Korean Peninsula, with an estimated 35,000 dolmens, Korea alone accounts for nearly 40% of the world’s total. Three specific UNESCO World Heritage sites at Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa by themselves account for over 1,000 dolmens, the Korean word for dolmen is goindol supported stone. Serious studies of the Korean megalithic monuments were not undertaken until relatively recently, after 1945, new research is being conducted by Korean scholars. In 1981 a curator of National Museum of Korea, Gongil Ji, the boundary between them falls at the Bukhan River although examples of both types are found on either side. Korean dolmens can also be divided into three types, the table type, the go-table type and the unsupported capstone type
3.
Megalith
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A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. The word megalithic describes structures made of large stones without the use of mortar or concrete. For later periods, the monolith, with an overlapping meaning, is more likely to be used. The word megalith comes from the Ancient Greek μέγας and λίθος, megalith also denotes an item consisting of rock hewn in definite shapes for special purposes. It has been used to describe buildings built by people from parts of the world living in many different periods. A variety of stones are seen as megaliths, with the most widely known megaliths not being sepulchral. The construction of these took place mainly in the Neolithic and continued into the Chalcolithic. At a number of sites in eastern Turkey, large ceremonial complexes from the 9th millennium BC have been discovered and they belong to the incipient phases of agriculture and animal husbandry. Large circular structures involving carved megalithic orthostats are a feature, e. g. at Nevalı Çori. Although these structures are the most ancient megalithic structures known so far, at Göbekli Tepe, four stone circles have been excavated from an estimated 20. Some measure up to 30 metres across, as well as human figures, the stones carry a variety of carved reliefs depicting boars, foxes, lions, birds, snakes and scorpions. Dolmens and standing stones have been found in areas of the Middle East starting at the Turkish border in the north of Syria close to Aleppo. They can be encountered in Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Israel, Jordan, the largest concentration can be found in southern Syria and along the Jordan Rift Valley, however they are being threatened with destruction. They date from the late Chalcolithic/Early Bronze Age, megaliths have also been found on Kharg Island and pirazmian in Iran, at Barda Balka in Iraq, and at Jaintapur in Bangladesh. A semicircular arrangement of megaliths was found in Israel at Atlit Yam and it is a very early example, dating from the 7th millennium BC. The most concentrated occurrence of dolmens in particular is in an area on both sides of the Jordan Rift Valley, with greater predominance on the eastern side. They occur first and foremost on the Golan Heights, the Hauran, and in Jordan, in Saudi Arabia, only very few dolmen have been identified so far in the Hejaz. They seem, however, to re-emerge in Yemen in small numbers, the standing stone has a very ancient tradition in the Middle East, dating back from Mesopotamian times
4.
Neolithic
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It ended when metal tools became widespread. The Neolithic is a progression of behavioral and cultural characteristics and changes, including the use of wild and domestic crops, the beginning of the Neolithic culture is considered to be in the Levant about 10, 200–8800 BC. It developed directly from the Epipaleolithic Natufian culture in the region, whose people pioneered the use of wild cereals, which then evolved into true farming. The Natufian period was between 12,000 and 10,200 BC, and the so-called proto-Neolithic is now included in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic between 10,200 and 8800 BC. By 10, 200–8800 BC, farming communities arose in the Levant and spread to Asia Minor, North Africa, Mesopotamia is the site of the earliest developments of the Neolithic Revolution from around 10,000 BC. Early Neolithic farming was limited to a range of plants, both wild and domesticated, which included einkorn wheat, millet and spelt, and the keeping of dogs, sheep. By about 6900–6400 BC, it included domesticated cattle and pigs, the establishment of permanently or seasonally inhabited settlements, not all of these cultural elements characteristic of the Neolithic appeared everywhere in the same order, the earliest farming societies in the Near East did not use pottery. Early Japanese societies and other East Asian cultures used pottery before developing agriculture, unlike the Paleolithic, when more than one human species existed, only one human species reached the Neolithic. The term Neolithic derives from the Greek νέος néos, new and λίθος líthos, stone, the term was invented by Sir John Lubbock in 1865 as a refinement of the three-age system. In the Middle East, cultures identified as Neolithic began appearing in the 10th millennium BC, early development occurred in the Levant and from there spread eastwards and westwards. Neolithic cultures are attested in southeastern Anatolia and northern Mesopotamia by around 8000 BC. The total excavated area is more than 1,200 square yards, the Neolithic 1 period began roughly 10,000 years ago in the Levant. A temple area in southeastern Turkey at Göbekli Tepe dated around 9500 BC may be regarded as the beginning of the period. This site was developed by nomadic tribes, evidenced by the lack of permanent housing in the vicinity. At least seven stone circles, covering 25 acres, contain limestone pillars carved with animals, insects, Stone tools were used by perhaps as many as hundreds of people to create the pillars, which might have supported roofs. Other early PPNA sites dating to around 9500–9000 BC have been found in Jericho, Israel, Gilgal in the Jordan Valley, the start of Neolithic 1 overlaps the Tahunian and Heavy Neolithic periods to some degree. The major advance of Neolithic 1 was true farming, in the proto-Neolithic Natufian cultures, wild cereals were harvested, and perhaps early seed selection and re-seeding occurred. The grain was ground into flour, emmer wheat was domesticated, and animals were herded and domesticated
5.
Incheon
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Incheon, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City, is a city located in northwestern South Korea, bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi to the east. Inhabited since the New Stone Age, Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became a port in 1883. Today, about 3 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan. The citys growth has been assured in modern times with the development of its due to its natural advantages as a coastal city. It is part of the Seoul Capital Area, along with Seoul itself and Gyeonggi Province, Incheon has since led the economic development of Korea by opening its port to the outside world, ushering in the modernization of Korea as a center of industrialization. In 2003, the city was designated as Korea’s first free economic zone, as an international city, Incheon has held numerous large scale international conferences, such as the Incheon Global Fair & Festival in 2009. The 17th Asian Games Incheon 2014 was also held in Incheon on 19 September 2014, Incheon has established itself as a major transportation hub in northeast Asia with the world-renowned Incheon International Airport and Incheon Port. The city is home to the Green Climate Fund, an international organization addressing environmental issues. The first historical record of the Incheon area dates back to 475 AD, during the reign of King Jangsu of Goguryeo, by the name of Michuhol, the area underwent several name changes with successive kingdoms and dynasties. In Goryeo era, Incheon was called Gyeongwon or Inju, the current name was turned to Incheon in 1413. Later, Incheon County became Incheon Metropolitan Prefecture, old Incheon consisted of todays southern Incheon and northern part of Siheung City. The city centre was Gwangyo-dong, where the office and the local academy were located. Another historical name of the city, Jemulpo, was not widely used until the opening of the port in 1883, after the opening of the Incheon port, the city centre moved from Gwangyo to Jemulpo. Today, either Jemulpo or Gwangyo-dong is considered Deep Incheon and it was renamed as Jinsen during Japanese rule in Korean peninsula. In 1914, the Japanese colonial government merged outer parts of old Incheon with Bupyeong County, through 1936 and 1940, some part of Bucheon County was recombined into Incheon City, by which some part of old Bupyeong was annexed into Incheon. Incheon was originally part of Gyeonggi Province, but was granted Directly Governed City status on July 1,1981, Incheon was known as Inchon prior to South Koreas adoption of a new Romanization system in 2000. The city was the site of the Battle of Chemulpo Bay, during the Korean War, Incheon was occupied by North Korean troops on 4 September 1950. Eleven days later, Incheon was the site of the Battle of Inchon, the result was a decisive UN victory and it was recaptured on 19 September 1950
6.
Baekje Historic Areas
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The Baekje Historic Areas are a group of monuments located in three South Korean cities, Gongju, Buyeo, and Iksan. They relate to the last period of the Baekje Kingdom, representing the period from 475 to 660 CE, the property designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site has eight archaeological sites. The Baekje Historic Areas were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 8 July 2015 at the 39th session of the Committee. The heritage sites are located in the hilly region of the Republic of Korea, in the Iksansi Buyeogun in the Jeollabukdo. It became famous culturally and economically, eventually wars broke out among the three kingdoms, and in the battle Goguryeo won and occupied Baekje, the capital of the Baekje Kingdom. Baekje then relocated from Hanseong to Ungjin, where the Gongsanseong Fortress was erected in 475 AD and this relocation facilitated the fledgling state of Baekje to imbibe from Chinese culture and architecture related to city planning, and it also subscribed to Buddhism. Baekje also transmitted its cultural and religious values to Japan, however, there was a further movement of the capital to Sabi, and a powerful kingdom came to be established in Buyeo in 538 AD. This relocation was necessary for reasons of trade and commerce, as the capital did not have this advantage. Here the city was developed with a palace, forts, royal burial grounds. During the regime of the Sabi period (, King Seong shifted the capital to Buyeo in 538, Iksan was established as a second capital for administrative purposes. In 660 AD, Baekje suffered defeat at the hands of the Silla, Buddhism found its way to Baekje from China for the first time in the late 4th century. In the 6th century, Gyeomik, a Buddhist monk of Baekje, went to India to learn more about Buddhism and bring back the scriptures, which were translated to the local language. Buddhist philosophy spread widely among all sectors of the society, during this period, many large Buddhist temples and pagodas were built in Baekje. This also enabled a close interaction with China and Japan, not only in the field of religion and philosophy but also in building temples in these countries during the 5th to 7th centuries. This period also witnessed the emergence of East Asia as a circle with a uniform writing pattern with Chinese characters, practice of Buddhism. The city prospered for nearly 700 years from 18 BC to 660 AD with its neighbouring kingdoms of Goguryeo to the north, the historic monuments of the period of Baekje were buried, upon excavation, they were found in a well-preserved condition. The sites have also brought under the purview of local governments Cultural Heritage Protection Ordinances such as the Chungcheongnam-do of 2002. The eight sites featured in the heritage list are elaborated, the Gongju Gongsanseong Fortress was initially known as Ungjinseong and subsequently as Gongsanseong during the reign of the Goryeo Dynasty
7.
Hahoe Folk Village
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The Hahoe Folk Village is a traditional village from the Joseon Dynasty. The Ha is short for river and hoe means to turn around, return, the village is a valuable part of Korean culture because it preserves Joseon period-style architecture, folk traditions, valuable books, and an old tradition of clan-based villages. The village is located in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, to the north of the village is Buyongdae Cliff while Mt. Namsan lies to the south. The village is organized around the guidelines of pungsu and so the village has the shape of a lotus flower or two interlocking comma shapes. The village is listed by the South Korean government with UNESCO as a World Heritage Site with Yangdong Folk Village in 2010, the Ryu clan of Pungsan established the Hahae Folk Village in the 16th century during the Joseon Dynasty and has been a one-clan community since that time. The north village contains Yangjindang Manor, designated as Treasure No,306, and Pikchondaek House, designated Important Folklore Material No.84. The south village contains Chunghyodang Manor, designated as Treasure No.414 and Namchondaek House, while each branch of the Pungsan Ryu clan used lived in their respective manor homes and sides, today both branches live throughout the village. The village maintains old architectural styles that have been lost because of rapid modernization, aristocratic tile-roofed residences and thatched-roof servants homes preserve the architectural styles of the Joseon Dynasty. Wonjijeongsa Pavilion and Byeongsan Confucian School are two structures in the village. The village has preserved the shamanist rite of Byeolsin-gut and preserved Hahae masks used in the Hahae Mask Dance, another rite still practiced is the Jeulbul Nori which uses strings of fireworks fired at the base of the Buyongdae Cliff. Yongmogak Shrine houses Ryu Seong-ryongs collection of books and includes South Korean National Treasure No,132, the Jingbirok, a book which records the Imjin War of Korea in 1592. 160, Kunmundungok, is a record of the military encampments, Chunghyodang also holds 231 royal writs of appointment. List of Korea-related topics UNESCO, Hahoe Folk Village in Andong World Heritage in Korea Andong City - Hahoe Folk Village Audio Introduction Andong Hahoe Folk Village
8.
Yangdong Folk Village
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Yangdong Folk Village is a traditional village from the Joseon Dynasty. The village is located in Gangdong-myeon, sixteen kilometers northeast of Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, mt. Seolchang stands to the north of the village. The village is designated as Important Folklore Materials No.189 by the South Korean government, the size, degree of preservation, numerous cultural assets, traditionalism, beautiful natural setting all contribute to the importance of Yangdong Village. It is also an example of the yangban lifestyle and Neo-Confucian traditions. The village is listed by the South Korean government with UNESCO as a World Heritage site with Hahoe Folk Village in 2010, the village was founded by Son So. The household of the Wolseong Son clan was placed on an auspicious site according to Korean theories of pungsu, Son So and his wife, the daughter of Yu Bok Ha had a daughter who married Yi Beon of the Yeogang Yi family. The marriage produced one of the eighteen sages of Korea, Yi Unjeok, the village of Yangdon has continued since its auspicious beginning in the 15th century. Although some of the village is unoccupied today, the overall the village has over 160 tile-roofed, fifty-four historic homes over 200 years old have also been preserved. The village preserves folk customs as well as buildings of traditional Joseon Dynasty architecture. Seobaekodang is the home of the Wolseong Son Family. Mucheomdang, is the house of the Yeogang Yi family. Hyangdan is National Treasure No.412, ihayangjeon and Simsujeong pavilions, and the Ganghakdang village school are also notable structures of the village as well as Gwangajeong and Sonsoyeongjeong. Tonggamsokpyeon, a book printed on movable type and National Treasure No. 283, is located in the village. A picture of the village as you enter it, the village follows the topography of the mountains and valleys and is shaped like an auspicious Hanja character. This arrangement has been carefully preserved, the homes of the Wolseong Son and Yeogang Yu clans, as well as their descendants homes are located on the high ground of the mountains and valleys. The lower-class homes, characterized by their roofs were built on lower ground. The villages organization highlights the social stratification characteristic of Joseon Dynasty society
9.
Namhansanseong
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The fortress encompassing 12 km in length protects a vast area utilized as an emergency capital city of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. It stands on the Namhansan, containing fortifications that date back to the 17th century, and it can be accessed easily from Seoul through Namhansanseong Station of Seoul Subway Line 8. Due to such an advantage, Namhansanseong served as a commanding post since the Unified Silla era in the 7th century. Unified Silla constructed Jujangseong fortress where Namhansanseong sits today, to raise men, in the 13th century during Goryeo Dynasty, Namhansanseong was a stronghold against the Mongol Invasion. Consequently, it became a mountain fortress, the likeness of which is rarely found anywhere else in the world. Furthermore, Namhansanseong had been managed and operated for over 300 years since its construction in 1624. Specifically, it was the battlefield of the second Manchu Invasion to acquire hegemony in East Asia during the Ming-Qing dynasty transition in 1636. It was the symbol of the Joseon dynasty for sovereignty. The rich history of Namhansanseong shows the exchange of Buddhist, Confucian, folk religion, the 17th century mountain fortress Namhansanseong was constructed as a planned city both to serve as an emergency capital city during wartimes and an administrative center in normal times. Common traditional villages are located on flat lands adjacent to mountain fortress built for shelter in emergencies. Namhansanseong was a self-sufficient defensive fortress where the administrative town was placed within the fortress together with the Emergency Palace. Thus, it performed various functions such as defense, administration, business, since the 17th century, Namhansanseong has been dominantly inhabited with over 4,000 in population and has been managed and preserved by the residents for generations. The characteristics of Namhansanseong have changed a lot throughout the course of history, the fortress served as a military and administrative center with the Emergency Palace and administrative office from 1627 to 1917. It was the center of the resistance movement centering on Buddhist monk soldiers temples when the Joseon Dynasty fell. However, the fortress experienced demolition and the temples were forced into closure by the Japanese in 1907, the fortress lost its function as the town center due to the relocation of the Gwangju County Office in 1917, resulting in a downgrade to a remote mountain village. Then, the fortress suffered population loss and material loss during the Korean War, nowadays Namhansanseong has become a tourist attraction point in the vicinity of Seoul, after undergoing large-scale wall restorations and being designated as a provincial park since the 1970s. It has seen an increase in the number of restaurants. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2014 and it is necessary to monitor the management system in Namhansanseong
10.
Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty
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The Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty refers to the 40 tombs of members of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. These tombs are scattered in over 18 locations across South Korea and they were built to honor and respect the ancestors and their achievements, and assert their royal authority. The tombs have been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2009, the royal tombs can be divided into three main parts, It is the meeting point between the dead and the living. The area around Hongsalmun gate is the space for the living. This is the space between the earthly and the holy and this is the area where the spirits of the kings and queens meet their earthly worshippers. This area also contains the Jeongjagak shrine, the Subokbang, and this area also includes the wall, and the other stone structures. Other structures include, Gokjang These are the three sides of walls around the mound that protects the sacred area. Seokho The tiger deity which serves as the guardian of the Bongbun, seogyang A sheep statue which fends off the evil spirits from earth and prays for the souls of the departed. Mangjuseok This is a pair of stone pillars erected on both sides of the mound, Bongbun This is where the body of the king or queen lies. It is also called Neungchim or Neungsang, nanganseok It is the hedge-like stone which protects the Byeongpungseok. Honnyuseok A rectangular stone erected in front of the mound which is believed to invite the soul to come out, Muninseok Statues of scholars placed on the left and right sides of the Jangmyeongdeung lantern. Jangmyeongdeung A lantern which comforts and prays blessing over the soul, muinseok Statue of a soldier said to be guarding the king and is placed below the Muninseok. Yegam It is located on the corner behind the Jeongjagak and is used for burning the written prayers after a burial service. Bigak A building which has a monument where the names of the king. Jeongjagak This is where memorial services are held, chamdo These are two stone-covered paths that leads to the Jeongjagak. The higher path is called Sindo, while the path is called Eodo. Only the Eodo path can be used by visitors in accordance to Korean custom, Suragan This is where the food for the memorial services are brought and prepared. Subokbang This is the quarter of the officer guarding the tomb. Baewi This is where the king and memorial service officials knelt in honor of the deceased king and it is also called Panwi or Eobaseok
