Feature
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Korean Shamanism & Mudang
Shamans, known as mudang in Korean, have long played an important role in the religious lives of Koreans. Political leaders would double as religious figures, or shamans, in ancient times.
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Ritual Spaces of the Joseon Dynasty
State rituals are prominent among the many functions inspiring forms of architecture across human history. Such rituals serve as a vehicle for expressing the abstract concept of the government’s power or authority, and consequently require an architectural space that accentuates this purpose. This article explores the state ceremonies of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) and the buildings that accommodated them.
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Household Duties of Men in the Joseon Era
Men during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) played an active role in the management of household affairs. A typical household of the yangban ruling class would have 50 to 100 members, including servants. A wide range of matters needed to be taken care of within each household, from securing food and producing daily necessities to ensuring children’s education, controlling disease, and fulfilling religious duties. During the Joseon period, each household functioned as a self-sufficient society.
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Gifted Musicians in Korean History
The Korean boy band BTS’s musical accomplishments did not come out of thin air, however, and are deeply rooted in the longstanding traditions of the Korean people involving music, dance, and song. There have been a great number of brilliant musicians throughout Korean history.
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Medication and Advertising in Early-modern Korea
The field of advertising developed with the maturation of capitalism and the emergence of public media. Korea was no exception, and medications played an important role in the development of the Korean advertising industry.