Folklore of Pyongyang

Folklore
of
Pyongyang
Foreign Languages Publishing House

DPR Korea
Juche 110 (2021)
Preface
President Kim Il Sung said:

“Pyongyang is a city with a time-honoured history, a
brilliant culture and very beautiful scenery.”
Pyongyang is the capital city of the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea. With a long history of 5 000 years and
brilliant culture, it has been a cradle of life for humans as its
weather, soil and natural and geographical conditions were
favourable for and beneficial to their life.
Therefore, it was the cradle and centre of the Taedonggang
Culture, as well as a birthplace of rice farming, bronze, iron
and other metal workmanship.
It tells, along with its history, the customs of the nation the
Korean people created and developed through a long course
of their living.
Early in the 30th century BC, about 5 000 years ago,
Pyongyang was the capital city of Ancient Joson, the first
ancient state in Korea, with Tangun as its founding father,
demonstrating its history and culture for about three
millenniums.
Koguryo succeeded Ancient Joson and was established as
the first feudal state in Korea in 277 BC and set Pyongyang
as its second capital in the year of 247. In 427, it moved its
capital to Pyongyang and stepped up southward advance with
it as the base, nearly achieving the unification of the Three Wang Kon, in his last days, saying “Pyongyang is the
Kingdoms. Pyongyang always played the core role in the foundation of our country and the land of carrying on the great
cultural development of the nation. cause for everything goes well there,” left his last instructions
With the expansion of its territory and increase of its that the security of the country should be achieved by relying
population and national power, Koguryo moved its royal on Pyongyang. Kwon Kun, a famous scholar in the period
palace from Anhak at the foot of Mt Taesong to today’s between 1352 and 1409 (the last period of Koryo and early
Central District in Pyongyang; for 35 years between 552 days of the feudal Joson dynasty), also said that “Pyongyang
and 586, it built up the large-size Walled City of Pyongyang is a big gateway to and the origin of the country.” In these
covering the whole city, demonstrating its might and turning days, the Koryo people produced porcelain of peculiar colours,
the capital into an impregnable fortress. patterns and forms, glorifying the country’s name before the
The mural tombs and other relics from the period of world, and invented metal types for the first time in the world,
Koguryo still remain witnesses to its greatness and might and contributing to the development of civilization of mankind.
a representative of the customs of the people of those days. During the feudal Joson dynasty, too, Pyongyang remained
In particular, the mural tombs in Tokhung-ri, Mausoleum a political, economic, cultural and military centre in the
of King Kogugwon and other relics found around Pyongyang northwestern region by inheriting and developing its own
visually show the talented skills of the Koguryo people and customs.
their living customs, developed culture and mightiness. In this way, it prospered as the capital city or the second
In this way, during the period of the Three Kingdoms, capital city throughout the periods of Ancient Joson, Koguryo
Pyongyang inherited the proud history and traditions as the and Koryo, and developed into a centre for defending and
capital city of Koguryo following Ancient Joson, and created glorifying the proud history and traditions of the Korean people.
and developed independent customs of the Korean nation. The consolidation of national customs and cultural
After Koryo, the first unified state in Korea, was founded development centred on Pyongyang made the locals display
by Wang Kon in 918, a big local governance body was their creative resourcefulness and talents in various sectors.
established there in September the same year, and the The customs of the Korean nation, who boast about their
following year it was developed into Sogyong, or the western refined traditional customs and manners of the “land of good
capital, playing the politico-military role of the second capital manners in the East,” have been created and handed down to
city. posterity with Pyongyang as the centre.
CONTENTS
Customs of Farming‥‥‥ 5 Tongji and Rabil‥‥‥ 137

Folk Play‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 140 Customs
Customs of Food, Thaekkyon of Farming
Clothing and Housing‥‥ 15 (Subakhui)‥ ‥‥‥‥ 140
Diet‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 16 Sokjon‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 146
Clothing‥ ‥‥‥‥‥‥ 40 Ssirum‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 148
Housing‥ ‥‥‥‥‥‥ 72 Swinging‥‥‥‥‥‥ 152
Seesawing‥ ‥‥‥‥ 155
Folk Festivals and Folk Yut Game‥ ‥‥‥‥ 156
Play‥ ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 102 Paduk (Go)‥‥‥‥‥ 160
Folk Festivals‥‥‥‥‥ 103 Kite-flying‥ ‥‥‥‥ 162
Lunar New Year’s
Day‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 104 Family Ceremonies‥ ‥ 164
Full Moon Day‥ ‥‥ 116 Marriage‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 165
Chongmyong‥ ‥‥‥ 121 Funeral Formalities‥‥‥ 171
Samwolsamjil‥‥‥‥ 123 Memorial Service‥ ‥‥ 173
Ryuwolryudu‥ ‥‥‥ 126
Chirwolchilsok‥ ‥‥ 129 Conclusion‥ ‥‥‥‥ 175
Chusok (Harvest
Moon Day)‥‥‥‥‥ 132
Kuwoljunggu‥ ‥‥‥ 135
6 Customs of Farming Customs of Farming 7
From olden times the ancestors of the Korean nation used to of the rich men in 408 in the period of Koguryo, and they ate beef,
say, “Agriculture is the great foundation of the country.” mutton, wine and rice every day, and consumed bean paste of one
The people in Pyongyang who had long engaged in farming as big storehouse.
their main production activities, created and improved reasonable This means that rice and beans were mainly cultivated in the
farming methods while cultivating different crops that suited to Pyongyang area and used as staple foods.
the natural, climatic and soil conditions. Korea’s traditional crops also included oil-bearing crops such
The historical records read that the people of Ancient Joson as perilla and sesame and cash crops like hemp and cotton.
would see stars to predict the year’s crop situation, and carry the Later tobacco, chili, corn, potato and others were cultivated in
contents of the Eight-Article Infringement, the criminal code that the second half of the feudal Joson dynasty, enriching the kinds of
if one does harm to another one should pay the latter with cereals. crops.
This shows clearly that agriculture was the main source of In this course, the Korean people had a good understanding of
livelihood throughout Ancient Joson centring on Pyongyang. the characteristics of crops, natural and weather conditions and
With natural and climatic conditions favourable to crop farming, soil, and created and introduced reasonable farming methods based
the local people of Pyongyang have long cultivated five cereals–rice, on their farming experience.
foxtail millet, kaoliang, beans and Indian millet. Farming in Pyongyang was conducted in the order of
Found at the site of house preparation, sowing, weeding, harvesting and threshing in line
No 36 in the Namgyong remains with the local natural and climatic conditions.
in Honam-ri, Samsok District, The preparation included the purchase of seeds, production of
Pyongyang, the remains from the manure and repair of farming tools.
days of Ancient Joson, were five The Korean people spared no sincerity to obtain good seeds
cereals which had been cultivated and preserve them well, as they had a direct impact on crop yields.
at that time. Hence the proverb “A farmer keeps the seeds even though he
Rice and beans constituted the has to die of hunger.”
main cereals among five cereals. After gathering in ripe ears of cereals, they threshed them,
According to an old record, selected only choicest ones as seeds and dried them, and those in
a labour force of 10 000 was Pyongyang and Phyongan Province used to keep them on the shelf
involved in the construction of Five cereals found at the site of house of the upper room.
No 36 in the Namgyong remains
the Tokhung-ri mural tomb of one in Samsok District, Pyongyang There were also other methods of seed preparation: They put
about 2kg of seeds into a hemp bag, buried them in a pit around The preparation of farming implements was also important to do
the winter solstice, dug them out at the beginning of the next spring farm work in the right season.
and selected the biggest ones as seeds; or they wrapped up a certain The implements included carts, sleighs, panniers and A-frames
amount of seeds in a wet piece of cloth, put it in a warm place and for carrying manure, rice seedlings; tools for ploughing; spades,
collected the sprouted ones. harrows and rakes for improving fields and rivers; baskets for
Manure played a key role in fertilizing the fields under plough. sowing seeds; ploughs and
Koreans collected straws, waste heap, soft tree branches and grasses hoes for weeding and sickles
in a pool or cattle sheds, spoiled them and used them as manure. for harvesting.
They also used other Among them small
resources such as night implements were prepared by
soil, burned soil and ashes families, and bigger ones by
from the flues of kudul joint efforts.
(Korean-type of hypocaust) Hoes, sickles and other
to fertilize the fields. iron tools were tempered at the
There were several blacksmiths’.
An old painting portraying
methods of field fer- Based on these preparations, ploughing of a paddy field
tilization including multi- field ploughing was conducted
An old painting portraying manuring
ploughing, ploughing grass- for sowing seeds.
grown fields, covering the The Korean people set the
fields with grasses to leave spring equinox as the suitable
them to be dried and burn day for the start of ploughing,
them before ploughing the as the weather was warm and
fields, and carpeting field the soil got thawed since day
with humus soil. and night around this day were
These were superior the same in their length.
farming methods created In ploughing farm
through long agricultural implements were used as
An old painting portraying a blacksmith’s production activities. appropriate to soil conditions. ploughing of a non-paddy field
In Pyongyang oxen pulled the ploughs, a farming tool widely their growth to a certain height and fill the field with water; and
used in the western and middle parts of Korea. the last, to grow healthy seedlings in a separately-prepared nursery
Ploughing tools included a shovel with a rope attached to each and transplant them in paddy
side of the blade, harrow and iron rake. fields, which was widely
Seed-sowing followed just after the ploughing was over. introduced across the country
What was important here was to meet the requirements of in the last days of the feudal
planting right crop in the right soil and at the right time. Joson dynasty.
Therefore, the Korean people referred to different farming The third method was also
calendars for sowing rice and other cereals; even in case of sowing prevalent in the Pyongyang
the same crop, the calendar was different according to region. area.
In Pyongyang, before the liberation of the country from the Seeding was followed by
Japanese military occupation, there were 36 280 hectares of land thinning and weeding.
under cultivation. Among them the non-paddy fields occupied The period of weeding was
31 680 hectares, paddy fields 4 573 and slash-and-burn and other a little different according to transplanting of rice seedlings
fields 27. crops, but it was done usually
In 1955, the area of paddy fields reached to 1 681 hectares from the early sixth month to
and non-paddy fields 8 131, which means that the local people the late seventh month by the
did farming with field crops as the main and sowed seeds in line lunar calendar.
with it. Hoes, ploughs and other
The major field crops were foxtail millet, kaoliang and barley. tools were used for weeding.
The period of sowing foxtail millet was different according to About the non-paddy field
the local areas, but in general it was done between the first rainfall in ploughing widely conducted
the third month of the year by the lunar calendar and the beginning in the period of the feudal
of summer in the fourth month. Joson dynasty, a historical
Kaoliang and barley were also sown nearly at the same time. book reads: To drive a
Sowing rice was done in three ways: First one was to plough harnessed ox slowly along
and level the watered paddy field and sow the rice seeds; second, the furrow with a plough is
to plough and level dry field, sow the rice seeds, weed twice after popularly known as ploughing, An old painting portraying weeding
and this is a popular way of weeding across the country; this is Through a mural in the Mausoleum of King Kogugwon,
the most important farm work in non-paddy field farming; as depicting a woman hulling crop with a tread-mill, it can be said
the soil of the ridges is made to cover the roots of crops, wind that there were individually- or jointly-used tread-mills in
and drought hardly ever dry or fell crops, and even continuous Pyongyang.
rain cannot inundate the fields because of the deep furrows. In several processes of farming, ox-sharing teams and mutual-aid
Weeding was done three times in paddy and non-paddy fields. teams were formed among peasants in Pyongyang with the aim of
Harvesting and threshing joint labour.
were the last process of yearly A mutual-aid team was formed for the purpose of rational use
farming. of labour based on the recognition of superiority of joint work over
Harvested crops were individual one.
carried by an ox-cart or The method of forming this team was a little different in
A-frame; among them the each locality, but in Pyongyang and Phyongan Province it was
utility of the last one was the organized by involving relatives of the same number of labour
highest. force or 2-3 neighbouring houses.
Threshing was also The name of the team was different in Pyongyang and other
different according to crop; provinces.
An old painting portraying rice was threshed by striking its The work of the team included not only farming but house
threshing sheaves against a long stand or building, straw thatching, milling, well sinking, weaving cloth,
hackling rice with thresher, and spinning yarn and others for family life.
the field crops with flail. In principle, it was an exchange of labour for the same or
After threshing was over, similar purpose, but as the joint work of farming and family life
cereals were stored in grain continued all the year round, it was also introduced to different
chests, and a required amount purposes.
was milled each time. In this case it was called exchange of hands, and paid with
Therefore, every family different kinds of labour.
in Pyongyang had a mortar, A changed form of mutual aid, it was an exchange of ordinary
handmill and other tools for labour with labour that needed special techniques, including straw
tread-milling milling the cereals. thatching, repairing of ondol (floor-heating system) and plastering.
14 Customs of Farming
This was widely applied between technical persons and those

without techniques.
In each of these two cases, it was a rule to compensate the
labour with money or with the same labour within that year.
Customs of Food,
An ox-sharing team was formed with an ox as a means for Clothing and Housing
overcoming the shortage of labour and draught animals while
sowing seeds and ploughing.
A team was formed with a peasant with an ox and four or five
have-nots, who were either skilled or not in ploughing, spreading
manure, harrowing, sowing seeds and weeding. Diet
Those included in the team without an ox undertook to do hard
labour such as supply of bean, rice and other straws for cattle
feed.
The team was organized based on a simple promise at the
beginning of the year, and once it was formed it ran every year as
long as there was nothing particularly wrong.
The families of a team got closer through joint labour and, in Clothing
particular, took good care of the ox, but never calculated man-days
and charge for the ox provided for joint labour.
The team proved effective in displaying the cooperative spirit
of peasants in farming and rationally using an ox by several
families that helped each other despite the lack of draught
animal.
In this way, the people of Korea centring on Pyongyang, in line Housing
with the natural and climatic conditions of distinct four seasons–
spring, summer, autumn and winter–conducted farming in order,
created and introduced advanced farming methods and increased
agricultural productivity through joint labour.
16 Customs of Food, Clothing and Housing Customs of Food, Clothing and Housing 17
The Pyongyang cold noodles take pride of place of the

foods of Pyongyang.
Diet The noodles were a staple food and a must at wedding
ceremonies and birthday spreads.
From olden times, the local people of Pyongyang have The Pyongyang cold noodles are made by pressing cereal
gathered rich harvests of five cereals from its fertile land. It is flour dough into thin and long strips with a press and boiling them
also abundant in aquatic products as the Taedong River meanders in water. Then they are put in a bowl, decorated with garnishes,
through it and there is the West Sea of Korea nearby. poured with soup and served.
So the local people have created excellent foods by using the Tongguksesigi, a book from the period of the feudal Joson
rich materials and developed them. dynasty, reads that the buckwheat noodles, poured with radish or
Typical examples are the Pyongyang cold noodles, Pyongyang bok choy kimchi juice and garnished with pork, are called cold
onban, Taedong River gray mullet soup and nochi. noodles and those from the northwestern area rank first among
Noodle making Pyongyang cold noodles

its kinds. Haedongjukji, another historical book, writes that the First, buckwheat, the main material, contains a large amount
Pyongyang cold noodles are the best. of various nutritional elements, so it has long been called a cereal
When winter came, Pyongyangites liked to eat noodles mixed for longevity.
with tongchimi (watery radish kimchi) juice. The strips are not so tough, and the unique taste of buckwheat
As Pyongyang cold noodles were a speciality of Pyongyang stimulates the appetite.
and had an excellent tradition, some people, running noodle The stock of the noodles is also characteristic.
houses in other regions, used to name theirs Pyongyang Cold The noodles were mixed with meat soup or kimchi juice, but
Noodle House. usually with tongchimi juice.
The food owed its fame to the special features of its material, Tongchimi from Pyongyang has a unique taste because the
soup, flavoured meat shreds, garnishes, bowl and method of putting method of making it is special; radishes, mixed with such
noodles in the soup. seasonings as garlic, ginger, spring onion, pear, chestnut, pickled
fish and shredded chili, are put into a jar filled with boiled salty
water, and the jar is sealed.
This refreshing yet pungent water is mixed with meat soup,
and the buckwheat noodles are put into it.
The Pyongyang cold noodles are peculiar also for the method
of putting them in the stock and serving them.
They are served in a brass vessel that looks refreshing and
goes well with the taste of tongchimi juice and meat broth.
Before being served, a little amount of the stock is poured into
the vessel, the noodle strips are put and the garnishes are put over
them. And then the stock is poured.
As they taste good and look characteristic, Pyongyang cold
noodles are recognized as one of the famous foods that represent the
traditional foods of Korea, a byword of Korean noodles.
For their unique flavour, the people like to eat them not only
Tongchimi
in hot summer but also in cold winter.
The method of its making is as follows: cucumber, and one half of boiled egg and pour the stock so that
Knead buckwheat flour with the water of 65oC-70oC and one-third of the strips are immersed. Then serve the noodles after
press the dough into thin strips. Then boil the strips for about 100 pouring sesame oil and spraying pine nuts.
seconds before rinsing them with cold water, and drain the water. Mustard, chili powder, soy sauce, vinegar and the rest of the
Prepare the stock by boiling beef, pork or chicken, sieving the stock are served separately.
soup and mixing it with tongchimi juice. Boil an egg and split it Pyongyang cold noodles preserve their taste only when the
into halves. Make wontons with minced pheasant meat. vinegar is not put in the meat stock, but on the strips which are
Slice beef and pork, shred chicken, slice cucumber in the shape then mixed with the stock.
of a willow leaf before mixing them with vinegar, sugar and salt. As Pyongyang cold noodles sustain the flavour unique to cold
Sliced pear is soaked in slightly-salty water. noodles from their preparation to serving, all the Pyongyangites
Then put the noodle strips in a brass bowl, put over them liked them, and a noodle press was a must in the kitchen of a
garnishes in the order of pear, kimchi, pork, beef, chicken, house.
구슬
Jaengban noodles Pyongyang onban

With cold noodles, jaengban noodles, or noodles served in a Boil chicken thoroughly, shred it and mix it with seasonings.
flat vessel, are also famous in Pyongyang. Add salt to the chicken soup and boil it again. Make seasonings
There are some differences between the cold noodles and with soy sauce, chili powder, mashed spring onion, perilla powder
jaengban noodles. and sesame oil.
Whereas the former is served in a brass bowl, the latter is on a Put the boiled rice in a bowl, superpose it with a mung bean
brass vessel, 30cm in diameter and 7-8cm in depth. pancake, roast mushroom and chicken and pour hot soup.
The amount of seasonings and garnishes for the latter is greater Sprinkle perilla mixed with salt, perilla powder and chili
than that for the former, and in particular, the strips are twice as powder over them, and serve the seasonings and sliced radish
much as those of the former. kimchi separately.
Unlike the cold noodles, the strips are spread evenly on a Pyongyang onban is characterized by the mung bean pancake
brass vessel and laid with chili powder, spring onion, perilla, salt, laid over the rice.
sesame oil, pear, egg, slices of chicken or beef and the like in During the dog days, Pyongyangites ate pibimpap.
good shape and then the soup is poured. The method of cooking pibimpap is as follows:
This food, like sinsollo, has been enjoyed as an
accompaniment for drinking, and in this case the strips are
served to be enough for three or four persons and the amount of
seasonings and garnishes are also greater.
Pyongyang onban is a staple food, which was created and
became famous by the Pyongyangites who have eaten rice as a
staple food.
Whereas people in Kyonggi Province like to eat rice served
in soup seasoned with soy sauce, people in Pyongyang were fond
of eating onban.
The method of cooking Pyongyang onban is as follows:
Boil rice, and mill mung beans with water before frying
pancakes of 7cm in diameter each with the milled mung beans.
Pyongyang pibimpap
Mushroom is shredded and fried with seasonings.
First rice is hard boiled, and beef is minced, spiced and then and the broth is sieved. Then the broth is boiled with shellfish
fried. and sodden rice. When rice has become sticky, boned fish, spring
Mung bean sprouts and dropwort are parboiled and mixed onion, garlic, salt, chili powder and sometimes chicken are added
with seasonings; bracken and broad bellflower roots are soaked in to it.
water, pine mushrooms are torn into thin pieces, and they are fried On the fifteenth day of the sixth month by the lunar calendar,
separately. Pyongyangites would have a bath in the Taedong River and
Fried laver is crushed, and peppered bean paste is mixed have a pleasant rest while catching corbicula or fish and making
with broth, sugar, perilla powder, spring onion, garlic and sesame fish porridge by the riverside.
oil. Pyongyang chicken porridge, too, has been loved by the local
Boiled rice is put in a large bowl, superposed by beef and wild people.
herbs in harmonious colour. It is garnished with shredded egg The method of cooking the food is as follows:
and fried laver is crushed Chicken is boiled, shredded and mixed with seasonings.
over it. Rice soaked in water is boiled in chicken soup. When it is half
The dish is served with
warm soup, kimchi made of
sliced radish and peppered
bean paste.
Pork and spinach
Pyongyang fish porridge or crown daisy can be
used instead of beef and
dropwort.
Fish and chicken
porridges are well known as
specialities of Pyongyang.
The method of making
fish porridge is as follows:
Pyongyang chicken porridge Ryongbongthang
Fish is boiled and boned,
done, shredded chicken is added The method of cooking this soup is as follows:
and boiled again. Chicken is done thoroughly and shredded.
The porridge is seasoned with A carp is put into the broth and boiled. When the carp is
salt and soy sauce, spring onion is boiled, it is scooped and boned.
added, and egg is mixed. Chicken, rice and carp are boiled in the broth and seasoned
Before the egg is done with salt, perilla powder, spring onion, sesame oil and chili
thoroughly, the porridge is scooped powder.
Tailed rice cakes
in a bowl, and chili and perilla This soup, a royal court dish, was made of carp and chicken
powder is sprayed over it. as major materials and seasoned with egg, radish, dropwort,
When chicken is half done, spring onion, oak mushroom, soy sauce, the head, fillet and lower
gray mullet or catfish can be part of the intestine of a
added. cow, abalone, trepang,
As one of the specialities of pine nuts, sesame oil
Half-moon-shaped rice cakes Pyongyang, the local people, when and pepper. But Pyongyang
they went on a fishing trip to a people made the dish with
river, would kill chicken, eat the rice mixing it with carp and
meat as an accompaniment for chicken.
drinking and made porridge with Tailed, half-moon-shaped
the broth and rice. and pine endodermis Mung-bean pancakes
They ate the porridge with rice cakes are famous in
Stuffed mugwort rice cakes
peppered bean paste. Pyongyang.
Today, eel is also used for Tailed rice cakes were
making the porridge. a must on the table of a
Ryongbongthang (carp and wedding ceremony.
chicken soup) is a speciality of Half-moon-shaped rice
Pyongyang that suits the taste of the cake was prepared mainly
Mugwort rice cakes Nochi
local people. for the Harvest Moon
Festival (15th day of the eighth month by the lunar calendar); Slice bok choy thinly after rinsing it in water.
the rice cake made by Pyongyangites was characterized by its big Boil pork with some lard, shred some of the meat and slice
size. the remainder.
Pine endodermis rice cake is made by mixing rice flour with pine Put in a pan milled mung beans, bok choy kimchi, pork, chili
endodermis, steaming the dough in a steamer and pounding it on a and spring onion, mix them, and sprinkle pepper powder and
flat stone. The cake is usually dressed with mung-bean flour. salt.
Nochi and mung-bean pancake are also special foods of Pork grease is poured in a heated pan, and the prepared material
Pyongyang. is ladled scoop by scoop, frying round and flat pancakes.
The method of making nochi is as follows: The powder of A piece of boiled lard is put on each of the pancakes.
glutinous rice, millet, glutinous foxtail millet and glutinous The pancakes are put on a plate and served with seasonings.
kaoliang are mixed, kneaded with hot water and added with The food was prepared for holidays, wedding ceremonies
malt powder before being fermented for one and a half day. The and memorial services, sometimes as a special food in ordinary
fermented dough is cut into pieces, and each piece is kneaded days.
in a round and flat shape before being fried.
On the evening of the Harvest Moon Day the local people
fried the pancakes in the yard, diffusing the savoury aroma
across the village. To make them sweeter, they coated them with
malt powder just after frying them and put them into a pot or
jar.
They ate them when they became sticky after a while.
The pancakes kept in a pot or jar were used as snacks for
children or during a travel.
Mung-bean pancake of Pyongyang is renowned for the mung
beans milled with water are fried with vegetables and lard.
The method of making the food is as follows: Leave mung
beans soaked in water for 2-3 hours, skin them before milling them
Gray mullet soup
with water.
It was also used for medical treatment against arteriosclerosis, When the soup is boiling, some grains of pepper wrapped in a
Saint Anthony's fire, alcohol poisoning and heatstroke, for piece of gauze are put in and taken out some minutes later.
detoxication and as diuresis. The soup is seasoned and scooped in a bowl with some
In Pyongyang, people regarded these pancakes as a major chunks of gray mullet.
food for wedding ceremonies, and piled them up on a brass plate on Mashed garlic and ginger are served separately.
the wedding ceremony table. The local people served this soup to distinguished guests. So
In the Pyongyang area there are many renowned subsidiary visitors to Pyongyang said that they were given good treatment
foods. only when they ate the gray mullet soup there.
Typical examples are gray mullet soup, carp soup and pork “Was gray mullet soup delicious?”–this was the first greetings to
entrails soup. the people who had been to Pyongyang.
The Taedong River gray mullet soup is prepared in this way. Pork entrails soup is prepared by rinsing entrails of a
Fresh gray mullet from the Taedong River is scaled, boned and pig thoroughly, parboiling them and then boiling them with
chunked, put in a stone pot with cool water and boiled. kimchi.
Sollongthang Kimchi making

The savoury smell of the The seasonings are put between bok choy leaves.
soup whetted diners’ appetites. Radishes are put at the bottom of a clean jar layer by layer,
At first, the soup, together followed by a layer of bok choy.
with sollongthang, was a The process is repeated until 70% of the jar is filled, and
food for the poor, but later it they are covered with outer leaves of bok choy mixed with salt.
became popular among the A stone weight is put over it and the mouth of the jar sealed.
White kimchi rich as it is highly nutritious Three days later the broth made by boiling pickled shrimps is
and unique in taste. poured in the jar.
Famous kimchi in the As it tastes good when it is made with less chili, not so much
Pyongyang area is tongchimi seasonings were put between bok choy leaves.
and white kimchi. This type of kimchi had been made before chili was
White kimchi means a introduced in the country, so it has a longer history than other types
kind of kimchi made of kimchi.
Whole bok choy kimchi without using chili, and it
is characterized by a large
amount of juice.
The method of making
white kimchi is as follows:
Bok choy is pickled in
Young radish kimchi 10% salt water, trimmed clean
and drained off, and radishes
are salted.
Minced radish, shredded
red pepper, dropwort,
chestnut, ginger, garlic,
pickled shrimps and salt are
Wild garlic kimchi Kogijaengban
mixed to make seasonings.
In the Pyongyang area white then with seasoned pollack,

kimchi was served in a large pickled shrimps, garlic,
bowl with its juice greater ginger, dropwort, sugar, spring
than its amount, and people onion, salt and pear to make
sometimes ate noodles or rice seasonings.
after putting them into the Pickled heads of bok choy
juice. Yakkwa are rinsed, and seasonings are
Perilla kangjong
Whole bok choy kimchi put between its leaves before
of Pyongyang has its unique being wrapped with outer
taste. leaves.
The method of making this Radishes are put at the
type of kimchi is as follows: bottom of a jar with a handful
Whole heads of bok choy Sesame kwajul of salt sprayed and then the
Peanut kangjong
are trimmed, and pickled in heads of bok choy are put
10% salt water. Radishes are over them while ensuring that
cleaned, and chili powder is their cut parts are put upward.
mixed with hot water at the The process is repeated until
ratio of 1 and 1.2. they reach close to the top of
Garlic, spring onion and the jar.
White rice kwajul White rice kangjong
ginger are crushed and pickled The outer leaves of bok
shrimps are cleaned. Pollack choy and then a stone weight
flesh is minced before being are put over them. Three days
kept for about 20 minutes later, broth is poured in the jar
mixed with chili powder, salt, and the mouth is sealed.
spring onion and garlic. Whole bok choy kimchi
Minced radishes are from Pyongyang is
Tasik Sesame kangjong
mixed with chili powder and characterized by much broth
and less chili to give an unsalted and refreshing taste. Taffy is called glutinous rice taffy, nonglutinous rice taffy,
Pyongyangites made dishes with meat to eat them with rice. kaoliang taffy, corn taffy and sweet potato taffy according to the
Most famous is kogijaengban. main material or hard taffy and liquid taffy according to its state.
The dish is prepared by slicing boiled cow tenderloin or other The method of making taffy is as follows:
soft meat seasoned with soy sauce, chili powder, garlic and Glutinous rice or nonglutinous rice is soaked in water,
sesame oil, and served on a tray. steamed and mixed with malt powder before being heated again.
The dish was served with hot stock and kimchi separately and The saccharified material is sieved to take the solid material out,
used as an accompaniment for drinking. and the liquid is boiled down to get brown liquid taffy or hard
Noodles served on the tray were enjoyed in the Pyongyang taffy.
area. Liquid taffy was used for cooking foods, and hard taffy was
The Pyongyangites made various side dishes with croakers. eaten as a snack or melted for making foods.
They especially liked to eat dried and roasted croakers from Hard taffy becomes good to eat if it is heated and pulled with
early summer to autumn. hands repeatedly as it contains air and is easy to break.
Pickled croakers ranked first among various kinds of pickled The picture Ssirum by Kim Hong Do from the 18th century
dishes. vividly depicts a young man who is selling taffy near the ring. This
Slightly salted and dried croakers are soaked in water, boned shows that taffy was sold widely and enjoyed by people, young
and then pounded with a stick, were seasoned with perilla and old, men and women.
powder and shredded chili. They were mainly eaten with rice. Taffy has a peculiar taste and is good for health as it contains
Whereas people on the east coast used pollack on ceremonial glucose, protein, fat and so on.
occasions, croaker was a must on the occasions among them. Kwajul was originally the name of all sorts of sweets and
They also liked to eat pickled shrimps with rice. biscuits, but it has become a kind of biscuit with the passage of
The people of Pyongyang demonstrated their creative talent time.
and wisdom also in creating and developing delicious and It is not exact when it was made for the first time. According to
highly-nutritional candies. historical records, it was a must for wedding, memorial services and
They were made with rice, adzukis and soybeans and New Year celebration in the period of Koryo. Therefore it can be
sweetened with chestnut, jujube, sesame, pine nuts, insam and so on. said that it was widely spread in the period of Koryo.
Typical candies are taffy, kwajul and thaesik. It is crisp and easily melts; it is also sweet, savoury and nutritious.
Kwajul, which Pyongyangites still like, is a flat one which is It was used as one of garnishes for rice cakes as well as in making
7cm long and 3cm wide. yakpap.
The method of its making is as follows: Pyongyangites have long regarded it as a custom to pile the
Knead glutinous rice flour with hot water and makkoli and fruit up on the tables for wedding, 60th birthday and memorial
steam it after fermenting it for 10-15 hours. services.
Pour milled watery soybeans little by little while kneading The renowned liquor of Pyongyang is Kamhongno.
the dough, and put it on a plate covered with glutinous rice flour Together with Riganggo and Jukryokgo, it is one of three
before rolling and slicing the dough into pieces of a certain size and famous liquors of Korea.
dry it for 24 hours. The saying “liquor before noodles” is handed down together
Put the dried rice cakes in a bowl and leave them for one with Kamhongno.
night, and fry them. It was one of the etiquettes for honoured guests in the
Coat them with liquid taffy and then spray powdered walnut, northwestern area to serve them liquor first and then noodles.
sesame and pine nut over them. Unlike the people in the southern area who liked wine and
Today the biscuit is made also by industrial methods. rice cakes, the people of Pyongyang who were brave and upright
Thaesik is a kind of biscuit made by parching rice, pounding the liked to drink spirits.
grains and coating the powder with honey or liquid taffy. In particular, Kamhongno was known as one of the three
It was a tradition of a married woman, when coming back to renowned liquors in the period of the feudal Joson dynasty for its
her home after a visit to her native home, to take the biscuits in a reddish colour, sweet taste and high alcohol content.
large vessel to give them to her husbands’ relatives. When they received guests or celebrated anniversary days, the
Watermelon, melon and chestnut are specialities of people of Pyongyang used to drink the liquor first and then eat
Pyongyang. buckwheat noodles garnished with beef and chicken.
Watermelon and melon were widely cultivated in this area In the rural areas around the town people used to brew spirits
and, in particular, watermelon was famous. with the year’s grain and make noodles with buckwheat to serve
Pyongyang chestnut is well known throughout the country. them to honoured guests.
It was known even to neighbouring countries as it has peculiar All of these foods unique to Pyongyang reflect the creative
taste and its shell is easily peeled off. wisdom and resourcefulness, as well as the tastes, aptitudes and
Its powder was sometimes added to thin gruel for babies. other national features of the Korean people.
of Ancient Joson whose capital

was Pyongyang consisted
Clothing of jacket, trousers, skirt,
overcoat, headpiece, shoes and
While creating the Taedonggang Culture with Pyongyang as accessories. The customs also
the centre from time immemorial, Koreans have developed a included wearing a topknot
unique culture of clothing as befitting a noble and civilized of hair by a married man,
nation. preferring white clothes and
The people who lived in the area of Pyongyang in the remote putting on mourning garments
past have created clothes as suited to their working life, feelings for funeral ceremony and
and emotions, leaving precious heritage of the traditional costume memorial service.
throughout the long history of the Korean nation. Men’s clothes included
The costumes generalized throughout the country in the period trousers, jacket, overcoat,
headpiece, shoes and
accessories and those for
women were the same as men’s
except for the skirt.
Their clothes were further
refined in keeping with their
1 2 3 4
feelings, emotions and living
Men’s headpieces in Koguryo
customs through the long
historical course of their
creative activities to transform
society and the nature.
As far as the clothes of
1 2 1 2 3
For civil officials For military officers the Pyongyang people in the
Footwear
Noblemen’s headpieces in Koguryo ancient times and during the
days of the Three Kingdoms are concerned, most of the jacket the wrists and arms, keep
and overcoat had a straight collar in the main while some had them warm and make the
curved one. movements of the hands
Trousers for man and woman had no big difference. easier.
During the days of the Three Kingdoms, it was a custom that all It is not clear when they
male adults wore a topknot of hair and headpiece. started to use sleevelets,
Both man and woman used headpieces made of cloth, the but the fact that a bronze Circular bronze ornament
for waistband
former over the head and the latter covering the face. sleevelet was discovered
They have regarded shoes as a major component of attire. It in the remains of the
was a common practice to make shoes short-necked. ancient times in Thosong-
As they put off shoes at home, they made their shoes short- ri, Pukchong County,
necked so that they could be easily put on or off. South Hamgyong Province,
A historical book writes that the ancient people wore straw or indicates that sleevelets
leather shoes. have a long history.
Made of rice straw, sedge or hemp, straw shoes were common. Made with thin bronze
Leather shoes were dealt with in several historical books. plate, the sleevelet was
In the part dedicated to Puyo, the historical book, titled, Three ornamentally carved on the
Warring Kingdoms, writes: The Puyo people, who lived in the surface.
relatively cold areas and frequently hunted, wore shoes made of Because such metal
the skins of the animals they had caught. sleevelets must have been
Jinguk people in the south also wore leather shoes. expensive in those days, it
Ancient Koreans wore either straw or leather shoes depending is thought that they were
on their social and economic status. In other words, while the used as an ornament
working people who were poor wore straw shoes, the people of of noblemen in formal
ruling and propertied classes wore leather shoes. ceremonies or as part of
They also used sleevelets. uniform of military officers.
Bronze bracelets and bronze bells
Sleevelets were a component of attire which was worn to protect Accessories experienced
changes in form and function in bone hairpins dating back to

keeping with the developing cultural the period of Ancient Joson
standards of the people. have been discovered show
An important accessory for man that the women in the ancient
was a waistband which was used to times already used hairpins.
Jade rings and jade hairpin hold the jacket in position. The bronze or bone
As it was conspicuous, it was hairpins had pointed ends,
well decorated. round heads and a single
The historical book Jinso writes prong.
that Puyo people decorated their There was a bronze hairpin
waistbands with gold and silver, and with an elaborately carved
Double and single rings
among the relics of Ancient Joson head.
and Jinguk there were buckles This fact indicates that
embossed with the shapes of human hairpins were used not only
beings, horses, lions, tigers or for practical but also
dragons and some of them were ornamental purposes.
luxuriously gilded or ornamented Ancient Koreans also used
with jewels. bronze finger rings.
Accessories for women included In general, rings were thin
hairpins, earrings, finger rings and with some adorned and others
the like. simply lacquered.
A string of beads
Hairpins were invented to hold Such accessories were
women’s long hair in position. But monopolized by the privileged.
as they gradually played the role Ordinary working masses
of an ornament, their shapes and could only afford simple
decorative effects developed. accessories. Murals in the Mausoleum of King
Earrings Kogugwon of Koguryo portraying
The fact that many bronze and As seen above, Koreans’ clothes of different classes
custom of clothing was formed, by and large, during the period feudal Joson dynasty through
of the ancient states including Ancient Joson, Puyo, Jinguk and the Palhae and Koryo periods.
Kuryo and spread across the Korean nation with Pyongyang, the A characteristic feature of
capital of Ancient Joson, as the centre. men’s clothes shown in the
The mural paintings in the tombs of Koguryo found in the area mural paintings in the Koguryo
of Pyongyang prove that the custom of clothing in this area was tombs found in and around
formed before the days of Koguryo and spread across the Korean Pyongyang is the collar of the
nation. jacket which was straight or
During the period of the Three Kingdoms, considerable curved.
changes took place in the form and variety of the clothes in the The straight collar of the
Pyongyang area. jacket reached the bottom of
In particular, women’s garments of new shapes appeared–short the jacket. The jacket was
jacket, one-piece dress, pleated skirt and rainbow-striped skirt. designed to be fastened by
This was a reflection of their aspiration to wear more a belt on the waist with one
convenient and better-looking clothes. collar overlapping the other.
The mural paintings in the Mausoleum of King Kogugwon The jacket with a curved
show different attire of the people from various strata in the collar was fastened with a belt
Pyongyang area including the king and queen, government with the collar folded below
officials, entertainers and working people. the neck. The lengths of the
All the clothes were in the form of two-piece dress, which two types of jacket were
means it was a typical form of the attire of the people in similar.
Pyongyang, the capital city of Koguryo, one of the Three The jacket with a straight
Kingdoms. collar was more prevalent than
Later their attire became a major component of Korea’s overall that with curved one.
custom of clothing and continuously developed in conformity The collar, bottom edge
with the feelings, emotions and physical features of the Pyongyang and cuffs of men’s jacket were
Various types of men’s jogori
people through a long historical course up to the period of the attached with strips of cloth of
different colours from the jacket colour. The colour of men’s jacket
It is believed that the practice of attaching the parts which was white, gray, brown or
easily get dirty or frayed was invented to keep clothes always blue with white colour being
clean by changing them. The practice was applied to most of most prevalent.
men’s clothes, to say nothing of women’s clothes. This shows that While commoners wore
the practice was a universal custom during the days of the Three white hemp, ramie or cotton
Kingdoms and also the Korean people have liked to keep things jackets, noblemen and
clean and tidy. government officials wore
This form of the jacket did not change much in the periods of coloured silk jackets together
Palhae and Later Silla. with white jackets.
During the Koryo period there were two types of men’s jacket– Lower garment for men
one being as long as the previous one and the other short and with a included long trousers and
slanting collar. short trousers as shown in the
Short jacket was held in place not by a waist belt but by a mural paintings of Koguryo
breast tie and the straight collar was accordingly changed into tombs.
slanting one for convenience’s sake. Narrow-legged trousers
In the closing years of Koryo, this type of jacket was prevalent, called gunggo were worn
and the long jacket was eventually used as an overcoat for men. mostly by the working
Men’s jacket and trousers in the days
In the early period of the feudal Joson dynasty, the form of people or soldiers as it was of the feudal Joson dynasty
men’s jacket was the same as that in the period of Koryo. But later convenient for activities.
there was a slight change in its collar and length. Wide-legged trousers called taegugo were worn by noblemen.
A change of particular note was the collar strip which was In the period of the Three Kingdoms, a strip of cloth was attached
made of white cloth and easily changeable. It was invented to keep to the bottoms of trouser legs.
the collar of the jacket always clean. The trousers for the working people were attached with strips
The collar strip was applied both to men’s and women’s jacket. of deep colours and those for noblemen with dark red or patterned
Men’s jackets were all the same in form, regardless of season, strips for decorative purposes.
age and social status, but were varied in kind. Trousers in the period of the Three Kingdoms were inherited by
Palhae and Later Silla without cultural lives. In this period the outer garment was used partly
great change. for a means to indicate one’s social status.
In the period of the feudal There were two types of outer garment–short and long.
Joson dynasty the legs of Short outer garments included overcoat, magoja (outer jacket)
trousers were gradually and tunggori (sleeveless jacket).
widened. Overcoat was a little longer than jacket, but identical to it in
In the closing period of the shape.
feudal Joson dynasty, there In general, the overcoat was fastened by the breast tie and the
were unlined, lined, quilted and waist belt.
cotton-padded trousers. As the overcoat was convenient for activities, it was worn
Because men’s trousers had mostly by peasants, fishermen
wide legs, the lower ends were and people in mountainous areas
tied up with cloth bands. in winter.
Short trousers were worn by Magoja was similar to
the working men like peasants overcoat except for some
in summer. accessories. It had no collar,
Men’s work clothes in summer
It was characterized by short collar strip, lapels or breast tie,
and narrow legs. and was designed to be fastened Men’s magoja
From olden times Koreans by buttons.
have worn outer garment to keep It was worn in spring and
off the cold. autumn in the main.
The kind of outer garment Tunggori (also called paeja)
was not many in the ancient was a winter garment worn
times, but it gradually increased over jacket to cover the back.
in the middle ages in keeping It was also used as festival
with the people’s growing garment for the lunar New
Men’s quilted trousers Men’s tunggori
demands for material and Year’s Day.
There were two types of tunggori. The Changot was a type of outer
first type had no collar or sleeves and was garment with no armpit gussets
a bit shorter at the front than at the back and was designed not to be
and open at the armpit. It was fastened by fastened. There were smaller
knots of strings. changot and bigger one.
The second type had a collar and a Smaller changot was similar
collar strip. It was fastened by girdling the to turumagi in collar, collar strip
body with a narrow strip attached at the and sleeves and length, but it had
armpit. no armpit gussets.
In general, tunggori was made with Bigger changot was worn
two-fold silk or lined with a thin layer of over smaller one, so it was
cotton and was dark blue in colour. broader and had wider and
Turumagi
Long outer garments included longer sleeves.
Bigger changot
turumagi, changot, topho and jonbok (also Changot and other types of
called khwaeja). wide-sleeved outer garment
Turumagi had the longest history were banned to be worn except
among outer garments and was for memorial services by a
accordingly most widely spread. garment reform policy in 1884.
It was a kind of jacket elongated to A kind of outer garment,
below the knees. topho, had a two-folded back
Therefore, jacket and turumagi and sleeves wide and long
developed in relation with each other. enough to cover the hands.
Turumagi was made of various fabrics It was fastened by a strip of
including hemp, ramie, cotton and silk and coloured cloth by which the
in various forms–unlined, lined, quilted wearer’s official rank and social
and cotton-padded. But the shape was all position were distinguished. Jonbok
Smaller changot
the same in the main. A sleeveless outer garment
with stand-up lapels, jonbok had no armpit gussets and was open women’s jogori–longer one and shorter
up to the armpits. one.
In the closing years of the feudal Joson dynasty it became The mural paintings in the tomb in
sleeveless and was fastened with one or two string knots or amber Susan-ri near Pyongyang vividly show
buttons. the women’s attire in the Koguryo period.
However, in some cases jonbok for children had a collar strip The murals indicate that pleated
and collar which was decorated colourfully. chima and jogori were the main attire for
In general, jonbok was made of dark blue silk. the women of Pyongyang and the rest of
Women’s jogori (jacket) in the Pyongyang area evolved in Koguryo with the former as the centre.
keeping with the passage of the times. It was gradually shortened The fact that the women were wearing
like men’s jacket and, accordingly, some changes took place in the similar clothes in the mural paintings in
collar, lapels and sleeves. Takamatsu tomb in Japan illustrates that
The waist belt and reinforcements on rims were replaced by a Koguryo had a great cultural influence on Long jacket
breast-tie, and collar strips and trimmings, respectively. its neighbouring countries.
In the period of the Three Kingdoms, there were two types of All the jogori in several mural
paintings in Koguryo tombs in Susan-ri
and other areas hang below the waist and
their sleeves cover the wrists.
However, the milling woman in the
mural painting in the eastern chamber
of Mausoleum of King Kogugwon
wears jogori which hangs just below the
breasts and whose sleeves have length and
width proportionate to the length of the
jogori.
The two types of jogori seen above
Murals in a tomb in Susan-ri portraying women’s clothes One-piece dress
represent the attire of the women in the
Pyongyang area, the long jogori being prevalent. In addition to trimmed jacket belonged only to
jogori, there was one-piece dress. women.
Whereas commoners’ long jogori had sleeves reaching the It was a unique form of folded or
wrists and narrow width, that for noblewomen was loose-fitting cotton-padded jogori with colourful
and had longer and wider sleeves. trimmings.
During the period of the Three Kingdoms, short jogori was not The custom of trimming jogori Women’s jogori with silk
trimmings
generalized. But it was worn by the working women in general was an inheritance of the practice of
as it was convenient for working. reinforcing the edges of clothes in
It was widely spread in the period of Palhae and Later Silla the period of the Three Kingdoms.
and universally generalized in the period of Koryo. During the period of the feudal
Sonhwabongsakoryodogyong writes that women’s jogori Joson dynasty when short jogori
was fastened at the armpit, which means jogori was accordingly was prevalent, colourful pieces of
short and short jogori was generalized. cloth were reinforced at the armpits
Samhoejang jogori
The generalization of short jogori put a gradual end to long partly for decorative purpose of
jogori. The waist belt was substituted by a breast tie. making jogori more beautiful by
Short jogori was refined during the period of the feudal Joson harmonizing its collar, breast tie and
dynasty. sleeve ends.
After early period of the dynasty short jogori underwent some Jogori trimmed on three parts–
changes in length, collar, sleeve line and side line. collar, armpits and sleeve ends–was
Women’s jogori is unique in style, beautiful and noble. called samhoejang jogori (fully-
It had a slanting collar and V-shaped neck like men’s jacket. trimmed jacket) and that trimmed
Its straight lines and curves harmonize well with each other, only on one or two parts panhoejang
accentuating the collar and lapels. Also its collar, edge of the jacket jogori (partly-trimmed jacket).
and sagging lower part of the sleeve go well in good harmony, The women in the Pyongyang
making it look beautiful and elegant. area preferred to wear trimmed
There were various types of women’s jogori like men’s jacket– jogori, particularly at ceremonies Sulan chima
unlined, lined, folded, quilted and cotton-padded–but colourfully and on holidays.
Chima is Korea’s traditional skirt, which Chima of the two types were handed
was generalized across the nation with down later on.
Pyongyang as the centre. However, in the period of Koryo the
The main shape of chima has remained waist-flounced chima became prevalent as
basically unchanged all the time, except for the aesthetic sense and tastes of the people
the position of pleats and trimming and its changed.
length. Along with the generalization of the
The most noticeable change was in the waist-flounced chima, the fastening point
position of pleats. was raised from the waist to the armpit.
Chima can be divided into two types–one The appearance of chima to be fastened
flounced from the waist down to the lower at the armpit in the period of Koryo was
edge and the other flounced at the waist. ascribable to the decreased length of
During the period of the Three Kingdoms, jogori. In other words, the decrease of
both types were used, the first type being jogori length resulted in the increase of the
prevalent. length of chima.
There was chima flounced at a wide or In the period of the feudal Joson dynasty
Chima and jogori in
spring and summer narrow interval, and chima of single colour there were kkori chima and torang chima.
and rainbow-striped chima. Kkori chima was a kind of wide and
Chima flounced at the waist was narrow long skirt fastened at the armpit by a strip and
below the waist and wide at the bottom, unseamed at the side.
hanging to the ankles or ground. Also called ip chima or phok chima, it
There was patterned chima as well. was most prevalent in that period.
What was common in the both types in There was a seasonal variation on kkori
the period of the Three Kingdoms was the chima–unlined, lined and cotton-padded.
bottom edge hemmed with a straight or Sulan chima was a type of kkori chima
Chima, jogori and zigzagging strip of cloth whose colour was with a beautiful embroidery on the low part
khun jogori in autumn Phok chima
black in general. and it was worn by noblewomen.
A petticoat called mujigi rule to wear haengju chima when working in the kitchen.
was worn under kkori chima to They have regarded it as propriety to put it off when they
make it spread wide and look enter the living rooms or greet guests.
colourfully variegated. Women’s outer garments were characterized by variety and
Mujigi consisted of several splendour.
tiers of flounced skirts made of The outer garments for women in the area of Pyongyang in
stiff cloth like ramie or leno. the closing years of the feudal Joson dynasty were divided into
In general, torang chima long ones and short ones.
was made of cotton or hemp Short outer garments included khun jogori (big jacket), kat
and it was worn by the working jogori (leather jacket) and paeja.
Haengju
chima
women. A kind of outer garment worn over jacket, khun jogori was
Among skirts for women basically the same as ordinary jogori in form but what was different
there was also haengju chima (a was its broader width, closed collar and stand-up lapels.
kind of apron) they used to wear It had curved collar
while cooking. symmetrical on the right and
Since haengju denotes a piece left and a collar strip, not a
of cloth for washing dishes in breast tie.
Korean, haengju chima can be In general, it was lined and
Women’s magoja
interpreted as a skirt worn when worn by young and middle-
working in the kitchen. aged women in spring and
Haengju chima was made of autumn.
white cotton or ramie. Kat jogori was a little
Because the Korean women longer and wider than ordinary
have liked to keep things neat jogori and was lined and
and clean and regarded this hemmed with fur.
Khun jogori as their important duty from It was favoured by middle-
Kat jogori
olden times, they have made it a aged and older women in the
Pyongyang area and rarely found in other length of jogori.

regions. It was different according
The fur burnished its looks, and its value to season–one for spring and
was decided by the quality of the fur. autumn was made of thin
High-end kat jogori was made of blue, silk and lined with ramie and
gray or light brown patterned silk, lined with one for early spring and late
soft fur and hemmed with quality fur like autumn was made of thick silk
otter fur. and lined with cotton fabric.
As the middle and southern parts of And one for winter was
Korea were not so cold in winter, a small lined and hemmed with fur.
number of women there wore kat jogori. In This type of paeja was
general, their kat jogori was not hemmed worn mainly by middle-aged
with fur on sleeve ends. and older women in the area of
Paeja In the closing years of the feudal Joson Phyongan Province in winter,
dynasty, kat jogori made of cloth and lined early spring and late autumn.
and hemmed with fur was widely spread in It was worn also by the bride
the area of Pyongyang. on her wedding ceremony.
As it was a kind of outer garment for As dark blue paeja looked
winter, it was worn mainly by middle-aged good and strongly flavoured
and older women who are easily affected by with regional characteristic
cold. features, it was widely used
In particular, kat jogori was more as a wedding garment for the
prevalent than jogori in Pyongyang. bride.
Paeja looked similar to khun jogori, but it Long outer garments for
had no sleeves. women included turumagi,
As it was a short outer garment worn tangui, wonsam and hwarot.
Women’s turumagi Tangui
over jogori, its length was decided by the Turumagi was a type of
jogori elongated to knees. What was different from jogori

During the early feudal Joson was that it was left unseamed to the
dynasty, women used to wear armpits and had no armpit gussets.
turumagi. But later, as feudal It was worn by noblewomen on
Confucian moral regulations became holidays in general but sometimes
stricter, distinguishing men and for courtesy’s sake.
women in attire, they restrained A court gown, wonsam had
themselves from wearing it and stand-up lapels and colourfully-
instead used it to cover their faces decorated round sleeves. It was
while travelling. longer in the back than the front
At the close of the dynasty, when and was made of coloured silk or
Hwarot
the ruling mechanism and clothing cotton cloth.
regulations became loosened, It was worn on folk holidays
turumagi regained its popularity and at wedding ceremonies.
among women. A court gown similar to
But unlike men who wore it all wonsam, hwarot had embroidered
the year round, women wore it front and sleeves and was worn by
mainly in cold weather. noblewomen in Pyongyang.
Women in Pyongyang preferred It was sometimes worn by brides
to wear kat jogori and scarf, while on wedding days.
those in the southern areas wore Veil was exclusively for
turumagi and hat. This was probably women’s use.
because the Pyongyang area is Veil was generalized across the
colder than the south and the women country including Pyongyang in
in the area wore chignon. the period of the feudal Joson
Tangui was a kind of jogori dynasty, because according to the
Wonsam Jangot
elongated nearly to the knees. feudal Confucian concepts and
moral standards it was regarded as immoral Noul was a thin piece of cloth fastened on the rim of the hat
if women showed their faces when they and draped to the waist. If the cloth was thick, a thin piece was
were outdoors. patched in front of the eyes for the sake of seeing.
There were several types of veil It was used as veil throughout the period of the feudal Joson
including jangot, ssul chima and noul in dynasty. But as it was not very convenient, its use was limited to
this period. court ladies or noblewomen.
Jangot had been used as an outer Veil eventually vanished at the close of the feudal Joson
garment until the early feudal Joson dynasty.
dynasty, but as it was banned, it was The most noticeable characteristic feature of clothing custom
gradually used as some sort of veil to cover in the Pyongyang area handed down to the modern times was that
the face. most clothes were made of silk.
It was eventually reformed with the In particular, adangdu and thodu were kinds of silk which were
Ssul chima
passage of time. rarely seen in the regions to the south of middle areas.
In general, it was made of dark blue Adangdu was a kind of dyed silk, and thodu was a kind of silk
and green cotton cloth or silk. woven with hand-drawn thread from big cocoons.
In the closing years of the feudal Needless to say, silk clothes were worn mainly by people of
Joson dynasty when feudal caste system high classes, but they were also worn by many commoners.
was weakened, women were allowed to An old saying in the area of Pyongyang goes that if one wears
show their faces when outdoors and wear silk clothes, even their cousins feel warm. This indicates silk
turumagi as an outer garment, naturally clothes were widely used in this area whose climate is characterized
putting an end to the use of jangot as by relatively low temperature.
veil. Wide spread of silk clothes is ascribable to the fact that
Ssul chima was a kind of chima worn sericulture had been developed since the period of Ancient Joson
over the head. and silk was produced in large quantities in this region.
Made of white ramie or thin cotton According to a historical book, the people of Ancient Joson
cloth, it was similar to ordinary chima in cultivated mulberry trees and raised cocoons, from which they
Noul form but narrower and shorter than it. made thread and various kinds of fine silk.
Another characteristic feature of clothing in the area of Sleevelets were essential items of winter clothing in the
Pyongyang was that forms and kinds of clothes in this area were Pyongyang area.
more diverse than other areas. Sleevelets were made of silk and lined with silk or fur.
In general, jackets and overcoats in this area were a little They were worn by all people regardless of age and gender.
longer and wider than their counterparts in the southern In particular they were indispensable for the elderly who were
areas. easily affected by the cold.
For this reason, the clothes in the area looked more spatial. Thol tunggori was a peculiar winter outer garment of women,
The people of the Pyongyang area used to wear junguijoksam young women in particular, in the Pyongyang area.
under cotton-padded jacket and trousers in winter–another It was similar to kat jogori, both having a closed collar and
characteristic feature. stand-up lapels and a collar strip, but a little different as it had no
The lower piece of junguijoksam hanged down to the knees, sleeves and was shorter.
and its upper piece had pockets and a collar strip. It was similar to It was made of damask or satin silk, lined with fur and hemmed
jambaengijoksam (a kind of summer jacket or work clothes) in the with high-class fur.
southern areas. In general, it was made of blue, purple or other dark coloured
It was worn under cotton-padded overcoat to keep off the cloth.
cold. Blue one was widely used as a wedding gown.
It was an indispensable item in the groom’s wedding gifts to
the bride.
The custom of wearing a scarf was generalized in almost all the
parts of Korea, but the Pyongyang area was unique with regard to
the form of scarf and method of wearing it.
Women in Hamgyong and Kangwon provinces covered the
whole head except for the face with a square scarf folded into a
triangle, leaving the ends untied.
They used unlined scarf all the year round.
On the other hand, women in the southern areas seldom wore
Sleevelets Thol tunggori
scarf, except for the times when they were working outside.
Pyongyang Hamgyong and Kangwon Kaesong

provinces
Head kerchiefs
Women in the area of Pyongyang covered the whole forehead

with a long four-fold rectangular scarf, except for the face and
crown of the head.
Such a scarf was called butterfly scarf.
A mural painting in the Double Column Tomb of Koguryo
shows a woman wearing a white scarf around her head. Butterfly
scarf looks similar to the scarf. This indicates that it had a long As seen above, the clothes peculiar to the Pyongyang area
history. reflected the climatic features of the area with relatively low
Women in the Pyongyang area used different scarves temperature in winter and the aesthetic aspirations and demands of
according to season–lined one in spring and autumn, cotton-padded the local people.
silk one in winter and unlined one made of ramie or hemp in They were handed down along with the long history of the
summer. Korean nation, and now have become more and more refined in
They wore white scarf in all seasons. And it was a custom to keeping with the feelings, emotions, tastes and aspirations of the
wear a scarf when performing memorial services or going out. Korean people who like what is ennobling, elegant and clean.
Unlike in other areas, they changed the form of the scarf
according to season.
around Pyongyang show single-channel houses, as well as
houses looking like double-channel houses and L-shaped houses
Housing which came into being later.
The internal structure of the Mausoleum of King Kogugwon
Housing holds a very important place in people’s life. is reminiscent of the □-shaped house in the period of the feudal
Most of the houses in the Pyongyang area were single-channel Joson dynasty.
houses, which was a main type of houses of Koreans. The mural paintings in Koguryo tombs indicate that the
Single-channel house is a house whose kitchen and living people in the area of Pyongyang already used various types of
rooms are located in a line under a roof. single-channel houses during the period of the Three Kingdoms.
This house was spread across Korea, but it was more prevalent
in the northwestern areas centred on Pyongyang.
This house originated in
the two-pillars-and-beams
house seen in the historical
remains of the olden times
found in the northwestern
areas.
Historical records and
mural paintings in the

An old painting portraying A single-structure house
house building Koguryo tombs in and
Walled City of Pyongyang, a painting from the 19th century, including the roof and walls.
shows houses of various types in the then Pyongyang, all of In general, houses assume the features of the relevant locality
which were of the single-channel type. as their forms and plane structures are decided by the economic
This means that the single-channel-type house in the and cultural lives and living customs of the local people and the
Pyongyang area had a long history and was a traditional house natural conditions of the area.
its people had invented and developed in line with the natural The houses in the Pyongyang area were different from their
and climatic conditions of the area and their living customs. counterparts in other areas in form and plane structure.
This type of house was built in several steps–selecting its Most of the houses in this area were L-shaped or of the type
site, laying its foundation and corner stones, building its frame that had two structures in parallel.
The above-mentioned painting and field surveys have
revealed that the central part of the city was dominated by L- or
U-shaped and □-shaped houses, and its suburbs by houses of the
parallel-structure houses.
It is thought that because the L- or U-shaped houses had
several rooms under a roof in a compact way, they were better
suited to the downtown districts which were crowded with
houses.
That the parallel-structure houses were prevalent in the
suburbs is ascribable to the fact that most of their inhabitants

A U-shaped house
were peasants who needed a space for barns, for keeping their
draught animals and farm implements. L- or U-shaped houses and □-shaped houses.
For this reason, they built an auxiliary structure in front of A single-structure house was composed of a big living room
their dwelling houses. (the main and upper rooms combined) and an earthen veranda in
And since the dwellers partly engaged in commerce along front of the room.
with farming, they could afford to build such structures. The house for a large family had, in some cases, another
Although there were L-shaped houses in some towns in the living room next to the upper room.
western part of Korea in the middle ages, such houses as well as This type was typically simple in form, and was often found
parallel-structure houses were concentrated in the outskirts of in the northwestern, central and southern areas centring on
Pyongyang, which was the city’s characteristic feature. Pyongyang.
The plane structure of the houses in the area of Pyongyang In this type, the main and upper living rooms were merged
was characteristic in that the main wing had a kitchen, main and into a big through room and its width was short by the width of
upper rooms, and the living rooms of most houses merged into a the earthen veranda when compared to the width of the kitchen.
larger single room without any wall. The kitchen had two doors–front and back–and a small
Houses of this plane structure were found in the areas in the window for sunlight beside the front door.
south of the Taedong River, but they were not so generalized as The room had two doors–one on each front side of the main
in the area of Pyongyang. and upper partitions–and a small window beside each of them.
During the period of the feudal Joson dynasty, the scope of The single-structure house in the central and southern areas,
houses and number of bays were stipulated by law. however, had a door on the back side of the living room.
As a result, the forms of houses were gradually standardized. It was the same for the case when the room was partitioned
There were single-structure houses, parallel-structure houses, by a wall.

In general, such a single-structure house had a barn in a building and an auxiliary building and was fenced on the right
corner of the front yard. and left sides between the two buildings.
As such a house had a smaller back yard, the fence around it The rectangular space surrounded by the two buildings and
was accordingly low. fence was called inner yard and the space in front of the auxiliary
But its front yard was wide as it was used as a workplace, and building, front yard.
it was rarely fenced. Such houses were found mainly in Pyongyang and the areas
Parallel-structure house had a main building and an auxiliary to its north.
structure in its front. As far as its structure is concerned, the main building had a
In general, the two structures equal in length and number of kitchen, main room and upper room and a long earthen veranda
bays stood in parallel with each other. in front of the rooms, which means it was similar to the single-
The typical parallel-structure house consisted of a main structure house in its plane composition.
The auxiliary building was composed of a barn and a shed,
and a gate between them.
The barn had a wicket door leading to the inner yard.
The shed was open to the inner yard and gate side, and had
no door.
Most main buildings of the parallel-structure house in
Pyongyang and northern areas had no door on the back side,
which their counterparts in the southern areas had.

□-shaped house The side door between the kitchen and the main room leaned
towards the back side in the former and towards the front side However, the southern area has a relatively warmer winter
in the latter. and hotter summer.
The deeper the houses were located in the south, the number This climate necessitated many doors including the back
of houses with this door tended to gradually decrease. door for better ventilation.
This difference was the result of the customs of living and And the position of the side door between the kitchen and
the natural and climatic conditions of the areas concerned. the living room was changed or the door itself was not
Since the houses in the area to the north of the Taedong made.
River were, in most cases, built on earthen mounds, it was In the Pyongyang area, this door was used mainly for serving
difficult to make a door on the back side. And another reason foods to the living room.
was that the area is affected by cold northwest wind in winter. But the people in the southern area carried meals from the
kitchen to the living room via the door leading to outside, which
means they did not need the door.
All these show that Koreans installed doors by taking the
natural and climatic conditions and customs of living in their
resident areas into consideration.
In case they needed to increase the number of rooms, they
built a room next to the upper room of the main building and
another in the auxiliary building as a drawing room so that the
two buildings had the same number of rooms.

A kitchen portrayed in a mural of the Mausoleum
of King Kogugwon of Koguryo There were also L- and U-shaped houses.
If the house was bent at the kitchen, the kitchen was particularly in towns in Pyongyang and western coastal areas.
relatively big. The paintings Walled City of Pyongyang and Procession to
Many L-shaped houses had auxiliary front buildings, the Kanghwa Island show various types of houses, most of which
positions of whose rooms and doors were equal with those of are L- or U-shaped houses.
parallel-structure houses. This means such houses were numerous in Pyongyang and
Unlike the house with the main hall, or the lounge, the other western coastal towns, and were typical urban houses.
U-shaped house had no drawing room in a wing but in a separate The big room of the house in the Pyongyang area is related to
building. the traditional underfloor heating system of the Korean people.
As seen above, the L- or U-shaped house in the Pyongyang The people in the area introduced this system in the remote
area had all rooms under the same roof, and it was later past.
developed into the type of urban house. The mural painting in
It was because space for building houses was limited in the eastern chamber of the
urban areas. Mausoleum of King Kogugwon
Unlike rural areas, urban areas could not but be affected by of Koguryo well illustrates the
the limitation of building lot because houses were concentrated traditional heating system in
there. the houses in Pyongyang.
For this reason, the L- or U-shaped house which had rooms The mural depicts three
under the same roof on a relatively small space was suitable type women in the kitchen–the
for urban areas. first one steaming food in a
Houses of such type were found everywhere in Korea, steamer put over a cauldron, Furnishings of a main room
the second piling dishes on a Koguryo, the former book writes: In winter people obtain heat
table and the third stoking fire by lighting fire in the mouth of flues.
in the fireplace. This suggests that the underfloor heating system was widely
The mural painting in the introduced in Pyongyang and the rest of Korea.
Yaksu-ri tomb also deals The underfloor heating system with long flues was invented
with the heating system with by reflecting the way of life of Koreans who prefer to sit on the
underfloor flues. floor at home.

Pakchon chest
The painting shows three Since temperature is different from the part near to the
women–one cooking by a fireplace to the part far from it, it is rational for evenly heating
steamer and the other adding the rooms to merge rooms into a big room.
firewood to the fireplace. As far as a board-floored room was concerned, the people in
And the third woman is the Pyongyang area made it at the end of the house unlike their
standing in the middle part of counterparts in southern areas which had it at the centre.
the long flues that take smoke This style of house with a board-floored room at its end is
away to the chimney. Nickel-decorated chest unique to the houses in Pyongyang.
These flues depicted in the Whereas the L- or U-shaped houses in the areas in the south
mural painting are suggestive of Kaesong had open board-floored rooms at their central parts
of the flues described in and other rooms on both sides, the counterparts in the area of
Kudangso and Sindangso. Pyongyang had an enclosed board-floored room at its end.
In the part dedicated to Hwagak chest As it was well ventilated and cool, the board-floored room
was used during summer. positioned on both sides of the kitchen which was at the centre
The climate of the central and northern parts of Phyongan of the house, it was inevitable to place the board-floored room
Province is characterized by at the end of the house.
protracted cold season and a The board-floored room, unlike its counterpart in the
relatively short summer. southern areas, was simple and small.
Therefore, a board-floored It had a two- or three-leaved sliding door on the front side.
room was not so badly needed As the main purpose of the door was not entry and exit but
as was in the southern area ventilation, its sill was high.
where hot season lasts long. People went into and out of the board-floored room through
However, summer in the side door or wicket door installed between it and the main
Pyongyang is relatively long room next to it.
because it is located in the In general, the main and upper rooms in the main building
south of the province. were not divided by a wall, but those in the southern region
For this reason, the local were partitioned by a wall with a side door.
people needed board-floored As seen above, the style of the board-floored room in a house
rooms for summer and, so, in the Pyongyang area was related with the climatic conditions
they built them at the end of and the customs of the area was different from its counterpart
their houses. in the southern area in terms of its location and utility.
As the floor-heated rooms, In general, the houses in the Pyongyang area had doors on
their main living space, were Nong the front sides facing south and none on the back sides, and
side doors between the main preferential basis.
rooms and the kitchens, which was Unlike them, the people
one of their unique features. in Pyongyang which has a
The door between the main colder winter made a side door
room and the kitchen was not between the living room and
found in the double-channel the kitchen so that they could
house in Kangwon and Hamgyong directly enter the room.
provinces. That they did not make
It was found in some areas in any doors on the back side of
Hwanghae Province but never the living rooms was also for
in the areas to the south of the keeping off the cold in winter.
province. They made the structure of
The people in the southern their houses convenient to their
areas used to carry meals from the work and living.
kitchen to the living room through The people in the
the earthen veranda. Pyongyang area paid special
It was because the weather is attention to arraying bedding
warm there and the local people along with furniture.
used the earthen veranda and They furnished the main

A red-lacquered chest with three A red-lacquered chest inlaid with mother-
board-floored room on a drawers and a bedside chest of-pearl with two and three drawers living room with a long shelf
and a nickel-decorated chest or cabinet on it. regarded as the best style to
They put colourful bedding including pillows on the chest put bedding on a clothes chest
and cabinet and covered them with a knitted kerchief. and cover it with a patchwork
The beautiful colours of the bedding and embroidered kerchief.
patterns of pillow ends filtered through the kerchief, giving The people in the Pyongyang
elegance and tidiness to the room. area installed a wooden frame
In the Pyongyang area, keeping a house by the hostess was 25-30cm high on the floor on
often judged by how she arrayed the bedding. the back side of the main and
In the northwestern areas centred on Pyongyang, it was upper rooms or only the main
room.
They put clothes chests
side by side on the frame and
bedding on the chests.
Mothers taught their
daughters since their childhood
how to array bedding, pile
pillows and cover them with a
kerchief.
There were also smaller

An old painting Inn portraying a chest with three drawers Clothes chests chests for keeping socks,
trinkets and valuables. Nong (a kind of clothes
Nickel-decorated chest was chest) was put on a wooden
produced and used mainly in shelf.
the area of Phyongan Province It had a door in its central
centred on Pyongyang. part, and was always in pairs.
In the middle part of Korea Nong might or might not
it was a custom for women to have a support.
prepare smaller chests before If nong was supposed to be
their marriage. put on a wooden shelf, there
A rich family gave this was no need for the support.

Folding dressing table
chest filled with several dozens In general, nong in the
of socks to the daughter as a Pyongyang area had no
wedding present. support.
The newly-married used The shapes of pieces of
some of the socks for themselves A type of sewing chest furniture were different from
and gave the remaining ones to region to region, but their
their relatives-in-law as gifts. positions in the room were
These chests were normally similar.
put beside a bigger piece of Judging from the structure
furniture or in a convenient place. A type of sewing chest A drawing room and utensils and shape, jang is believed to
have been evolved from nong. baskets and trinket caskets on top of it.
The form of its doors and They kept clothes separately, ie, by dividing them according
front structure were similar to to age and gender or to season.
those of nong. Because they treasured jang more than other pieces of
In the past, jang was widely furniture, they always kept it neat and tidy.
used in big and old cities like They would frequently polish jang lest its metal ornamentation
Pyongyang, Kaesong and should get rusty.
Hansong and in the middle That they paid special attention to furniture was because it
and southern areas where there was the first to catch the visitor’s eye and thus give the visitor a
lived many retired government lasting impression of how their houses were kept.
Shelf-and-chest inlaid with
officials. mother-of-pearl It was also related to the cultured way of life of the people in
In modern times it spread Pyongyang.
to towns in which modern Mothers educated their children in the importance of
lifestyle was introduced. keeping the house neat.
Like kwe and nong, it was This custom still prevails in Korea.
put on two sides of either the The living rooms in a house in the Pyongyang area were
main room or upper room. laid by the hobby and living taste of the member of the family
It was regarded as an living in it.
essential piece of furniture for The single-channel houses had several rooms.
women, who kept their sewing Bookshelf with three shelves The main room was the biggest room. It was most widely
used and accordingly decorated. The clothes chest was placed on the back side of the main
It was called main room in some areas like northwestern room.
areas and inner room in the areas in the south of Kyonggi Mirrors, cosmetics, needles, thread, thimbles, scissors and
Province. iron were also kept in the main room.
It was called inner room partly because it was located in As the main room was occupied by the housewife, it was used
the inner part of the house and partly because it was occupied to receive her female guests.
mainly by women. The other rooms including the upper room were occupied
A book from the 17th century, writes: The room of the ladies by the son and his family, other unmarried children and the
is positioned in the inner part of the house lest it should be elderly.
looked into. The room used by the son and his family was decorated
It was a custom that the housewife occupied the main room. with furniture they obtained when they married.
It is natural that the housewife who is supposed to cook When the room was occupied by unmarried children, it was
should occupy the room which was next to the kitchen. furnished with a desk, bookshelf and stationery case.
If the housewife handed the charge of household duties over The room for the elderly had a separate heating system and
to her daughter-in-law, she also left the main room for her. items necessary for them.
As the main room was occupied by the housewife and used The drawing room was occupied by the head of the family
as the basic living room, it was furnished better than other and used to receive the male guests.
rooms–with jang and nong in general. The room was forbidden for women and children except
Bed clothes and pillows were put on jang and nong which when they were needed there or they had something to inform
were put side by side. the occupant.

This practice was ascribable to the feudal Confucian moral
concept that absolutizes the head of a family and discriminates
between men and women, the elderly and the young.
The drawing room was equipped with a clothes chest, stationery
case, desk, bookshelf, fire pot and some recreational means.
Houses of rich families had rooms for servants.
The servants’ rooms, if they were for married servants, had
simple furniture and utensils.
And when they were single, they used these rooms as living
Kitchen utensils
rooms and at the same time as workplaces.
These rooms were sometimes offered to travellers as lodgings.
Like other types of houses, the kitchen was a major component

Kitchen
of a single-channel house in Pyongyang.
During the feudal Joson dynasty, white porcelain and chinaware
with cobalt blue drawings were widely used as tableware together
with small tables lacquered and inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
In the 17th-18th centuries, brass tableware replaced porcelain
tableware.
There was a sink on a side and firewood and a couple of water
jars on the floor.
The kitchen was always kept neat and tidy.
In particular, the stove was often plastered with gray loam
lest it should get dirty.
The stove had one or two fireplaces depending on the number
of wok to be installed over it.
Some kitchens had garrets.
A couple of shelves for keeping kitchen utensils and tableware
were installed on the wall between the kitchen and the main
Various table settings
room. Some families used closets with compartments and pegs
In the kitchen a stove was installed for heating the living for keeping scoops, sieves and other kitchen utensils.
room and cooking. The time-honoured and superior customs of housing in the
There were racks and shelves for keeping bowls and other Pyongyang area constitute major part of Korea’s folk traditions,
kitchen utensils on the back and front walls. and are now being refined as required by the developing times.
Folk Festivals and Play 103
Folk Festivals
Folk Festivals
In Pyongyang there was a traditional custom of designating a
and Folk Play meaningful day as a folk holiday and enjoying special foods while
holding colourful events and playing various games.
The record associated with the holidays in the Pyongyang area
can be found in historical books.
A historical book tells that in the tenth month by the lunar
calendar the people of Ancient Joson held a memorial service in
honour of the heaven, eating special foods, singing and dancing day
Folk and night.
Festivals In Koguryo people held a national commemoration meeting for a
similar memorial service, and enjoyed themselves.
These get-togethers were ones where people shared their
pleasure of having gathered crops and finished the year’s farming
Folk Play with success.
The folk festivals in the periods of Ancient Joson and Koguryo
developed with the change of time, their contents getting richer and
their forms getting more varied, and were handed down to posterity.
The folk holidays in the Pyongyang area reflect the inherent
customs of the local people.
The holidays with the longest tradition and celebrated on the
grandest scale in Pyongyang are the lunar New Year's Day, the Full
Moon Day and the Harvest Moon Day.
104 Folk Festivals and Play Folk Festivals and Play 105
in Korea dates back to the ancient times.

Lunar New Year’s Day In the period of Three Kingdoms, Pyongyang, the capital of
The Korean people have long celebrated the lunar New Year’s Koguryo, celebrated the New Year’s Day in a grand way.
Day as a day of greeting the new year. On that day people enjoyed such games that were played
All countries and nations of the world celebrate the New between two sides as pouring water and throwing stones, an
Year’s Day, but the day and the celebrations on that day differ expression of their strong martial spirit.
from one another according to the days when they began to follow In addition, they conducted various ceremonies including
the calendar and which calendar they followed. preparing special dishes, exchanging congratulations in colourful
In general, people began to follow the calendar after the attire and holding memorial services for their ancestors.
primitive society collapsed and a class society emerged. The New Year’s Day has become a typical folk holiday in
Calendar is classified into the solar calendar made on the Korea.
basis of the sun and the lunar calendar made on the basis of the Since everybody grew a year older on this day, people in
moon, and the lunar calendar has a true lunar calendar and a lunar Pyongyang greeted the day with fresh hopes and ambitions.
calendar combined with the solar calendar. As they were seeing off the previous year, which was happy
Koreans used from ancient times the lunar calendar combined for some and complicated for some others, they made better
with the solar calendar. preparations for the day, and on that day paid a tribute to their
Therefore, the New Year’s Day they celebrated was based on ancestors and elders and played interesting and varied folk
this calendar. games.
According to a historical record, Puyo, an ancient state, used They made preparations for the day from the New Year's
to arrange a national gathering in the first month by the lunar Eve.
calendar, during which people held a memorial service in honour What was important in the preparations was to clean houses
of the heaven and spent days while drinking, eating, singing and inside and outside and prepare clothes and special dishes.
dancing. In order to celebrate the day in a clean and fresh atmosphere,
This fact shows that the celebration of the New Year’s Day they cleaned the houses and decorated them by plastering on the
chests of drawers or windows pictures drawn specially for the Women arranged their hair in a bun and wore sedge hat over
day. it or a smart waistcoat over jacket so as to sustain the appearance
The pictures portrayed ten creatures, tiger or chicken, symbolic of their clothes.
of longevity and good omen. When wearing head kerchief, they, differently from women in
They also prepared new clothes. other areas, tied the kerchief so that one of its end can be protruded
From ancient times, it was one of the national customs to upward; in this way, they paid close
prepare new clothes when seeing in a new year. attention to wearing head kerchief on
When the New Year’s Day approached, they prepared new the New Year’s Day
clothes, or if they had new ones, they wore them; those who Children’s clothes in Pyongyang
were too poor to afford new clothes, would wash or repair the old on this day were similar to those of
ones. other regions.
Clothes for the New Year’s Day in the Pyongyang area were They wore silk coats with
varied according to the difference in wealth, but they were all rainbow-striped sleeves and flower-
characteristic. patterned quilted socks, and put Children’s silk coats with
rainbow-striped sleeves
Men in general wore silk trousers and jackets or cotton-padded on headgears embroidered with
trousers, waistcoat over it and sometimes woolen sleeveless coat various colours and ornamented with
over the waistcoat. beads.
Women beyond middle age wore fur coat over skirt and These clothes in the Pyongyang
jacket instead of overcoat and white head kerchief, and young area with a long history have been A headgear embroidered
with various colours
women felt proud of having worn woolen sleeveless jacket over handed down as they were congenial
light-blue skirt and jacket. to the sentiments and feelings of
The fur coat in the Pyongyang area was longer than the the local people.
ordinary coat, both sleeves being long enough to hide both hands The people of Pyongyang,
Flower-patterned quilted
and longer than the ordinary coat. seeing in the lunar socks
New Year’s Day, prepared the holiday foods with all the dawn of the day.
sincerity. At the dawn they prepared foods and held memorial services
Some women prepared the foods on the New Year’s Day, but in honour of their ancestors of the previous four generations.
they prepared necessary materials in advance. People of other areas held these services usually in the
When they prepared the foods on the New Year’s Eve, they morning, but in Pyongyang the local people held them between
prepared them until late at night; in the meantime, children and midnight of the New Year’s Eve to 1 o’clock of the New Year’s
the elderly enjoyed themselves playing yut game, and if some Day.
children fell asleep, women put rice flour on their eyebrows, So, they wore holiday clothes before performing these
teasing them about having been grown old. services.
They celebrated the New Year’s Day with various Every family held the service after gathering in the house
ceremonies. of the eldest son, which was common throughout the country.
The ceremony of seeing in the new year was conducted from Rice-cake soup was a must for the memorial service.
When the service was finished, youngsters extended new year
greetings to their elders of the family and village, and people in
the same age group exchanged well-meant remarks.
In the part of the New Year’s Day, Ryolyangsesigi, a book
from the days of the feudal Joson dynasty, reads:
On the New Year’s Day people, regardless of age and gender
and in new clothes, visit their relatives and neighbouring
elders.
Men and women are in fine makeup and clothes, making the
streets colorful. If they meet an acquaintance, they wear smile and
say well-meant words, like “May peace be with you in the new
Pounding boiled rice with mallets
year,” “Father (Mother) a son,” “Be promoted,” “Be free from the
sources of trouble,” and “Gather property.” into small pieces before boiling them in meat soup.
When the elderly received new year greetings from youngsters A historical book reads: First of all, soup flavored with soy
on the New Year’s Day, they gave snacks to children and light sauce is boiled; then rice cake is cut into small pieces of the size
food to adults which they had prepared. of a coin and they are put in the boiling soup; if the rice-cake pieces
People delivered new year greetings to their seniors in the are not curdled nor broken, the soup is considered well prepared;
neighbouring or far-away villages, and doing so within 15 days some people add pork, beef, pheasant meat or chicken in the soup
after the New Year’s Day was considered to be observing the and eat it on the New Year’s Eve; in general, when people want
proprieties. to know the age of children, they ask, “How many rice-cake soups
There was a different way of extending new year greetings. have you eaten?”
In the part of the New Year’s Day, Tongguksesigi reads that Pheasant was an ideal meat for rice-cake soup, but if the meat
a family of a younger generation or lower official position sent was unavailable, chicken was used.
a dressed-up male or female servant to extend verbal or written The Korean proverb that “He who can't get pheasant must be
greetings to their elders or seniors
If they failed to finish sending the new year greetings on the
first day of the new year, they would do it for the whole first
month of the year.
Every family in Pyongyang, after holding memorial services
for their ancestors, arranged a table and ate foods.
If guests paid a visit to extend new year greetings, they served
the foods.
Rice-cake soup was a food representing the day across the
country.
The people of Pyongyang prepared rice-cake soup by steaming
Rice-cake soup
non-glutinous rice powder, kneading into a long bar and cutting it
content with chicken” originated tailed rice cake.

from this custom. The other rice cakes were the
Meat-dumpling soup was a same as those in other areas, but
speciality on the day, too. all were characteristic in shape
One of the customs related and colour.
with the New Year’s Day in The people in Pyongyang
Pyongyang was exchanging a prepared various pancakes.
couple of pheasants on New Mung beans were the best
Year's Eve. materials for pancake, but the
These pheasants were used people in Pyongyang cooked
for preparing meat-dumpling pancakes also with various
soup, adding to the taste of the other cereals including corn,
soup. millet and kaoliang. They
On the New Year’s Day prepared yakkwa for dessert
people prepared various with cereal flour, cooking oil
kinds of rice cakes including and honey.
steamed rice cake, fancy rice In addition, they made shish
cake, glutinous rice cake, kebab, skewered beef, solhwa
fermented rice cake, half- jelly and yakkwa.
moon-shaped rice cake stuffed And then they ate apple, pear
with adzukis and flavoured and chestnut.
with pine needles and other rice They drank soju, a liquor of
cakes. What were characteristic a little higher alcohol content,
Dishes for New Year’s Day Dishes for New Year’s Day
were fancy rice cake and for it was colder than in the
southern part of the country, for the Full Moon Day, they would not fall ill, they kept them and
where the locals drank rice ate them on the day.
wine. What made the New Year’s
They drank cold liquor for Day meaningful and pleasant
they thought that the spring were several folk games such as
comes in the first ten days mock-fighting with stones, yut
of the first month of the new game, seesawing, kite-flying,
year and so they had to make sleigh-riding and pinwheel
preparations for farming after game.
celebrating the New Year’s
Day.
As they believed that if they
ate the foods, prepared for the
New Year’s Day but left over
yut game

kite-flying
Swinging Sleigh-riding and top spinning

and the 15th the big Full Moon

Full Moon Day Day.
In Pyongyang, the Full Moon The Korean people held
Day was celebrated in a grand several interesting celebrations
manner on the 14 and 15 of
th th
out of their wishes for lucky
the first month by the lunar and bumper years. Typical
calendar. celebrations and folk games
It dates back to the period of included enjoying the full moon,
the Three Kingdoms. According setting up stacks of rice, torchlight
to the History of the Three play, kite-flying, pinwheel
Kingdoms, Silla people offered game, singing and dancing for
sacrifices to crows and ate a big catch of fish, tug-of-war,
boiled glutinous rice on the day. crossing human bridge, treading
It shows not only the origin on feet and cart fight. They
of boiled glutinous rice but were slightly different from one
that of the Full Moon Day for region to another.
boiled glutinous rice was a In Pyongyang, enjoying the
special food in the medieval full moon was an annual event.
Singing and dancing for a big
times. catch of fish The full moon seen at the Pubyok
In Koryo, it was one of the Pavilion was so spectacular that
nine folk holidays, and in the it was counted as one of the
period of feudal Joson dynasty, eight scenic attractions in
too, many celebrations took Pyongyang. It was depicted in
place on that day. The 14th was An old painting portraying the the following poem from the
Tug-of-war
called the small Full Moon Day people enjoying a full moon feudal Joson dynasty.
Greeting the Full Moon

at the Pubyok Pavilion
There is a rainbow at the high pavilion

Surrounding mountains look below my feet
Leaning on the railing I greet the rising full moon
Crystal-clear water dances in the moonlight
The brightest moonlight glitters over the waves
Its golden colour looks like reed blossoms
The night wears on amid cold breeze
I am all ears to the cheerful sound of a pipe
This poem shows that enjoying the full moon added to

Side dishes made with dried edible herbs for Full Moon Day
pleasure of the holiday night in perfect harmony with the beautiful
scenery of Pyongyang. than in other regions. They used to keep the New Year’s Day
The people in Pyongyang celebrated the 14th in a grander style foods for the day and also prepared several special dishes such as
boiled glutinous rice and noodles.
Main dish for breakfast on the 14th was boiled glutinous rice
made of white glutinous rice and adzuki. Side dishes were made
with dried edible herbs such as barrenwort, chili leaves, fern,
goosefoot, bracken, bean sprouts, mung bean sprouts, roots of
broad bellflower and green pumpkin.
They would not eat kimchi during breakfast owing to their
superstitious belief that it might bring a certain skin disease in
summer.
Yakpap
But it was their custom to eat boiled glutinous rice and side
Boiled rice with adzukis
dishes of dried edible herbs as they were said to prevent diseases.
The noodles for lunch were called “longevity noodles” as the Moon Day, and there was no significant difference between the
long strips were symbolic of long lifespan. two days. On this day, they would enjoy a variety of interesting
In winter they enjoyed noodles in cold delicious juice of folk games such as kite-flying, top spinning, pinwheel game and
pickled radish. For the peculiar taste of the cold noodles, the mock fighting with stones.
owners of noodle houses in other regions used to put up a In Pyongyang the festive holidays at the beginning of the year
signboard that read Pyongyang Cold Noodles House and tried to were the biggest ones in celebration of the new year and were
model on its unique taste. characterized by delicious local cuisine, beautiful attire and a
In addition, it was a custom to drink one shot of cold liquor in the large number of interesting and diverse celebrations and folk
morning of the holiday. plays.
They also ate “taffy for healthy teeth” and “roasted beans for In olden times, the people in Pyongyang had the custom
healthy teeth,” which were thought to help them have strong teeth. of celebrating the first day of the second month by the lunar
The custom originated partly from their thought that chewing hard calendar.
things contributes to strong teeth but mainly from their intention The day’s unique traditional food was steamed rice cake made
to eat healthy fruits as a special food on the holiday. of mixed powder of five different cereals–white rice, glutinous rice,
The big Full Moon Day is just the day after the small Full kaoliang, millet and adzuki.
In other regions, they ate ogokpap (five boiled cereals) on the
Full Moon Day and songphyon (half-moon-shaped rice cake)
on the first day of the second month by the lunar calendar. In
Pyongyang, they ate boiled glutinous rice on the Full Moon Day
and cakes of five different cereals on the first day of the second
month by the lunar calendar.
They also cleaned their houses and wells on this day.
Chongmyong
After the holidays in the first month by the lunar calendar,
they greeted Chongmyong as a holiday marking one of the 24
Top spinning climatic divisions of the year. It falls on April 4 or 5 every year by
the solar calendar, and is the 105th day from winter solstice.
With clear and warm weather of spring, Chongmyong was radish and spring onion.
one of the folk holidays closely related to the people’s life and It was good time not only for spring sowing for its good
thus celebrated throughout the country. weather but also for making liquor for the clear water in these days.
The Korean people have long celebrated the holiday. Wang Among many famous kinds of Korean liquor, Chongmyongju
Jong Gyun, a man of Palhae, expressed in his poem that his missing is the only one whose name originated from a subdivision of the
of his home village grew stronger as he was greeting Chongmyong season.
away from home, which shows that it had already been a folk Rimwonsimnyukji published in the 19th century introduces the
holiday in Palhae. method of distilling Chongmyongju, and explains that it was the
The day’s important custom was visiting the ancestors’ graves sweetest and most fragrant for the water was clearest in the time of
to repair them or relocate them. Koreans have long been faithful to the year.
this custom out of their morality and fidelity to their ancestors and It shows that Korea has a long history of making liquor by
their desires for good luck for their families and a bumper year. using the clear water on Chongmyong.
Besides, the weather was good for turfing, and the ground Today in the area of Pyongyang they still visit and repair the
thawed enough to repair or relocate the graves. ancestors’ graves and start spring sowing on Chongmyong.
Thus it was one of their long-established traditions to pay
homage to ancestors on Chongmyong when they would start spring Samwolsamjil
farming in real earnest. Samwolsamjil (the third day of the third month by the lunar
The day was both an occasion for grave visiting and a starting calendar) was the biggest holiday in Pyongyang, the capital of
point of the year’s farming in the countryside. Koguryo. By this time, the frozen Taedong River begins to thaw and
Regarding agriculture as the great foundation of the country, the
Korean people used to process the rice seeds and spray them on
seedbeds before Chongmyong, and on this day the spring sowing
generally started.
According to Tongguksesigi, an old book, farmers started
spring ploughing on Chongmyong, which marked the start of a new
year’s farming.
They sowed seeds of such field crops as foxtail millet, millet,
Hunting game
beans and adzuki and many kinds of vegetables like pumpkin,
every sign of springtime appears; that the kill of the games

weeping willows are budding on were used as sacrifices to
Rungna Islet and azaleas are in full the gods of heaven and
bloom on Mt Taesong and other
land.
mountains around Pyongyang.
Later, in Koryo and
Historical records show that
feudal Joson dynasties
the Koguryo people celebrated the
the celebration turned
day in a distinctive way.
into a springtime
On Rangnang Hill a martial
Azalea hwajon picnic, the special food
arts game was held every year on
of which was flower
this day; people of Pyongyang
pancakes. According
and warriors from various parts
to Yongjaechonghwa, a
of the country gathered there and
collection of folk tales, on
demonstrated their military skills
the day people all went out
like archery, swordsmanship and
of town to drink and make
spearmanship that they had honed
flower pancakes, flower
during the previous year and
noodles or mugwort cake
competed in hunting and martial
by families or friends.
arts games. The kill was used as Archery Mugwort rice cakes They picked azaleas,
sacrifices to the gods of heaven
mixed them with rice
and land in a grand national ritual.
powder, kneaded the dough and fried the sliced pieces in sesame oil.
The annual celebration and martial art games contributed to
Other special foods included mung-bean pancakes and flower
selecting and promoting men of extraordinary abilities.
noodles.
It is proved by a story of Ondal, a man of humble origin, who won
They kneaded mung-bean flour to make pancakes, which were
the hunting game to be promoted to a military officer and the fact
sliced and pasted with honey or studded with pine nuts.
Flower noodles were made by mixing azaleas with mung-bean on the day. The dance of the same title dates back to the days of
flour. Koguryo.
Children picked flowers and plants of various species, crossed According to Songjong Sillok (Chronicles of King Songjong), in
their stalks against each other and pulled them to see which one was the late 15th century an envoy of Ming saw the dance and asked King
stronger. They also played the game of naming the species. Songjong about it. The king answered that the dance was called
Some children picked stalks of a plant and squeezed it up from Tong Tong that had been handed down from the days of Koguryo.
the bottom. They tried to take the juice extracted from the upper end The holiday was celebrated in a grander manner in Koryo as one
of other’s stalk. of the three biggest holidays along with Yondung and Phalgwan,
Celebrations of Samwolsamjil, characterized by enjoying flower and was carried on in the days of the feudal Joson dynasty.
blossoms of spring, were emotional and civilized in that they were The custom of bathing in the river running eastwards originated
intended to make people enjoy the fragrances of springtime to their from somewhat superstitious belief that the east is full of light and
heart’s content. positive elements according to the ancient theory. However, it was
also aimed at encouraging and promoting personal hygiene.
Ryuwolryudu Among the special foods for the day were noodles prepared with
Ryuwolryudu falls on the 15th day of the sixth month by the lunar wheat harvested that year and glutinous rice balls in honey and
calendar. It was one of the folk holidays, on which they took a bath in water.
the streams flowing eastwards and spent a lovely day of the summer. In Pyongyang wheat noodles were a traditional food on the day.
The holiday has a long tradition. According to Ryolyangsesigi, Men went out to the Taedong and Pothong rivers and collected
a historical book, the peoples of Koguryo and Silla went out to the shellfish while bathing. The shellfish, chicken and rice made
streams running eastwards and had a good time bathing, partying wonderful porridge. The noodles and fish porridge on the day were
and exorcising. unique in Pyongyang.
The lyrics of a song Tong Tong written in the days of Koguryo After Ryuwolryudu they greeted sambok (chobok, jungbok,
show that they combed their hair on the riverside on the 15th, the full and malbok), the hottest period of the year. They were not public
moon day of the sixth month. The song likened the lonely life of a holidays but people spent the dog days in a meaningful way. There
woman away from her husband to a comb forsaken on the waterside were no celebrations but they went to a cooler place to avoid intense
heat or had seasonal foods like adzuki porridge and tangogi soup. refreshing, heat-relieving and
Tangogi soup, in particular, was the most popular food in Korea. invigorating efficacy.
As people sweat a lot in the dog days, it has been an old tradition to Such seasonal foods and
eat the soup out of thinking that it helps to invigorate them, prevent games were good for relieving
diseases and relieve them of heat. fatigue and promoting health
In order to avoid heat, the people in Pyongyang went to Yanggak and personal hygiene.
Islet, Paegunthan or Rungna Islet to take a bath and take such
nutritious foods as rice hash, tangogi soup and barbecue. Chirwolchilsok Beef barbecue
In some regions, they disemboweled a chicken and stuffed it with Chirwolchilsok (the
insam, jujube and glutinous rice before stewing it in a jar. It was seventh day of the seventh
called samgyethang. month by the lunar calendar)
Such dishes were taken when they were hot so as to ensure their was not a public holiday.
On this day people enjoyed
watching the Altair and the
Vega, called Kyon U and Jik
Pheasant barbecue
Nyo in Korea.
On the night of the day,
all the families would have early dinner and get together on straw
mats spread in front of their houses. Children watched the two stars
listening to the legend about the two lovers.
The legend differs from region to region, and there are a number
of versions as they added some stories to make it more interesting.
The mural of the tomb in Tokhung-ri, Kangso District, Nampho,
shows Kyon U and Jik Nyo with the Milky Way between them.
Tangogi soup
Painted in the Koguryo dynasty, it shows that the legend had already
thus enabling them to have an emotional reunion.

The legend has it that magpies are out of sight on the day as they
all have gone to make a bridge, the rain in the morning being the
tears of lament of Kyon U and Jik Nyo, the rain in the afternoon
being the tears of pleasure of their reunion and the rain in the
evening being the tears of their sorrowful parting.
The legend gives a vivid portrayal of the sufferings and
misfortunes of the rightless people who had to live separated from
their family members due to exploitation, oppression and forced
labour imposed by the ruling classes.
A mural of the tomb in Tokhung-ri portraying Kyon U and Jik Nyo Listening attentively to the tale and looking at the Milky Way
across the night sky, the children used to identify the star of
been popular in the period of the Three Kingdoms. Kyon U and the star of Jik Nyo.
The legend is about the tragic fate of two lovers, Kyon U (a On the day, girls in Pyongyang prayed to the star of Jik Nyo
cowherd) and Jik Nyo (a weaver) in the kingdom of stars. that they would be better at needlework and embroidery and did
The vicious king, thinking that he could not work them hard some needlework for practice.
enough if they were together, separated them by the Milky Way and Another custom unique to the day was to expose clothes and
allowed them to meet only once a year on Chirwolchilsok. books to the sunlight.
However, even on the day the Milky Way was too deep and wide Tongguksesigi reads that it was a long-standing tradition of the
for them to cross. day to hang clothes outside. It was a good custom for drying the
They could not but look at each other anxiously shedding tears; damp clothes and quilts after the rainy season.
the tears became heavy rain in the ripening season to the worry of These customs had beneficial effect not only on developing
the peasants. the children’s common sense and faculties of inquiry on the
On knowing that the rain was the tears of the couple, the people universe but on removing moisture of clothes and books for better
sent crows and magpies to make a bridge across the Milky Way, storage.
If there was a hollow part

Chusok (Harvest Moon Day) made by the rain, they filled it
Chusok, or Hangawi (Harvest Moon Day), the fifteenth day of up and covered the mound with
the eighth month by the lunar calendar, has been a big traditional earth. After repairing, they looked
holiday in autumn. around the graves in the order of
The day was called Kabae or Hangawi in the period of the Three their generation and age, and held
Kingdoms but the origin might date back to the earlier period. a memorial service.
The celebration of the Harvest Moon Day in Koguryo is described After the service, they shared
by lyrics of Tong Tong, specifically, the part of autumn; it sings that foods while recollecting the
Chusok was celebrated as a holiday called Kabae in Koguryo. episodes of their ancestors and
The day has become one of the biggest national holidays in the talking about life.
long course of history through Palhae, Later Silla, Koryo and feudal Reflected in such customs of the
Joson dynasties. Harvest Moon Day are politeness,
The day’s customs in the feudal Joson dynasty included courtesy fidelity and other beautiful moral
to ancestors, seasonal foods and folk games, which were closely qualities of the Korean people.
interconnected. These customs have been
The first one was visiting ancestors’ graves. From olden times, handed down to modern days.
the Koreans regarded it as a natural obligation and manners to visit In the evening they enjoyed A painting portraying Chusok
(Harvest Moon Day)
the graves with the foods made of new grains on the day before the full moon as they did on Full
harvest. Moon Day. Some went up the hill to see the rising moon, but most
The people in Pyongyang prepared rice cakes and liquor from people sat on straw mats spread out in the courtyard.
new grains and visited the graves to repair them and hold a memorial Enjoying the bright and silvery moonlight bathing the earth
service for their ancestors. softly, they read poems or sang songs reflecting their simple hopes.
They would wear neat dresses to go to the graves, and cut the In medieval times they predicted the outcome of the year’s
weeds or trim the lawn evenly on and around the grave mounds. farming according to its brightness. The bright moon pleased them
as it was a favourable auspice of a bumper year whereas the moon in In Pyongyang, ssirum and swinging
clouds worried them as it portended a lean year. were held on a large scale.
Holiday foods included glutinous rice cake, half-moon-shaped
rice cake, pamdanja and glutinous rice liquor, all of which were Kuwoljunggu
made from new grains. After the Harvest Moon Day
Pyongyang’s special food was nochi. They kneaded flour of in the eighth month, the people in
glutinous rice or glutinous millet and powdered malt into dough, Pyongyang celebrated the ninth day of
which then went through ageing process. And then flat round pieces the ninth month by the lunar calendar.
of the batter were fried in oil to make nochi, which was not so much The day was called Junggu meaning
a pancake but a kind of cookie. the double nine of the date.
It looked like a round On this day, they went up the
rice cake, 3-5cm in diameter mountains to enjoy the autumnal
and 0.8cm thick. The sweet colours of the trees while eating
cake could be stored for 4-5 chrysanthemum pancakes and
months. chrysanthemum liquor.
A painting portraying
There were some side It was a long tradition dating back handweaving game
dishes similar to those for to Koryo dynasty, when it was one of
Glutinous rice cake other holidays. nine folk holidays.
Folk games on this day Ryolyangsesigi reads that men and
were mainly ssirum and women enjoyed autumnal tints and
swinging, and in some blossoms of chrysanthemum while
regions they played tug-of- those who liked traditional manners
war, ox game, turtle game, went up to a high place to write poems
Kanggangsuwollae dance on the folk holiday. An old painting
Chestnut Tasik
and handweaving game. It shows that the holiday was portraying ssirum
merely a day for the ruling on this day. It was a drink mixed with honey and slices of pear,
classes to compose poems and balsam pear, pomegranate, pine nuts or other fruits.
enjoy autumnal tints and other They also drank liquor with chrysanthemum petals on it.
beautiful scenery of nature. Apart from these, there were no other special foods or games as
The special food of the day it was a day of enjoying natural scenery.
was chrysanthemum pancakes
and hwachae (a kind of fruit Tongji and Rabil
punch). Tongji (winter solstice) and Rabil were traditional winter
Kyongdojapji reads that holidays. From olden times, the eleventh month by the lunar calendar
people made rice cakes or was called the month of Tongji.
pancakes of chrysanthemum, By the lunar calendar on Haji (summer solstice) the day is the
and those were also called longest. After that the daytime gets shorter and shorter, and the night
hwajon (flower pancake). on Tongji is the longest.
In Pyongyang the locals also The Korean people celebrated Tongji as one of the seasonal
ate chrysanthemum pancakes, holidays to mark the change in the duration of day and night.
and literary scholars gathered If the day falls on any of the first ten days of the eleventh month,
at the Ryongwang Pavilion and it is called Aetongji and if it falls later, it is called Rotongji.
recited poems. They say Aetongji is an omen of freezing winter and Rotongji is
Chrysanthemum pancakes that of mild winter.
made with glutinous rice powder Tongji was also called small New Year’s Day since the daytime
and chrysanthemum blossoms gets longer from that day.
were a special food that was The fact that Tongji was already one of the nine folk holidays in
eaten only on the occasion of Koryo shows that it had been celebrated since the previous dynasties.
this day. There were neither special ceremonies nor games but the unique
Various kinds of hwachae
Hwachae was indispensable custom of eating adzuki porridge. Although the porridge was a food
eaten in ordinary days, it was a must on Tongji. sparrows thinking that roast sparrows prevented the children from
So it was called Tongji porridge. smallpox.
In Pyongyang they used to eat it before sunrise. Roast sparrows in winter taste good but the custom might have
They made the porridge as follows: They added white rice to originated from their intention to kill as many sparrows as possible
hard-boiled adzukis and boiled them again with water; when they because they are harmful to crops.
were boiling, they added balls of glutinous kaoliang. In Pyongyang noodles were a must on the day, and it was called
It is said adzuki porridge eaten on Tongji prevented them from Rabil noodles.
catching a cold in winter. It was because the rice, adzuki and They also obtained pork on the day to use it as a medicine, and
glutinous kaoliang were nutritious and good for digestion, and the if it snowed on that day, they would put the snow flakes in a small
porridge was a special food for the season. They also enjoyed other jar so as to drink it in summer, thinking that the melted snow was of
famous foods like cold noodles and sinsollo. medicinal value.
Rabil in the twelfth month was the day when they used to net As mentioned above, the folk holidays of Pyongyang are pleasant
and significant days of the year thanks to the various ceremonies,
seasonal and special foods and a variety of folk games. They reflect
the beautiful traditional virtues of the Korean people who respect
elders and live a life of mutual assistance and harmony.
Tongji porridge Pyongyang cold noodles and sinsollo

and played often among soldiers, and winners were selected as

officers of the army and were awarded presents and high military
Folk Play posts.
For example, in the book, titled, History of Koryo, reads
Thaekkyon (Subakhui) that in the period when the military ruled the country, a general,
Subakhui was a combative and practical martial art, so it was named Choe Chung Hon, would arrange a party, make the
long practised, and it was one of the important martial arts in the soldiers play Subakhui, and promoted the winners to the
period of Koryo and the feudal Joson dynasty. government service, and King Uijong arranged a banquet for
The martial art originated in Pyongyang during the local military officers and let them play 5-men Subakhui and enjoyed
people’s production activities, was widely propagated across the the game.
country.
It became combined with national defence, developing in the
medieval times into a martial art of attack and defence with the
hands and feet.
That it originated in Pyongyang is illustrated in a mural in the
Mausoleum of King Kogugwon of Koguryo, whose capital was
Pyongyang.
The mural depicts two men standing face to face with only
shorts, one holding his hand high to attack the other and the
other taking a position to defend himself from the opponent.
The scene is nearly the same as the pictures portraying
martial arts in the book Muyedobothongji, published in the 18th
century.
This means that Subakhui was handed down to posterity.
Subakhui portrayed in a mural of the Mausoleum
In the period of Koryo, the martial art games were organized of King Kogugwon of Koguryo
In the period of the feudal Joson dynasty, Subakhui developed to Thaekkyon was also called Nalpharam (agility).
Thakkyon. Nalpharam means a strong wind caused by something flying at
The part of Thakkyon in Haedongjukji, published in the high speed.
1920s, appraising it as a traditional martial art of the nation among Young people in Phyongan Province and other northwestern
all other martial arts, reads: Thakkyon has techniques of playing areas developed Thaekkyon in the long historical period to make
with the feet–two persons standing face to face and kicking each it conform to their temperament and disposition, and called it
other to make the other fall down; there are three methods–the Pyongyang Nalpharam.
lowest level kicking the other’s shin, the middle level kicking the Owing to the manoeuvres of the Japanese imperialists
shoulders and the highest level kicking the crown of the head; the to exterminate the traditional Korean martial arts and the
game is called Thakkyon. sycophantic outlook on history by the feudal historians, no
The pronunciation of the word Thakkyon was changed to historical book records the name of martial art Pyongyang
Thaekkyon. Nalpharam, so oral materials and the survey conducted on site
The techniques of later give a glimpse of the martial art.
playing Thaekkyon Thaekkyon with a long history and tradition was inherited
is knocking the generation by generation and, in the course of this, masters of the
opposite down with martial art emerged in the country and it was practised as a martial
strong attack to the art throughout the country.
opposite’s vital parts, After the liberation of the country from the Japanese
feigning, deception and military occupation, Thaekkyon has developed to Taekwon-
counterattack, building Do, demonstrating the national mettle and spirit of the Korean
up the body to withstand people.
strong attack, producing As is well-known to the world, Pyongyang, as the centre of
an explosive strength Taedonggang culture, is one of the cradles of humankind, and
and moving the body it has been one of the political, economic, military and cultural
An old painting portraying Thaekkyon
freely. hubs of Korea for a long time.
This served for the city to become the base where national Chonillok read that the martial art of Phyongan Province centred
martial arts including Thaekkyon could be created and developed, on Pyongyang was the best of its kind throughout the eight
and the centre of the development of martial arts in Korea, provinces for its delicacy and refinement.
demonstrating a powerful influence in this field. Having originated and developed with the focus on kicking
In every third month by the lunar calendar national martial reflecting the physical constitution and national character of the
art games like hunting were held on the wide Rangnang field in Korean people, the tradition of Thaekkyon was inherited and
Pyongyang, and similar games perfected by the Pyongyang people, who were exceptionally
continued to be held in the agile, brave and strong-willed.
period of Koryo and feudal People in later days likened the people of Pyongyang to a “tiger
Joson dynasty under the rushing out of a forest.”
concern of the government. This Since the days of Koguryo they had trained themselves in
shows that the power of martial horsemanship and archery, and the methods of playing them
arts was perfected in the course changed a lot.
of this. They did not submit to the invasion by Sui and
Some historical records like Tang China with strong military power.
archery The historical books recognized the agile, brave and strong
spirit of the Pyongyang people, praising their strong character
and disposition and the wonderful martial art which they had
inherited from the days of Koguryo.
Thaekkyon, which was practised by agile young people in
Pyongyang, was called Pyongyang Nalpharam.
Horse riding portrayed in a mural of the tomb in Yaksu-ri

of playing in regions, but in Pyongyang it was played early in

Sokjon the month, and named Sokjon by inheriting the traditional custom
Sokjon (mock-fighting with stones) was one of the traditional of Koguryo.
games played in the first month by the lunar calendar in In Pyongyang it was played in the field out of the inner wall.
Pyongyang since the days of Koguryo. It started around New Year’s Eve and ended on the Full Moon
Old books read that people of Pyongyang played this game at Day.
the Taedong riverside early in the month. On the Full Moon Day even officials including the governor
In medieval times the techniques of playing this game were of Phyongan Province and magistrate of Pyongyang enjoyed
applied to actual combats, so it was introduced to all parts of the seeing the game.
country and became a custom. The game would begin in the morning with children playing
The game was different according to the times and methods it.
In the afternoon, adults played game until the sunset.
Excellent players were honoured.
There was a little difference in the number of players, but a
team would be composed of 400 to 500 persons.
Most of all the people in Pyongyang would turn out to support
their respective teams.
Walled City of Pyongyang, a drawing from the 19th century
illustrates a scene of Sokjon; in this drawing portraying a procession
of the newly-appointed governor of Phyongan Province, the
game is played by two teams. Written on the drawing is the name of
a man who was famous for stone-throwing in Pyongyang
The folk game reflected the courage, audacity and might of
unity of the Pyongyangites and their confidence in sure victory.
Sokjon portrayed in a painting Walled City of Pyongyang
5th century) in Jian, Jilin Province, China–all from the days of

Ssirum Koguryo–vividly portray the playing of the game, which is similar
Ssirum is a folk game, in which two stooping contestants hold to the modern-day wrestling.
each other’s thigh band and strive to throw down the opponent The mural in the Ssirum Tomb portrays two men of large
by giving full play to one’s strength and skills. It was propagated build putting their jaws on each other’s shoulders and playing the
across the country with Pyongyang as the centre. game, panting breathlessly, and more impressive is an old man
The game originated in the contest of strength by primitive watching the game while standing with the help of a stick.
men during the breaks of hunting and production activities; as they This shows that the game was played with strict rules of
tried to rival others in strength by means of various skills, it refereeing, playing and deciding the winner in the days of the
gradually developed into exercises for building up the body. Three Kingdoms, as well as the historical origin and level of
The mural paintings in the Ssirum Tomb (from the late development of the game.
4 century) and the Changchuan Tomb No. 1 (from the mid-
th
The ways of playing the game, which are drawn on the
murals in the tombs of Koguryo, are similar to those in Ssirum,
paintings drawn respectively by Kim Hong Do and Sin Yun Bok in
the 18th century.
This shows that the game was played in a similar way from
the period of the Three Kingdoms to the period of the feudal
Ssirum portrayed in a mural of a tomb of Koguryo Ssirum

Joson dynasty. The prize was a bull, so the ace players not only in Pyongyang
The game was popular in the period of Koryo as well. The but also in the neighbouring areas took part in the contests.
people regarded it as one of the important exercises for building up A bull decorated with a flower necklace was presented to the
the body, and if there was an opportunity, they enjoyed playing it; winner, for a bull was inseparably related with farming.
especially they organized a contest during breaks of their production The game is played by using hands, legs and the body.
activities and on holidays. According to the historical records, a The tactic of using the hands is the one of making the opponent
man who was good at playing the game was called yongsa (warrior), fall down by pulling or pushing his knee, back, nape of the neck or
and such men were chosen through national contests. leg with the hands or feet.
In the early days of the feudal Joson dynasty, such men were The tactic of using the legs is the one of striking the opponent
called ryoksa (man of Herculean strength) and enlisted to the army down by pulling or pulling and pushing him with the legs or feet,
as officers. and then swinging him.
The game is played between two stooping contestants with The tactic of using the body is the one of knocking the
thigh bands. opponent off balance by lifting him to the height of his own hip,
They are divided into left ssirum and right ssirum, depending stomach or chest by applying the strength of the waist and arms
on which thigh the band is worn. In most of the games the players and swinging him to the left or right to lay him down.
wear the bands on their right thighs This is the tactic used in most cases by well-built players.
It is a game which can be played in any place and at any time Various methods of belly throw are special tactics. These
without any special tools by any men, be they boys, youths or adults. methods can be employed separately or in combination.
As a game which demanded patience and strength, it was There is no danger of the body being hurt while playing the
connected to the working life of peasants, who played it mostly game, and the players play it in a stabilized mental and physical
after sowing seeds, weeding and on Harvest Moon Day just state. It also cultivates the patience, fortitude and the strength of the
before harvesting. arms and legs.
Pyongyangites would arrange contests in a big way in the Nowadays it is played not only on holidays and off-days but also
courtyard of the Yongmyong Temple or in the field out of the inner regularly in ssirum sites laid out in parks and recreation grounds
wall. across the country including Pyongyang.
In Pyongyang the Grand Bull Prize National Ssirum Contest This indicates that swinging was very popular in Pyongyang.
takes place on the Harvest Moon Day (a traditional holiday that falls Ho Ran Sol Hon, a poet (1563-1589), portrayed the sight of
on the 15th day of the eighth month by the lunar calendar). swinging: The young women in a double swing look as beautiful
as fairies; they move upward in a breeze, their trinkets jangling
Swinging against each other.
Swinging was more popular in Pyongyang than in any other The fever for swinging did not diminish in the modern times,
areas. as well.
Having started in the ancient times in Korea, swinging was Swinging can be played at any place only if a suitable frame
played on folk holidays during the days of Koguryo, one of the and rope are available.
Three Kingdoms in the middle ages. The tradition of swinging Traditionally, Koreans have put up a swing in a scenic place
was inherited by Koryo. by hanging two ropes from a willow or pine tree or wooden
Ri Kyu Bo, a famous poet (1168-1241), described swinging frame composed of two pillars and a bar between them on top.
by women on a folk holiday: When they go upward on the swing, They have fixed a seat on the bottom ends of the ropes and a
the women look as if they were flying to the sky and when they safety belt made of soft cotton cloth on each rope so that the player
come downward, they look as if they were beautiful fairies can grasp the ropes through
descending from the heaven; when they move forward, the spectators them.
hold their breath and when they move backward, they get their Such auxiliary parts make
breath. the player feel safe when
In the period of the feudal Joson dynasty, swinging was much kicking and jerking.
more in vogue and the methods of playing took a concrete shape. The length of the rope has
Ryolyangsesigi writes: Swinging is played by young men and been 9-10 metres in general
women both in the capital and provinces; in the northwestern and its thickness has been
area in particular, they gather in a place for swinging, dressed in within the grip of a hand,
their finest attire and bringing delicacies with them; the sight is regardless of its materials.
An old painting portraying swinging
reminiscent of the lunar New Year’s Day. Swinging was played not
only as a pastime but also as a competition.

The method applied in the earliest swinging competition was Seesawing
to reach a certain height and kick with a foot or take by mouth a Seesawing is one of Korea’s traditional plays in which a person
tree twig or flower fixed at the height. standing on each end of a long balanced board bounces upward
Later, the twig or flower was replaced by a bell. and falls down alternately.
The bell was lowered or raised with the rope fastened on it, In Pyongyang, young women used to gather on the lunar New
so as to measure the height the player had reached and select the Year’s Day beautifully dressed and enjoy seesawing singing
winner. merry songs, which added more to the festive atmosphere of the day.
This method was already widespread in the early days of the Seesawing in which women kicked the board and jumped into
feudal Joson dynasty. the air to the tune of merry songs reflected their aspirations for
While depicting a swinging player kicking a bell, Song Hyon a new life free from the yoke of feudal society.
(1439-1504) wrote in his poem: Immediately after the player In Pyongyang, there were two types of seesawing–one for girls
stands on the swing, she flies like a dragon and the bell tinkles in aged 12 or 13 and the other for young women who were nubile or
the air. newly married.
There were single swinging and double swinging. In most seesawing competitions, the winner was the player
In modern times, the winner of a swinging competition was
sometimes decided by measuring the height with the graduated
rope fixed on the seat.
Swinging was spread across Korea. But swinging in the
northwestern part, Pyongyang in particular, was more spectacular.
On folk holidays, women in Pyongyang used to put up swings
in Mt Changgwang and Moran Hill and enjoy swinging all day
long.
Swinging is a good exercise for the whole body and an exciting
Seesawing
play. Swinging is still popular in Pyongyang.
who had jumped highest and played longest without making a ancient states of Korea.
mistake. The game is also associated with farming.
Skilled players performed various movements while jumping Ancient Koreans who lived a settled life regarded farming
up and falling down. as their lifeline and spent most of their times on it.
Some would swing one full circle before falling down. Because of the low level of their consciousness and science,
Others would stretch their legs forward or sideways in the air or they believed that rich or poor farming was decided by a god in
bend their bodies backward. the heaven, earth or nature. Their belief was reflected not only in
If a player fell from the board off balance, she became a laughing their spiritual life but games they created.
stock of the spectators and was replaced by another player. The board of yut game is symbolic of the sky and earth, and the
If a player fell off the board by mistake or got too tired, one track has 29 points representing the stars with the North Star at the
of the women who were watching would replace her. centre.
Though simple, seesawing is interesting and helpful to the This proves that the board and other items of the game were
cultivation of balancing sense in the air and rhythmical sense as invented based on the belief that the agricultural production was
well as body building. decided by the force of nature.
Yut game was widely played by the Koguryo people during
Yut Game the period of Three Kingdoms.
Yut game is a traditional game played by the Korean people, The board of the game inscribed on the tombstone for Tomb
irrespective of gender and age, mainly on the lunar New Year’s No. 3319, a mural tomb of Koguryo, clearly shows that the game
Day. was very popular in that period.
An intellectual game, it is played in such a way as to move the The board is divided into four boxes and has 29 holes.
pieces according to the number obtained by throwing sticks. This indicates that the board represents 28 stars centred
It is thought that the game was created in ancient times, around the North Star and a game using this board was played in
because mo, yut, kae and do, terms used in the game, are Koguryo.
believed to be derived from maga, uga, joga and guga, which The fact that astronomical knowledge is reflected in the game
were names for official posts during the period of Puyo, one of the can be proved by the game board alone.
In his poem about the game, Ri Saek, a Koryo scholar in the a scholar in the mid-19th century, wrote that the central point on
14 century, described the board as being divided into four
th
the board of yut game represented the North Star and the four
parts and having 29 points including the central point. This means boxes containing seven points symbolized stars found around the
such a board was used in that period. North Star by grouping them by four.
These 29 points represent stars. The 28 points on the board also represents the stars used in
Kim Mun Phyo dealt with this in greater detail in his book, titled, judging the season and the points of winter and summer solstices
Junggyongji. and spring and autumnal equinoxes which are the base points in
He likened the central point to the North Star and the remaining dividing the ecliptic starting from the winter solstice.
28 points to other stars around it, and explained the shortest This shows that Koreans had a correct understanding of the
and longest routes in the game represented the winter solstice movements of the celestial bodies, and expressed it in a unique
and the summer solstice, respectively, while the routes of half diagram.
distance symbolized the spring equinox and the autumnal Yut game was played also in the period of Koryo and the
equinox. feudal Joson dynasty.
The 28 points represent the stars on the ecliptic and around There still remain the sticks and board of the game, the method
the equator. of playing it and other data related with it which date back to the
Koreans used the number 28 in astronomical observation period of the feudal Joson dynasty.
from olden times. The part Twelfth Month of Tongguksesigi reads: Yut is four
The number represents the 28-day cycle of the moon circling sticks of bush clover twigs of about 10cm or soybeans; a game
the earth from the west to the east near the ecliptic. using these is yut game; if all four sticks fall down on the obverse
The number can be used in marking the positions of the sun, side, it is called mo; if four fall down on the reverse side, it is
planets, moon, comets and meteors and in judging the season. called yut; if two fall down on the obverse side, it is called gae;
Korean ancestors judged the season by the star crossing the there are 29 steps (or points) on the board; do, gae, gol, yut and
celestial meridian in the evening or at dawn. mo mean one, two, three, four and five steps, respectively; the two
When 28 is divided into four parts, each part contains seven players are supposed to have four pieces that they have to pass
points. the end point through a long or short route; the winner is the player
Mogunjip, a historical book of Korea, dealt with this. who has passed the end point ahead of the other; this game is the
In his book, titled, Ojuyonmunjangjonsango, Ri Kyu Gyong, most spectacular festivity on the lunar New Year’s Day.
From olden times, yut game has been played on the occasion wisdom and resourcefulness.
of the lunar New Year’s Day, by two teams in the main. Therefore, soldiers played it widely to train their military
Yut was made of sticks, chestnuts, soybeans or adzukis, the last tactics.
being commonly used in Pyongyang. The board is a square of about 50cm and is made of light timber
The game was played either by two teams or two persons. like paulownia. It is fixed on a 30-cm-high wooden box with thin
Like in other areas, the winner was the team or person who iron strings inside it. The strings make sound whenever a stone is put
had moved the four pieces past the end point ahead of the other. on the board, adding the players’ zest.
In Pyongyang they used to play the game from the New Year’s The original board had vertical and horizontal lines, numbering
Eve to the Full Moon Day and sometimes all the month long. 17 each, and 289 crossing points.
As Yut game is associated with farming, its rules are simple Later two lines were added to
and plain. each side.
The modern board has points
Paduk (Go) called kkotjom or hwajom at the
Paduk, or go, was also popular in Pyongyang. centre of the board and the third
According to the Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms, King crossings on each side, totalling
Kaero, the 21st monarch of Paekje (455-475), were so immersed in five.
playing paduk with a Buddhist monk dispatched by King Jangsu The black and white stones
(413-491) of Koguryo, a rival of Paekje, that he neglected state number over 180 for each colour,
affairs and revealed secrets to the monk by mistake, with the result corresponding to 361 crossing
that his kingdom was weakened and defeated in a war against points. The stones are round and flat
Koguryo. and about 1cm in diameter.
This happened when Koguryo was pushing forward with the There are various playing
policy of unifying the three kingdoms on the Korean peninsula methods and rules, but in general
after moving its capital to Pyongyang. The story indicates that the two opponents obtain as much
people in Pyongyang were good paduk players. territory as possible by putting a
Paduk is a board game of territory and capture using small stone on the board in turn. An old painting portraying
stones. As its moves are varied, it is good for cultivating Traditionally, the junior or the paduk
man bad at playing the game uses the black stones and has the first The following is the song they used to sing while flying kites.
move. The kite the children in Pyongyang flew had two shapes–
As it is a simple game which needs only a board and stones, it rectangular and triangular.
was popular among the working people in the past. The size of rectangular kite depended on the skill of the child
It is still widely played. The game became an event of martial who would fly it. The biggest one was about the size of a gate of a
arts in international games. house.
Kites were decorated beautifully with strings of paper.
Kite-flying Kite-flying started on the lunar New Year’s Day and
Kite-flying was a folk play done by children in the first month continued, in general, for 15 days.
by the lunar calendar. On the evening of the 15th day when the moon was full, they
The fact that kite-flying is referred to in the Chronicles of the flew kites inscribed with the calligraphic writing which read
Three Kingdoms suggests that the play has a long history. Pyongyang Is the Best in the Eastern Country or a protective writing
In 1592 during the Imjin Patriotic War against Japanese which read Away with the Evil That Drowns Humans or Away with
invaders, Kye Wol Hyang, an entertainer on the payroll of the Evil That Injures Humans on the Street. Or they painted a tiger,
Pyongyang regional government, delivered information about the lion or devil’s face on the upper part and wrote the name of the
enemy to General Kim Ung So by flying a kite from the Ulmil kite’s owner on a corner.
Pavilion, thus greatly helping the Korean army to liberate the And they fixed a cotton lump on fire on the string of the kites.
Walled City of Pyongyang from the Japanese occupation. When the string was burnt, the kite got free and flew away.
In Pyongyang, children flew kites along the Taedong River This reflected the children’s wish to blow away all evils
despite the cold winter weather, remembering the stories together with the kite and their optimism and aspirations to fly
associated with kite. into the sky.
As seen above, Pyongyang, a city with time-honoured history
and beautiful mountains and rivers, boasts of many useful and
Fly, fly, kite interesting folk games which reflect the tastes, interest and
Like birds emotions of the Korean nation.
Like clouds
High up into the sky.
Family Ceremonies 165
FAMILY CEREMONIES Marriage
Marriage is a very important social phenomenon in which a

man and woman have a relationship of the husband and wife.
In the past young men and women were treated as full-fledged
adults only after they married.
Marriage After they married, they assumed moral responsibilities as
befitting adults and their parents felt proud of themselves in having
grown their children up as adults.
Marriage started with an offer of marriage.
The families of a young man and woman exchanged the offer
Funeral
of marriage through an intermediary and then the family of the
Formalities
man went and saw the woman.
After that, a formal proposal for marriage was made in the form
of a letter. If two families agreed, the side of the man chose the
date for the wedding and notified it to the side of the woman.
Memorial If the woman’s side agreed with it after considering it based on
Service horoscope, it informed the man’s side of its approval. Only then
was the engagement proclaimed.
Predicting marital harmony or choosing the date for wedding
according to horoscope was based on the superstitious belief
that humans are predestined by some mysterious force.
Prior to the wedding ceremony, the two sides exchanged
166 Family Ceremonies Family Ceremonies 167
wedding presents packed in a chest with the man’s family sending its Therefore, the wooden wild goose meant the groom’s pledge to
presents to the woman first. The scope of wedding presents was his family-in-law that he would be faithful to his wife to the last
different from family to family according to their living standards, moment of his life.
but in general, they included cloth for the bride’s chima (skirt) After the groom had a rest with his escorts in the drawing room
and jogori (jacket) and materials for quilts. of his wife’s home or in her neighbour’s home, the bride and
Some families in Pyongyang sent a man carrying the chest of groom stood face to face at the wedding table, the former in the west
the wedding presents at night. and the latter in the east.
If the woman’s home was far away, the man slept for the night Traditional wedding costume for the groom consisted of
at her house. But in most cases he was supposed to return by that trousers, jacket, hat, robe resembling a government official uniform
night. and belt.
After receiving the wedding presents, the woman’s family made That for the bride included green jacket, red skirt, trinkets,
clothes for the groom and quilts and sent them to his family before headpiece and hairpin.
the wedding day. The bride and groom
The preparations for wedding were finished with this, and the then bowed to each
wedding ceremony took place at the fixed date. other and shared liquor
The wedding ceremony was held at the bride’s home. The from one gourd cup.
procession included a man carrying a wooden wild goose in the First the bride bowed
lead, the groom on a horse and the escorts behind him. to the groom twice
In the Pyongyang area the escort generally included the and the latter to the
groom’s grandfather, uncles and elder cousins. former once. Then they
When the procession arrived at the bride’s home, her family repeated the procedure,
took over the wooden wild goose and put it in a wooden basin filled which was the end of
with rice before blessing the bride and groom. the wedding formalities.
The wooden wild goose reflected the belief that the bird was The bride then
faithful to its spouse and symbolized marital trust, harmony and withdrew to her inner
Wedding dresses Wedding dresses
chastity. room and the groom was for bride for groom
led to the wedding table arranged in his honour. Here the groom was After the groom bade farewell to his parents-in-law and other
not accompanied by his bride but her family members and relatives. family members of his bride and took leave on a horse, the bride
But in the closing years of the feudal Joson dynasty, the made a deep bow to her parents and followed her groom sitting in a
wedding table was arranged for both the bride and groom. But their palanquin.
position remained unchanged–the groom sitting in the east and the Describing a procession of a bride and her party on their way
bride in the west. to her groom’s house, Kyongdojapji wrote: The bride rides a
After the groom finished eating, the bride’s side sent foods to palanquin beautifully decorated and draped on four sides; four
his family. pairs of persons holding red-and-blue gauze lanterns and 12 women
The groom’s family offered the foods to the shrine of their late servants carrying dried meat, jujube, chest, mirror and the like on
ancestors and shared what remained with their relatives. their heads lead the procession; the bride’s former wet nurse clad
The groom slept for the night at the bride’s home, and that in black silk follows the palanquin on a horse; the procession is
night was the first occasion for them to talk to each other. escorted by servants on four sides.
In the Pyongyang area, it was a custom that the families of the The ceremony for receiving the bride was divided into three
bride and groom exchanged greetings the following day and the stages.
bride’s relatives invited the groom to their homes. At the first stage the bride was led to the wedding table.
This invitation was intended to cultivate friendship with the Originally, the wedding table was arranged only for the bride.
groom. But of late the bride and her groom sit at the table together. In this
The groom stayed with his bride’s family for three days, during case their seats are arranged in the traditional way–the bride in the
which young men of the village harassed him on evenings pestering west and the groom in the east.
him to serve them with liquor and meat in return for marrying a Sometimes a separate table was arranged in honour of her
woman who had grown up in their village. escorts.
Then his mother-in-law served them with liquor and meat, In the northern areas including Phyongan Province, the
asking them to stop harassing him. groom’s sisters and sisters-in-law sat together with the bride and
The groom returned to his home after three days and his family the bridesmaid at the table, wearing red skirt, blue jacket and
held a ceremony for receiving the bride on a day which was headpieces.
deemed to be propitious. After this procedure, a ceremony was held to inform the late
ancestors of the news of the marriage, followed by a ceremony in relatives invited the newlyweds to their homes.
which the bride made a deep bow and offered her presents to her So far is the wedding customs in Pyongyang, which are similar
father-in-law first and then to mother-in-law. to and yet a little different from those in other areas.
In this ceremony the father sat in the east and the mother in the Wedding party still constitutes the main part of a wedding
west. ceremony and develops in conformity with the requirements of the
The ceremony for receiving the bride ended when she offered times.
her presents to her parents-in-law. The custom of preparing wedding presents and bride’s gifts
Koreans have paid special heed to foods for a wedding party. for the groom’s relatives has gradually disappeared, and instead
From the past meat and liquor have been regarded as indispensable clothes, quilts, furniture and kitchen utensils are prepared for the
for a wedding party. newlyweds.
Foods to be laid on the wedding table were different from that And such customs as the groom presenting a wooden wild
to be served to the guests. goose to the bride’s parents, the bride and groom making bows to
Whereas things symbolizing conjugal relations (a rooster and each other and many relatives escorting the bride or groom are not
a hen, chestnuts, jujube, dried persimmons, candles and pine and observed any longer.
bamboo) were laid on the table over which the bride and groom Some couples choose to use public transport means for their
made a bow to each other, kwajul cakes, rice cakes, fruits, chicken wedding ceremony.
and other foods were laid in a symmetrical way on the wedding
table.
In some regions noodles, rice-cake soup, onban or rice and soup Funeral Formalities
were laid on the table for the bride and groom.
Meat, liquor and noodles were served to the guests. Funeral formalities were a little different from region to
After the wedding ceremony, the bride usually stayed within the region, but similar in general.
confines of the home for three days. Funeral formalities in Pyongyang were as follows:
Then, the newlyweds visited the wife’s family carrying some Just before a parent breathed his or her last, his or her children
foods with them. and other relatives massaged his or her limbs and fed him or her
After the ceremony for receiving the bride, the husband’s chongju (or honeyed water) or thin gruel.
When he or she passed away, they put his or her arms to the were the same as those in other areas.
body, laid the body on one side of the room and covered the body The funeral lasted, in general, three days, and when the coffin
by setting a screen before it. was carried to the grave, it was put down from the bier temporarily
A cat was not permitted to enter the room where the body was. until the hole was dug.
After seven or eight hours, the ceremony for invoking the spirits After the coffin was buried, a wood or stone marker and altar
of the deceased was performed in which the undertaker called were set in front of the grave.
his or her alias three times shaking his or her clothes and threw Finally, pine or other fine species of trees were planted around
them onto the roof of the house. the grave so that it could blend in with the surroundings.
This was a superstitious custom for indicating there was a
deceased in the house and invoking the spirits of the dead.
Then, the ceremony of serving a meal to the messenger who Memorial Service
would take the spirits of the dead to another world was held in the
courtyard. A type of ritual in memory of the deceased, the memorial service
The following day the hands, feet and face of the deceased were reflects the Korean people’s sense of moral obligation for the
washed and the body was laid on a mortuary plank. deceased.
Then the dead was dressed and put into the coffin. As man is related with the dead, he performs memorial service as
The funeral was held for three, five, seven or more days the courtesy for the dead.
depending on the living standards of the bereaved family. But it was In Korea memorial service was performed in various forms and
imperative that the funeral last for an uneven number of days. on various occasions.
The chief mourner and other relatives of the deceased wailed In Pyongyang there were various forms of memorial service.
after offering meals to the dead until the day when the funeral was Memorial service for the ancestors was performed at home or before
held. the graves. Its form was similar to that in other areas.
The meals were composed of the foods the dead had liked in In-home memorial service was performed on each folk holiday.
his or her lifetime. Memorial service on the birthday of the deceased was performed
On the funeral day the coffin was carried to the grave after a only up until the third year of his or her demise.
simple rite. The procedures of the funeral performed in Pyongyang Families visited their ancestors’ graves on Chongmyong
174 Family Ceremonies 175
(which falls on April 5 or 6) and Chusok (the 15th day of eighth

month by the lunar calendar). People in Pyongyang trimmed or
moved the graves on Chongmyong. Conclusion
A visit to one’s ancestor’s grave on Chusok was the most
important event of the year. It was imperative to visit the grave on Worthy of primary note is that most of folk customs in
this day and perform memorial service after conditioning the grave Pyongyang handed down to the modern times have a long history as
and then offering foods to the deceased. they date from the period of Ancient Joson or Koguryo.
In addition to this, other types of memorial service including This proves that Pyongyang has been the centre of the time-
those held at the Sungryong and Sungin temples and Mausoleum honoured national culture and customs of Korea.
of King Tongmyong were performed in Pyongyang. Another important aspect is that special attention is paid to
Now funeral ceremony and memorial service tend to be cold-proofing in many folk customs as the region has a cold
performed in a simple yet solemn way, with empty and ostentatious winter.
formalities excluded. People in the city made winter clothes thick and built houses
In general, the funeral ceremony is held on the third day of in such a way as to keep out the cold.
the death and farewell ceremony is performed either before the Last but not least, Pyongyang’s folk customs reflect its people’s
coffin is carried to the grave or at the grave before the coffin is worship of martial arts and broad-mindedness.
buried. As seen above, they preferred to play games related with martial
The body used to be buried, but cremation is becoming arts including the mock fighting with stones and make rice cakes
increasingly common nowadays. bigger than in other regions.
The memorial service is held at a suitable time on the evening These customs exemplify their valiant, broad-minded, simple
before the day of the demise by family members, relatives and and yet upright temperament.
friends of the dead. It is not fortuitous that a person hailing from the area of
The custom of visiting the graves and conditioning them on Phyongan Province including Pyongyang is likened to a fierce tiger
Chongmyong and Chusok is still observed. jumping out of woods.
But flowers instead of foods are offered to the dead before
paying a silent tribute or making bows.
Folklore of Pyongyang
Written by Kim Kwang
Edited by Kim Kwang Su, Pang Song Hui
Translated by Choe Kyong Nam, Sung Hye Gyong
Published by Foreign Languages Publishing House,
DPR Korea
Issued in November Juche 110 (2021)
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.korean-books.com.kp

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Folklore

Foreign Languages Publishing House

President Kim Il Sung said:

Customs of Farming‥‥‥ 5 Tongji and Rabil‥‥‥ 137

This was widely applied between technical persons and those

The Pyongyang cold noodles take pride of place of the

Noodle making Pyongyang cold noodles

Jaengban noodles Pyongyang onban

Sollongthang Kimchi making

In the Pyongyang area white then with seasoned pollack,

of Ancient Joson whose capital

changes in form and function in bone hairpins dating back to

Pyongyang area and rarely found in other length of jogori.

jogori elongated to knees. What was different from jogori

Pyongyang Hamgyong and Kangwon Kaesong

Women in the area of Pyongyang covered the whole forehead

around Pyongyang show single-channel houses, as well as

houses looking like double-channel houses and L-shaped houses

Housing which came into being later.

The internal structure of the Mausoleum of King Kogugwon

in the northwestern areas centred on Pyongyang.

This house originated in

house seen in the historical

remains of the olden times

found in the northwestern

Historical records and

mural paintings in the

The above-mentioned painting and field surveys have

revealed that the central part of the city was dominated by L- or

U-shaped and □-shaped houses, and its suburbs by houses of the

It is thought that because the L- or U-shaped houses had

several rooms under a roof in a compact way, they were better

suited to the downtown districts which were crowded with

That the parallel-structure houses were prevalent in the

suburbs is ascribable to the fact that most of their inhabitants

Pyongyang, which was the city’s characteristic feature. Pyongyang.

There were single-structure houses, parallel-structure houses, by a wall.

Parallel-structure house had a main building and an auxiliary to its north.

The auxiliary building was composed of a barn and a shed,

and a gate between them.

The barn had a wicket door leading to the inner yard.

Most main buildings of the parallel-structure house in

Pyongyang and northern areas had no door on the back side,

which their counterparts in the southern areas had.

in the latter. and hotter summer.

means they did not need the door.

All these show that Koreans installed doors by taking the

natural and climatic conditions and customs of living in their

resident areas into consideration.

In case they needed to increase the number of rooms, they

another in the auxiliary building as a drawing room so that the

two buildings had the same number of rooms.

relatively big. The paintings Walled City of Pyongyang and Procession to

building. the traditional underfloor heating system of the Korean people.

developed into the type of urban house. The mural painting in

urban areas. Mausoleum of King Kogugwon

there. the houses in Pyongyang.

for urban areas. first one steaming food in a

underfloor flues. floor at home.

away to the chimney. Nickel-decorated chest unique to the houses in Pyongyang.