Spiritual Culture
of the Korean People
2010.05.12
Lee Jong-chul , Head of the Establishment Body of Hanseong Baekje Museum
Table of Contents
I.
Culture’s Definition and Origin of the word
II.
General use “Concept and Properties of Culture”
III.
Understanding of the Korean Traditional Culture
IV.
Power of Culture
V.
Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Korean People
VI.
Spiritual and Cultural Heritage of the Korean People
VII. Korea- National Culture of God Spirit in the 21st Century
VIII. Success and Failure of the 20th Century’s Cultural
Challenges
IX.
Era of the Cultural Industry
X.
Challenges of the Spiritual Culture of the World
I. Culture’s Definition and Origin of the word
I. Culture’s Definition and Origin of the word
1. Comprehensive aspects of life of the people or the society
2. English → Culture, German → Kulture originated from the Latin,
Cultura and is used in Europe since the 17th century
① Origin of the word → agriculture, cultivate
② Two meanings, caring of the body or the spirit
Farm Music
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Dodangje of Mt. Samgak
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I. Culture’s Definition and Origin of the word
 Definition
① Holism
 General spiritual and artistic expression of the people or the society
 Ability, habit or knowledge acquired by the members of the society
 General aspects of the collective life style
② Idealism
 Not the specific behavior, but the basic system of value that controls
the behavior, the rule or the principle
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II. General use “Concept and Properties of Culture”
Gangryeong Mask Dance
II. General use “Concept and Properties of Culture”
1.
Manner for managing the life of the people
Nature, Politics, Food, Clothing and
Shelter, Religion, Culture, Education
category Korean peninsula →Historical background with China, Manchuria, Japan
2.
General aspects expressed in the life style of the group of people
 Culture is shared.
 Culture is learned.
 Culture is cumulative.
 Culture is a whole of system.
 Culture is always changing.
 Culture is super organic.
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I.
Understanding of the Korean Traditional Culture
Picture of the Dragon King
III. Understanding of the Korean Traditional Culture
1.
History’s progress
 The process of overcoming the cultural limits faced by an era
2.
Ancient times→ ceremony for heaven, heavenly gods, religion of god
Three StatesㆍGoryeo era → Buddhism ㆍTaoism
Joseon dynasty Confucianism → Western learning, 400 new religions of the
Korean culture
3. Dynamics of accepting the culture from the outside world
4. Cultural development
 the process of constantly adding new ability of life to the previously
acquired “ability of life”
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IV. Power of Culture
Seokguram
IV. Power of Culture
1. Nation with a strong root of culture in all times and places
 Social chaos collapse of today’s economic, material culture, and exclusive wealth
 Nation inundated with illegality, crime and sin
 The people dreaming of new resurrection
 Samuel Huntington , the national income of Ghana and Korea in 1945, 60 years ago
(60$, 87$ <the least developed country>, illiteracy rate : 70%)
Temple of Taoism
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Shrine of exorcism for heavenly god
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V. Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Korean People
Dano festival
V. Understanding of the Korean Traditional Culture
1. Hometown of the Japanese people’s history
2. Nation with excellent Buddhism → pagoda Seokga
3. Kingdom of white porcelain
Treasure 659’white porcelain cheonghwamaejukmoon byeong’
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Suwon hwaseong
V. Understanding of the Korean Traditional Culture
4. Registration of 17 cultural heritages as UNESCO World Heritage
① 7 Cultural heritages
 Bulguksa, Seokguram, Gyeongju historical district, Haeinsa Janggyeonggak,
Jongmyo, Suwonhwaseong, Hwaseong Seongyoekuigwae, Dolmen, Changdeok
palace
② 1 Natural Heritage – Jeju-do volcano cave
③ Documentary cultural heritage
 Hunmin jeongeum the Record of the Joseon Dynasty, Seongjeongwon ilgi ,
Baekwoonhwasang, Booljojikjisimcheyojeol, Goryeo daejanggyeong,
Joseon ,Dynasty’s gwae
④ 3 World intangible cultural assets – Jongmyo royal ancestral memorial service and
Jongmyo royal ancestral music, Pansori, Gangneung Dano festival
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VI. Spiritual and Cultural Heritage of the Korean People
Hunminjeongeum
VI. Spiritual and Cultural Heritage of the Korean People
1.
Faithfulness → Filial Duty, Courtesy, Sense of Shame, Doctrine of King, master, father
trinity
2.
Filial Duty → Nation with an “ariculture-first”principle, Naturalism, Irrigation institution,
Large-family system, Collective farming
3.
Courtesy → Confucianism (Confucius) Sajiksin god of five grains, god of heaven, god of
soil, god of region, ceremony of ancestors
4.
Sense of shame → ethics, moral culture and home management , Jin-in-sa-dae-cheonmyeong (God helps those who help themselves)

Orient Culture (Buddhism Confucian Value<Success stories of Japan and Korea>)
Koreaㆍ ChinaㆍJapan- peninsula, continent, island, Chinese character and Confucian culture →
benevolence→ cultural code of three nations in the Northeast Asia –communication of Chinese character,
unification, Korea, China, Japan /Beon-ja/Gan-ja/ Yak-ja/ Jeong-ja (types of character), Chinese
character, last period of Ching dysnasty 3000~60 million characters
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VII. Korea –National Culture of God Spirit in the 21st century
Seokguram
Suwon hwaseong
Haeinsa Gyeongpanjeon
Bulguksa
Jongmyo
Dolmen heritage
Changdeok palace
Gyeongju historical district
Jeju volcano island and lava cave
VII. Korea – National Culture of God Spirit in the 21st century
1.
God-centered way of thinking, times of deity, high spirits, shamanism (relish, merriment,
high spirits) shamanistic religion
2.
Can do spirit, Why not, Let’s live a better life, overcoming poverty – the Saemaeul
movement
3.
Supported by education, teaching, ideology ← miracle of Han river - 1986 Asian Games,
1988 Olympic Games, 2002 World Cup
Festival for high spirits not just for soccer-
toward the world beyond walls Dynamic Korea → profound taste of culture
①
Alcoholic drink
② music
③ dance
Korean traditional clothes ‘Dandui’
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Chinese traditional clothes ‘Chipao’
VIII. Success and Failure of the 20th century’s Cultural Challenges
Suwonhwaseong
VIII. Success and Failure of the 20th century’s Cultural Challenges
1. Two faces of national image of Korea
① Nation with insufficient basic technology, and raw materials→ failure of respecting and
preserving ancestor’s learning, science, and technology
② Korean-made cars, Korean-made Benz – OEM – failure and challenge of marketability
③ War, division of a nation, demonstration, riot, export of orphans, abuse of foreigners
 Fall of the 100 years-tradition of the modern history ( failure to clean up the vestiges of
the Japanese colonial rule and the creative process of overcoming)
Yeonhui rope walking
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Jeungpyeongjangddeol dure song of farming
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IX. Era of Cultural Industry
Ancient buildings of Mt. Moodang
IX. Era of Cultural Industry
1. 21st century is the era of culture
① Information society – Dream Society(Jensen, Futurology)
② Era of industrial production – era of cultural production – Rifkin, writer of The European
Dream
③ Nation’s destiny decides the national image
 Korean Wave culture→ to the world , to the culture, to the truth → the light of the east
shines the world
④ Popular movie → countries with the share of more than 25% : Korea (50%), France and
Japan
⑤ Music video Popular music
⑥ IT
⑦ Be quick world culture history
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X. Challenge of the Spiritual Culture of the World
Joseon Dynasty royal tomb(Geonwonreung)
X. Challenges of the Spiritual Culture of the World
1. Cultural policies demanded today
① Enhancing and illuminating mind and temper, purgation method for spirit
② Improving the ‘quality of life’ on the ground of life
③ Accepting foreign culture in a balanced way
④ Establishing the culture-centered policy environment
⑤ Fostering “industry and art” that contribute the national development
Jongmyo
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Changdeok palace
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X. Challenges of the Spiritual Culture of the World
2. 7 factors developing spiritual culture
① DreamㆍVision & Goal
② Right & Good service
③ Change & Innovation
④ Creativity & Challenge
⑤ Speed & Velocity
⑥ Trust & Credibility
⑦ Technology & Information
Jongmyo royal ancestral memorial service
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Thank you.