Download handout- Korean symbols

GEOBUKSEON-A TURTLE SHIP
Geobukseon is a battleship engineered by a cientist at the order of Admiral Yi Sun-sin of the
Joseon Dynasty, Korea's most-revered hero. "Turtle" is "geobuk" in Korean, and the
similarity in appearance between these two hard-shelled creatures explains the name. The
upper deck was covered with a rounded wooden roof that itself was studded with pointed
iron spikes to repel enemies trying to board.
During the war, Admiral Yi Sun-sin won every one of at least 23 naval battles he fought,
boasting an unprecedented record of victories. Admiral Yi has often been compared with
Lord Nelson, the British hero who triumphed over the French-Spanish fleet at the Battle of
Trafalgar. Both admirals fought for the destiny of their countries and saved their
countrymen from foreign invasion by securing key naval victories.
Recognized as a breakthrough in military technology, Geobukseon replicas are on exhibit in
a number of national museums, including the War Memorial of Korea, the War Memorial
Museum in the U.S., the National Maritime Museum in England and historical museums in
China, Germany and other countries.
CHOMSEONGDAE
Cheomseongdae is the oldest existing astronomical
observatory in Asia.
Constructed during the reign of Queen Seon-deok (632647), it was used for observing the stars in order to
forecast the weather. This stone structure is a beautiful
combination of straight lines and curves, and was
designated as National Treasure No.31 on December 20th,
1962.
Cheomseongdae was built in a cylinder shape with stones
30cm in diameter. 362 stones were piled up to make 27
levels. Roughly 4.16m up from the bottom there is a 1 ㎡
square entrance and a space to hang a ladder under it.
The inside is filled with soil up to the 12th level, and the
19th, 20th, 25th, and 26th levels all have long rocks
hanging on two areas, shaped as the Chinese letter '井'
(jeong).
It stands 9.17m high and the base stone on each side measures 5.35m.
The Vernal Equinox, Autumnal Equinox, Winter Solstice, Summer Solstice and the 24 solar
terms (also known as the astronomical solar year) were determined by the observation of
stars. The pavilion stone is believed to have been used as a standard of deciding directions,
north, south, east and west. The 362 stones used to build Cheomseongdae represented the
362 days in a lunar year.
TAEGUKKI: THE KOREAN NATIONAL FLAG
The Korean national flag is called Taegukki (from Tae Guk, or Tae Geuk, meaning the
universe, Ki meaning flag). The symbol in the center of the flag is called Tae Geuk, and it
represents the duality of the cosmos. The blue side represents Um (or Yin in Chinese), which
is negative energy, darkness, cold, earthy and female. The red side represents Yang (also
Yang in Chinese), which is postive energy, light, hot, heaven and male.
Tae Geuk itself, with its balance of Um and Yang, represents harmony, and the harmony of
Um and Yang is the Do (Tao in Chinese), the path or the way.
The symbols in the four corners are called Gwe, representing the principle of movement
and harmony, and each is a trigram from the I-Ching, the Chinese Book of Changes. The
three unbroken bars at the top left stand for heaven/Yang (Keon). The three broken bars at
the bottom right stand for earth/Um (Kon). The symbol at the top right - yang within um stands for water (Kam), and the symbol at the bottom left - um within yang - stands for fire
(Ri).
Notice how Keon (Heaven) is the opposite of Kon (Earth), and Ri (Fire) is the opposite of
Kam (Water). This again represents the duality of the cosmos.
Neither is the white background accidental: the color traditionally represents 'peace', and
the peaceful Korean people of old were known as the 'white-clad nation.'
BEOPJUNSA
Beopjusa temple was built by Uisin monk in the 14th year of King Jinheungwang of the Silla
dynasty (553). Uisin monk named the temple "Beopjusa" meaning the Law of Buddha
staying here. According to another opinion, Jinpyo monk founding the Geumsansa temple
ordered Yeongsim monk, his disciple, to build the Gilsangsa temple where Gilsang grasses
had grown and to extend the Law of Buddha. Dosaeng monk, the brother of Uicheon,
nation's priest and high Buddhist priests staying as head monks in Beopjusa, reconstructed
the Beopjusa temple during the Goryeo dynasty. King Taejo, the founder of the Joseon
dynasty, prayed to ascend the throne before his accession in Sanghwanam temple. King
Sejo held the Buddhist mass to cure diseases in Bokcheonam temple for three days.
Beopjusa temple had been a large temple with the support of royalty. However, Beopjusa
temple and the small temples around it, the headquarters of the monk soldiers, were
ruined during the Japanese invasion in 1592. Gakseong priest reconstructed the temple
several times and the present Beopjusa temple has become the representative temple of
Maitreya
TIGER
“Long ago, when tigers smoked long pipes… ” begin folk tales in
South Korea. The stories recall a time at the farthest reaches of living
memory when Korean tigers, the world’s largest cats, still prowled
the Korean peninsula.
Korea’s national creation myth also tells of a tiger and a bear who
asked the son of the ruler of Heaven if he would make them human.
He agreed, but only if they could endure 100 days in a cave eating
nothing but garlic and mugwort. The steadfast bear endured and
became a beautiful woman, who gave birth to Tangun, the legendary
father of Korea in 2333 BCE. But the tiger grew hungry and impatient.
He left the cave early, unable cope with the hunger and waiting, and
has been slinking through the Korean mountains ever since.
“Korea is the only country where the tiger is the centre of its culture,” says Korean artist,
Cho Hyun-Kwon. “The people feel very close to the tiger and has personified it throughout
history.”
The official mascot for the 1988 Summer World Olympics was a mascot named “Hodori.”
The theme of the 1988 Olympics was “harmony” and “progress.” The tiger is shown as
friendly and welcoming.