Korea is a country of contrasts and contradictions, in which seeming opposites can coexist in harmony with each other: it is a developed modern country with a high standard of living while keeping tradition at the same time; it has world-leading technology, but it is not uncommon for people to consult a shaman for advice. Another good example of this is in traditional Korean Medicine (from now on, let’s just say Korean Medicine): although there is a well developed infrastructure of Western Medicine, Korean Medicine is still an important part in the lives of the vast majority of Koreans. Here are two ways in which the concepts of Korean Medicine make themselves felt in everyday lives.
A Hanok’s ondol system is fully in harmony with Korean Medicine
An ondol (온돌), which is an integral part of the unique traditional architecture in Korea, is basically an under-floor heating system. When Koreans stoke the fire in the stove (agungi; 아궁이), the heat transfers across to the stone (gudeuljang; 구들장) underneath the room and is disseminated throughout the whole house creating a warm cozy atmosphere. Then, the heat weakens and exits out of the chimney.
A simplified diagram of the ondol under-floor heating system
The ondol system is based on a principle in Korean Medicine, namely Suseunghwagang (수승화강). This means that the upper part of the body, particularly the head, has to be cool and the lower part of the body has to be warm. This is one of the most important principles in Korean Medicine. In an ondol room, there’s a winmok (윗목) and an arenmok (아랫목). The arenmok is the place which is closer to the agungi, therefore, it is hot. The winmok is the place which is closer to the chimney, therefore, it is cooler. People direct their heads toward the winmok and put their feet toward the arenmok when they are sleeping. Also, when they sit on the floor (it is still traditional to sit on the floor, even now), their hips are warm and their heads are cool. Thus, ondol makes it easier to achieve the status of Suseunghwagang.
Another good example is the tradition of eating samgyetang in the heat of the summer. Samgyetang (삼계탕) is whole chicken stuffed with Korean ginseng, dates, sticky rice and garlic, slow cooked and served in hot broth. In herbal medicine, chicken is considered to possess hot properties, and other ingredients of samgyetang such as ginseng, dates, sticky rice and garlic are considered to have warm properties. [1] In summer the outer part of the body becomes hot in order to adjust our bodies to the hot weather, whereas the inner part of the body remains much cooler. Eating samgyetang is a way to heat up the inner part of our body, thus rebalancing the heat.
It is traditional to have samgyetang in the summer to help endure the oppressive heat
On the other hand, naengmyeon (냉면), cold noodles, used to be the food to have in winter. In order to adjust our bodies to the low temperature in winter, the outer part of our bodies become cold while the inner part become relatively hot. Therefore, naengmyeon is a suitable food to help the cooling process.
Links:
- Beat the heat, Korean style, Korea Times, 15 July 2010
- In herbal medicine, every type of food or herb has its own property, from extremely hot to extremely cold. It is the basic principle that if the body status is hot, then we complement it with cold substances (herbal food), while if the body status is cold (as the insde of the body is during the summer) then we need to have hot ones. [back]
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
This is one of the most important principles in Korean Medicine. In an ondol room, there’s a winmok (윗목) and an arenmok (아랫목). The winmok is the place which is closer to the agungi, therefore, it is hot. The arenmok is the place which is closer to the chimney, therefore, it is hot. People direct their heads toward the winmok and put their feet toward the arenmok when they are sleeping.
This explanation is a little bit confusing. Are both 윗목 and 아랫목 hot? One should be hotter than the other.
Thanks for spotting the mistake – the editor was asleep on the job. It’s now been corrected.
Philip
The explanations on 아랫목 and 윗목 seem to be still confusing.
아랫목 is the place closer to the agungi and warmer.
윗목 is the place closer to the chimney and less warm.
You put your head toward 윗목 to make head cooler and and lower body warm.
OK, I think we’ve now fixed it properly. Do you want a job as editor? I think LKL’s editor needs to be fired.
Thanks for pointing out these slips.