Friday, October 15, 2010

Hanbok

As the Scottish have kilts, peruvians ponchos and Indians saris, Koreans have Hanbok, their traditional garment.
Originating in the ancient Korean kingdoms, its design and variety has been fairly steady from medieval to modern times, differing only based on the season or gender, While Koreans today generally only wear authentic Hanbok on special occasions such as weddings and traditional holidays, modern variations like Saenghwal Hanbok that have been tailored to fit modern lifesyles are sometimes seen in everyday life. Korean designers continue to introduce Hanbok-themed clothes to the Western world via world-famous fashion events such as France's Pret-a-Porte.

  This is Hanbok that royal concubine wore.

Hangeul

King Sejong decreed the creation of the Korean alphabet Hangeul to ease the life of commomners on 15th century Joseon. In 1446, the first Korean alphabet system consisting of consonants and 10 vowels was completed and proclaimed "Hunminjeongeum,: literally "the correct sounds for the instruction of the people." Along with the creation of Korean letters, King Sejong published a manual explaining their dervation and how to use them properly.
It has become a UNESCO World Documentary Heritage, and the UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize established in 1989 annually pays tribute to those who have made outstanding achievement in promoting literacy.