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A diverse array of foods and dishes can be found throughout Korea.
Korea was once primarily an agricultural nation, and Korea have cultivated rice as their staple food since ancient times. These days Korean cuisine is characterized by a wide variety of meat and fish dishes along with wild greens and vegetables. Various fermented and preserved food, such as kimchi (fermented spicy cabbage), jeotgal (matured seafood with salt) and doenjang (fermented soy bean paste) are notable for their specific flavor and high nutritional value.

The prominent feature of a Korean table setting is that all dishes are served at the same time. Traditionally, the number of side dishes varied from 3 for the lower classes to 12 for royal family members. Table arrangements can vary depending on whether a noodle dish or meat is served. Formal rules have developed for table setting, demonstrating the attention people pay to food and dining. Compared to neighboring China and Japan, a spoon is used more often in Korea, especially when soups are served.
Kinds of Traditional Korean Food

1. Bap (steamed rice) and Juk (porridge)
Boiled rice is the staple of Korean cuisine. Most people use sticky rice, which sometimes has beans, chestnuts, sorghum, red beans, barley or other cereals added for flavor and nutrition. Juk is thought of as highly nutritious and light. Many varieties of juk exist, for example, juk made of rice, red beans, pumpkin, abalone, ginseng, pine nuts, vegetables, chicken, mushrooms and bean sprouts.
2. Guk (soup)
Soup is an essential dish when rice is served. Ingredients of different soups include vegetables, meat, fish, shellfish, seaweed, and beef bones.
3. Jjigae (stew)
Jjigae is similar to guk but is thicker and hardier. The most famous jjigae is made from fermented soy bean paste. Jjigae is usually spicy and served piping hot in a heated stone bowl.
4. Dubu Jeongol (casserole)
Jeongol is often eaten in the evening. It is cooked in a steaming pot and contains noodles, mushrooms, small octopuses, cow intestines, vegetables, and other ingredients. The dubu (tofu) is sliced, coated with starch and pan-fried. Seasoned ground beef is then stuffed inside the dubu and it is tied with watercress. In a casserole pan, vegetables and dubu are arranged and boiled with soy sauce flavored broth.

Women's hanbok is comprised of a wrap-around skirt and a jacket. It is often called chima-jeogori, 'chima' being the Korean word for skirt and 'jeogori' the word for jacket. Men's hanbok consists of a short jacket and pants, called 'baji', that are roomy and bound at the ankles. Both ensembles may be topped by a long coat of a similar cut called 'durumagi'.

Hanbok worn today are patterned after those worn during the Confucian-oriented Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Yangban, a hereditary aristocratic class based on scholarship and official position rather than on wealth, wore brightly colored hanbok of plain and patterned silk in cold weather and closely woven ramie cloth or other high-grade, light weight materials in warm weather. Commoners, on the other hand, were restricted by law as well as finances to bleached hemp and cotton and could only wear white, pale pink, light green, gray or charcoal colors.
Royal Clothes

The early Joseon Dynasty kings made neo-Confucianism the ruling ideology. Its emphasis on formality and etiquette dictated the style of dress for the royal family and the aristocrats and commoners for all types of occasions including weddings, and funerals. Integrity in men and chastity in women became the foremost social values and was reflected in the way people dressed.
The Beauty of Hanbok
The beauty of hankbok lies in the harmony of its colors and its bold, simple lines.
Most 'jeogori' have a snap tie ribbons on the inside to hold them closed. The long ribbons of the jacket are tied to form the otgoreum. The 'otgoreum' is very important because it is one of three things by which the beauty and quality of hanbok is judged. The other two are the curve of the sleeves, 'baerae' and the way the 'git', a band of fabric that trims the collar and front of the jeogori, is terminated. The ends of the git are generally squared off and a removable white collar called the dongjeong is placed over the git.
The regular pleats of the chima stretch downward from the high waist and increase in width as they reach the lower end of the traditional skirt, creating a sense of gracefulness.
- Gat(Men's hat)
- Durumagi
The durumagi is a traditional overcoat worn on special occasions over the traditional jacket and pants.
- Baji
Baji refers to the lower part of the men's hanbok. Compared to western style pants, it does not fit tightly. The roomy nature of the cloth is due to a design aimed at making the cloth ideal for sitting on the floor.
- Kkotsin
The kkotsin refers to silk shoes on which flower patterns are embroidered. They play an important role in completing the graceful line of the lower rim of the chima.
- Jeogori
The jeogori makes up the upper part of hanbok. Men's jeogori are larger and simplistic while women's jeogori are rather short and characterized by curved lines and delicate decorations.
- Dongjeong
The dongjeong refers to a white collar attached along the rim of the neckline. It contrasts and harmonizes with the overall curve of the neck.
- Otgoreum (Cloth Strings)
The otgoreum is a women's ornamental piece, which hangs vertically across the front of the chima (women's skirt).
- Baerae (Jeogori Sleeve)
The baerae refers to the lower lines of the sleeve of either the jeogori (traditional jacket), or the magoja (outer jacket). It features a circular line which is naturally curved, similar to the line of the eaves of the traditional Korean house.
- Chima
The chima is the women's outer skirt. There are different kinds of chima: single-layered, double-layered, and quilted. Pul-chima refers to a chima with a separated back, whereas a tong-chima has a seamed back.
- Patterns
Traditional patterns graceful lines and color combinations enhance the beauty of hanbok. Plant, animal, or other natural patterns are added to the rim of chima, the areas surrounding the outer collar shoulders.
- Beoseon
The beoseon corresponds to a pair of contemporary socks. Although the shape of the beoseon does not reflect any difference in the gender of its users, men's beoseon are characterized by a straight seam.
Kinds of Hanbok
The various kinds of hanbok are classified according to the social status, class, gender, and age of those who wear them. Today, hanbok is worn mostly on special occasions, and is divided into categories based on its function. These include, but are not limited to, weddings, 61st birthdays, first birthdays and holidays.
Myeongeol Hanbok
Koreans traditionally show their respect to their parents early in the morning on the first day of the New Year by bowing deeply. Customarily, both parents and children wore hanbok. Children's hanbok usually consists of a rainbow-striped jeogori (jacket) and either a chima (girls' skirt) or a baji (boys' pants).
Dol Hanbok
The first birthday of a child, the dol, is traditionally celebrated with wishes for longevity and health. Children wear the dol-hanbok or dol-ot on this special day.
A boy usually wears a pinkish jeogori (jacket) with a long blue goreum (cloth strings). Girls usually wear a rainbow-striped jeogori for special occasions. Currently, the trend is for girls to war a dangui, a kind of ceremonial coat.
Hoegabyeon Hanbok
Hoegabyeon is when children throw a party to celebrate the 61st birthday of either parent and wish for their longevity. Men who turn 61 wear a geumgwanjobok, while women wear a dangui, a kind of ceremonial dress for special occasions.
Hollyebok (Wedding Hanbok)
Unlike hanbok for daily use, hanbok worn as a traditional wedding costume is marked by its bright appearance. The bridegroom wears the baji (pants), the jeogori (a jacket), the joggi (a vest), the magoja (an overcoat), and the durumagi (an overall coat). The bride wears a green chima (a skirt), a yellow jeogori (a short jacket), and a wonsam (a bride's long overcoat). Her hair is prepared using a jokduri (a special head ornament).
Saenghwal Hanbok
The use of rational hanbok follows complex rules, and requires meticulous attention. Because of this, a simplified version of hanbok has been introduced for daily use which incorporates simplicity and convenience. An increasing number of people want to express their individuality by wearing something that combines traditional beauty and modern simplicity. The modern version comes in a wide variety of styles and fabrics.

A traditional Korean house is called 'Hanok'. Hanok sought to create a living space based on the coexistence of nature and humans. Accordingly, the natural aspects of a traditional Korean houses range from the structure's inner layout to the building materials which were used. Another unique feature of traditional houses is their special design for cooling the interior in the summer and heating the interior in the winter. Since Korea has such hot summers and cold winters, the 'ondol gudeul,' a floor-based heating system and 'daecheong,' a cool wooden-floor style hall were devised long ago to help Koreans survive the frigid winters and to make the sweltering and humid summers bearable. These primitive types of heating and air-conditioning were so effective that they are still in use in many homes today. 
Principles of Positioning Hanok
Traditional houses in Korea have been heavily influenced by the natural environment. The location of a house was selected according to the tenets of the ancient art of geomancy, also known as Feng Shui, which determined a site's natural energy forces based on its geographic features. The philosophy of 'baesanimsu,' which stipulated that houses should face water and have mountains in their background was also a strong consideration.
Layout of Hanok
The internal layout of a traditional house was based on Confucian ideas so there were separate residences based on class, sex and age. Living quarters were divided into a high-, mid- and low sections through the use of separate buildings or the erection of small walls. The higher section consisted of the anchae (the main building) and the sarangchae (the men's sitting room) was used by the elite yangban class. The lower section, which was located closest to the main gate, served as living quarters for the servants. The mid section was attached to the jungmun (the inner gate) and was used by middle-class household managers.
Composition of Hanok
A yangban residence had various types of living quarters for its residents. The living quarters consisted of the sarangchae, the building reserved for the head of the house hold to reside and receive guests in, the haengnangchae, which were servants' living quarters, the anchae, the inner living quarters for the head woman of the household, her children and other women, and the sadangchae, the shrine to honor the spirits of family ancestors. Each section was separated by walls with gates, such as the jungmun, which allow access to other sections of the house.
The main gate of the soseuldaemun is connected directly to the sarangchae, but the anchae was hidden behind the jungmun (the inner gate) so that it couldn't be seen from the outside. The shrine was surrounded by a separate set of walls, an indication of its sacredness.
Sarangchae

- Soseuldaemun
A soseuldaemun is a large main gate with a high upper roof. It indicated the social class of the house owner and served as a symbol of yangban homes.
- Sarang Daecheong (wooden-floored halls of the sarangchae):
The daecheong of a high class residence is a space which connects rooms. Sarang Daecheong served as a place for social functions, receiving guests and for dinning in the summer. Both sides of the hall were usually decorated with sabang tables that had celadon ceramics and antiques on them.
- Sarangbang:
In traditional yangban houses, the sarangbang was the main room of the sarangchae, where the head of the household lived and received guests in addition to taking meals, reading, contemplating, and engaging in artistic activities.
Anchae

- Saetdam and Jungmun (small walls and inner gate):
The traditional yangban residence was divided into the 'inner' quarters used by women and the 'outer' quarters used by men. The sections were divided by erecting small walls in a large countryyard or using separate living quarters, and people accessed the other sections through a jungmun.
- Anbang:
The anbang was the center of the residence, where the head woman of the household ran various aspects of the household, especially those relating to clothing and food. It mostly contained various types of wardrobes and chests that stored clothes and bedclothes. It also contained other furniture, small household items and folding screens.
- Andaecheong:
The andaecheong consisted of the anbang and the geonneonbang, where the head woman of the houlsehold and any daughter-in-laws lived. It was furnished with a wooden rice chest, cupboards, a table used for ancestral memorial services, a small table with an incense burner, chairs, and candlesticks.
Giwa (Korean tiles) and Roofs

Giwa was a criterion for distinguishing nobles from commoners. They were used to build yangban houses. The roof shapes of yangban included the soseul jubung (a combination of a paljak jibung and a gabled roof), the paljak jibung (a £¯¡¬ shaped roof), the ujingak jibung (a hipped roof) and the matbae jibung (a gabled roof).
Kitchen

During this time, the kitchen was either attached to the anbang, the women's living space, or built 75cm-90cm lower than other rooms, which had an 'ondor' heating system. In this heating system, flat stones underneath the floor (called gudeul) were heated by warm air that flows from the kitchen fireplaces through the ducts which were built under the rooms.
Jangdokdae

The jangdokdae is a terrace where small and large onggi (crockery and clay ware) were placed to store and ferment various foods. The jangdokdae was situated in a clean area near the kitchen. This placement was chosen because it could get plenty of sunshine and ventilation to preserve foods and maintain freshness.
Sadang

A sadang is a shrine where ancestral tables were preserved. It was located in the innermost area of the residence, where it was thought to receive the energy of nearby mountains. Usually memorial tablets of family ancestors from the previous four generations were kept in the shrine.
Traditional Houses by Region

Traditional Korean houses varied slightly by region. The differences were the result of adaptation to the region's natural environment. Local construction materials were used and houses were designed according to regional climatic forces, such as strong winds and heavy snow, which were common in certain areas.
Houses in the central and southern provinces were mainly thatched roof houses made of straw, while in Jeju-do, most of the houses were thatched roof houses made of stone and straw ropes. Both Ulleungdo and Gangwon-do contained the neowajip style house, a shingled house which was made from oak trees. The Ulleungdo area also had tumakjip houses, which were constructed from logs and mud. Houses of commoners also had different shapes according to their region. For instance, houses in the northern area were '¤±' shaped while houses in the southern and middle were '11" and '¤¡' shaped.
commer's house in
cental Korea
commer's house in
southern Korea
commer's house in
northern Korea
Neowajip

- Gangwon-do Neowajip
Neowajip, a wooden shingled type of house, is a traditional house which was found in the region of Gangwon-do. In the mostly mountainous province, it was difficult to grow rice, so houses were made of logs, which were easily found in the vicinity. Neowajip houses were roofed with shingles made of oak tiles sliced directly from the trees.
- Ulleungdo Tumakjip (log cabin)
Tumakjip houses, also called gwiteuljip, were built by settlers on Ulleungdo. These houses were constructed by overlapping logs and filling the gaps with mud. The outside of the structure was covered with udegi and woven eulalias to block the wind.
- Jeju-do Thatched-Roof Houses
On jeju-do, where strong winds and typhoons frequently occur, houses were mainly built with stone and straw, and straw ropes were used to secure the roof and prevent it from being blown away by winds. Unlike other regions, the walls here were made with both mud and stones.