Types of Housing
- Writer
- MTE
- Date
- 2005-10-23
- Read
- 4423
Types of Housing
Korea has four distinct seasons. Winter is cold, and summer
is hot and humid. This is why traditional Korean housing uses
the "ondol" heating system to get through the winter. Ondol is
created by building air passageways under the floor to allow
heat from a fire lit elsewhere in the house. The passageways
are covered with flat bricks, which are then covered with mud.
The fireplace at the start of the air passageways is called an
"agungi", and it is usually located in the kitchen. The floor
stays heated for a long time thanks to the way the bricks hold
the heat.
Traditional housing styles consist of "chogajip" and "giwajip."
Chogajip can be seen these days almost exclusively at
Yongin Folk Village. They have straw roofs and their walls are
made of earth and wood, making them cool in summer and
warm in winter. The rice-straw used for roofing is also called
"ieong". Giwajips use tiles on the roof instead of straw. They
are not fancy, but are quiet and full of feeling.
Shoes are removed when entering one of the rooms. In the
past, traditional houses had no chairs. Foreigners who are
unaccustomed to sitting on the floor with their legs folded for
long periods of time may find doing so difficult, but Koreans
are used to this. Instead of beds, people sleep on beddings
placed on the ondol floor. The Korean style mattress, the "yo,"
holds the heat from the ondol, allowing one to enjoy the
warmth for a long time. These days even houses in the
countryside use modern heating systems to heat the floor, but
it is still possible to find the old methods still employed to heat
old houses.