Though Koreans have largely abandoned traditional housing, important elements of the Korean hanok house persist in the modern apartments favored by an increasingly urban population, according to Bong Hee Jeon, professor of architecture at Seoul National University. According to Professor Jeon, three of these elements—underfloor heating (ondol), raised wooden floors (maru), and the kitchen (puŏk)—even predate the hanok and have been part of Korean living spaces for much of the long history of human habitation on the Peninsula. In a lecture for The Korea Society’s Korea In-Depth lecture series, Professor Jeon explores the periodical, national, and regional manifestations of these archetypal spatial elements, and provides examples of how they are incorporated into current living conditions.

This lecture series is supported by a grant from the

Thursday, March 17, 2011
An Alternative History of the Korean Home

Bong Hee Jeon
Department of Architecture
Seoul National University