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 @ 6:30 PM

An Alternative History of the Korean Home

 

All lectures will be held at

The Korea Society
Samsung Center for Cultural Exchange
950 Third Avenue @ 57th Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10022

All lectures will be in English, except for the final lecture, which will be delivered in Korean (English interpretation will be provided).

Each of the first five courses will be two hours long, with a ninety-minute lecture and thirty-minute Q&A period. The hour-long final lecture with thirty-minute Q&A on March 17 will be followed by a short end-of-series program.

Members, $20 per lecture. Non-members, $30 per lecture. Enroll in all six lectures, and pay only $100 (members) and $125 (non-members—one-year membership included). Student discount available ($5 per lecture).