Hanok

Hanok is a traditional Korean house. Location of the house and its interior structure have to be closely related to the land and local climate. This principle is called “baesanimsu.” So, an ideal hanok has a river in front of it, mountains in the background. Such a house includes the “ondol” (gudeul) underfloor heating system and “daecheong” front porch that enables air conditioning during summer. Hanok is built of soil, wood and stone.

Hanok – traditional Korean house

Hanok belonging to the rich family has a tiled roof called “giwa.” On the other side, a “choga” or roof made of rice straw means that the house belongs to the commoners. Windows and doors are traditionally made from a mass created by combining “hanji” (traditional Korean paper) and bean oil.