Bowler - All About Korea

All About KOREA Stories, Songs, Crafts and Games for Kids ANN MARTIN BOWLER Illustrated by SOOSOONAM BARG ABOUT TUTTLEBooks to Span the East and West Our core mission at Tuttle Publishing is to create books which bring people together one page at a time. Tuttle was founded in 1832 in the small New England town of Rutland, Vermont (USA). Our fundamental values remain as strong today as they were thento publish best-in-class books informing the English-speaking world about the countries and peoples of Asia. The world has become a smaller place today and Asias economic, cultural and political influence has expanded, yet the need for meaningful dialogue and information about this diverse region has never been greater. Since 1948, Tuttle has been a leader in publishing books on the cultures, arts, cuisines, languages and literatures of Asia. Our authors and photographers have won numerous awards and Tuttle has published thousands of books on subjects ranging from martial arts to paper crafts.

We welcome you to explore the wealth of information available on Asia at www.tuttlepublishing.com. Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd. www.tuttlepublishing.com Text 2011 Ann Martin Bowler Paintings 2011 Soosoonam Barg All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bowler, Ann Martin. ill.; 29 cm. ill.; 29 cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8048-4012-5 (hardcover) 1. Korea--Social life and customs--Juvenile literature. I. Barg, Soosoonam; ill. Title. Title.

DS904.B69 2011 951.9--dc22 2010040845 ISBN 978-0-8048-4938-8 (Previously published with the ISBN 978-0-8048-4102-5) Distributed byNorth America, Latin America & Europe Tuttle Publishing 364 Innovation Drive North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436 U.S.A. Tel: 1 (802) 773-8930 Fax: 1 (802) 773-6993 www.tuttlepublishing.com Asia Pacific Berkeley Books Pte. Ltd. 61 Tai Seng Avenue #02-12 Singapore 534167 Tel: (65) 6280-1330 Fax: (65) 6280-6290 www.periplus.com First edition 20 19 18 17 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1712EP Printed in Hong Kong TUTTLE PUBLISHING is a registered trademark of Tuttle Publishing, a division of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd. To Sarah and Jacob, who brought Korea home to us, with love and thanks. A. B. I would like to dedicate my paintings to all the people who have made me who I am today. S. B. Introducing Korea!Ancient Culture, Modern Nation W hats the spiciest food youve ever eaten? How do you break a board with your bare hand? Why in the world would you send a message off on a kite at the end of the year? Can Blue Dragons protect you? Korean kids know the answers, and in this book, youll learn too. Introducing Korea!Ancient Culture, Modern Nation W hats the spiciest food youve ever eaten? How do you break a board with your bare hand? Why in the world would you send a message off on a kite at the end of the year? Can Blue Dragons protect you? Korean kids know the answers, and in this book, youll learn too.

Youll learn the foods Korean kids eat, the stories they enjoy and the art and crafts they make. You will learn games Korean kids play, the songs they sing and how Korean families celebrate holidays and birthdays. Some of these activities are fairly new but most are well-loved ways that have been around in Korea for generations. Welcome to the rich and wonderful traditions of Korea! Fast FactsCountry Name: Republic of Korea Capital City: Seoul Official Language: Korean Population: 48,508,972 Total land area: 38,022 square miles (98,477 sq. km) Tallest mountain: Halla-san, 6,398 ft (1,950m) Government type: Democracy Money: South Korean Won Main exports: Clothing, electronic products, fish, footwear, cars Main Religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism A Bit of HistoryA Tough People Settle a Rugged Land T he first Koreans moved from northern Asia and settled in Korea around 5,000 years ago. These early Koreans lived in villages and survived by farming and hunting.

Later, in the year 668, Korea became a nation. With Japan to its southeast and China to its northwest, Korea often needed courage and strength to fend off its more powerful neighbors. Korea was known as the Hermit Kingdom, because Korea just wanted to be left alone! Korea is a rugged, mountainous country on a 600-mile-long (966km-long) peninsula. Korea has four distinct seasons. Summer is hot, humid and rainy while spring and fall are usually pleasant and comfortable. Winter is often cold and snowy, especially in the northern part of the country.

Being a nation for so long helped make Koreans a unified people. Koreans speak the same language, look fairly similar and share many of the same ways and traditions. Over time, Koreans created ways of life and art that expressed their own special style. Beautiful temples and shrines were built. In 1945, Korea was sadly broken into two countries, South Korea and North Korea. A wide military border was set up, separating the two.

It became almost impossible to visit friends and relatives in the other Korea. That has been very difficult for Koreans, who dearly value family and friendship. Though the governments of the two countries are still at odds, many continue to hope that Korea will be one nation again. Since 1945, the governments and ways of life of North and South Korean people have gone in different directions. All About Korea is about life in todays South Korea. The Korean National Anthem Ae-guk-ga