Marriage and Family in Korean Society
A brief description of marriage customs in historic Korea.
Location: North Korea; South Korea
Family in Joseon Korea
During the Joseon dynasty, Confucianism shaped both politics and family life. The ancient philosophy upheld filial piety as the supreme virtue of men and women. Four generations of ancestors received prayers and offerings at dedicated shrines. A boy's ancestry determined whether or not he could compete for a government post through official exams. A girl's decided the status of her future husband and the comfort or hard labor he could bring.[1][2]
Courtship and Betrothals in the Joseon Dynasty
Yangban families in the Joseon dynasty arranged marriage between themselves. Parents selected matches for their children based on a number of factors. They judged potential suitors by reputation, status, accomplishment, and a future predicted by time of birth. Once they struck a betrothal, families exchanged gifts for months or years before the ceremony took place.[3]
By custom, the bride and groom's families split responsibilities for the wedding. Both sides exchanged gifts. These included household items, cash, wine, food, and furniture. The groom's family typically provided a house for the couple, while the bride's furnished it.[4]
Korean Wedding Customs
During a traditional wedding ceremony, Korean commoners wore clothing usually reserved for the nobility. The bride wore a colorful green hanbok topped by a bridal crown or cap. Red dots were painted on her cheeks as a blessing, and she wore her hair like a married woman for the first time. The groom wore the clothing of a yangban court official. He hid his face behind a fan while entering the wedding hall. Motifs on both outfits wished them a happy and lucky marriage. In this way, for a single day, peasants experienced the glamor of the yangban.
Wedding ceremonies took place in the home of the bride. The two families gathered there to celebrate with food and present gifts to each other and the couple. By custom, grooms gave their brides a wild goose during the wedding ceremony. In later centuries, it was replaced by a wooden one. The couple then exchanged vows while passing a cup between themselves, and their union was formalized.[2][3][4]
Marriage Dynamics in Joseon Korea
Historically, a young couple might live apart for years after their marriage. When a young woman did leave her home, she took with her handwritten notes from her mother and grandmothers. These kasa contained wisdom and lessons for her as she managed her own household. Throughout her life, she would compose her own kasa and send it along with her daughters in turn.[5]
Modern Korean Wedding Customs
Weddings in South Korea are now a $15-billion-dollar industry. While many couples follow traditional customs, Western-style ceremonies are growing more common. The modern Korean wedding industry focuses on luxury and status. In some cases, families host two ceremonies, one modern and one old-fashioned. There is still public debate over the use of matchmakers and the debts incurred by trendy weddings.[6][7]
Bibliography
Michael J. Seth, A History of Korea: From Antiquity to the Present (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011), 176.
George Monger, Marriage Customs of the World: An Encyclopedia of Dating Customs and Wedding Traditions (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2013), 408-411.
Martina Deuchler, The Confucian Transformation of Korea (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1992), 251-253.
Samuel Songhoon Lee, Hanbok: Timeless Fashion Tradition (Seoul: Seoul Selection, 2015), 408-411.
Seth, 216-222.
Laurel Kendall, Getting Married in Korea: Of Gender, Morality, and Modernity (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1996).
AP, "Image Industry Weds Korea Cool to China's New Rich," USA Today, August 12, 2013, Gannett Satellite Information Network, accessed May 22, 2017.
About TOTA
TOTA.world provides cultural information and sharing across the world to help you explore your Family’s Cultural History and create deep connections with the lives and cultures of your ancestors.
